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HB 1708

ELEC CD-RCV/MUNICIPAL PRIMARY

104th Regular Session Introduced by Kam Buckner

HB 1708 introduces ranked-choice voting for Illinois municipal primaries to eliminate costly runoffs and streamline candidate selection through voter preference ranking.

Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee
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Bill Summary · HB 1708

Legislative bill overview

HB 1708 would establish ranked-choice voting (RCV), also called instant runoff voting, for municipal primary elections in Illinois. Under this system, voters rank candidates by preference, and if no candidate wins a majority on the first count, the lowest-vote candidate is eliminated and those votes redistributed based on voters' next preferences until a winner emerges.

Why is this important

Municipal primaries currently require runoff elections when no candidate achieves a majority, which is costly, has low voter turnout, and extends the election timeline. RCV could streamline this process, reduce election costs, and potentially increase voter participation by allowing voters to express full preferences in a single election event.

Potential points of contention

  • Implementation complexity: RCV requires new voting equipment, voter education, and ballot counting procedures that many municipalities lack infrastructure to support, raising significant implementation costs
  • Voter confusion: Critics argue ranked-choice ballots are more complex than traditional voting and may disadvantage voters unfamiliar with the system or those with disabilities
  • Limited precedent in Illinois: Few Illinois municipalities have experience with RCV; questions remain about whether statewide mandates should precede local experimentation and opt-in approaches

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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