RI H7981

Local jurisdictions in Rhode Island may adopt ranked choice voting for local primary, general, or special elections through voter-approved charter amendments, with the option to hold nonpartisan general elections without separate primaries

Single-winner elections allow voters to rank up to 5 candidates, while multi-winner elections allow ranking 4 more candidates than seats available, with lowest-vote candidates eliminated in rounds until winners are determined

Jurisdictions using ranked choice voting for multi-municipality districts must have all affected municipalities adopt the system; the State Board of Elections must promulgate implementation rules

Election transparency requirements mandate release of unofficial round-by-round results on election night and official ballot-level ranking data in machine-readable format upon certification

Effective date: January 1, 2027