SB 277 Summary: Ranked Choice Voting

• Establishes ranked choice voting statewide for all primary, general, and special elections for public offices in Indiana, effective January 1, 2017.

• Allows voter preference ranking when three or more candidates compete for an office; voters may rank candidates as #1, #2, #3, and so on, though ranking all candidates is optional.

• Implements elimination-based counting procedure where if no candidate achieves a majority of #1 rankings, the last-place candidate is eliminated and their voters' next-choice rankings are redistributed until a candidate achieves a majority.

• Requires ballot and equipment modifications to support ranking selections across paper ballots, ballot cards, and electronic voting systems, with specific instructions and formats for each voting method.

• Makes extensive conforming amendments throughout Indiana election code to replace references to "votes cast" with "rankings," update vote tabulation procedures, and ensure recount/contest procedures account for ranked choice voting outcomes.