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Standard Summary
Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs
The One Vote One Choice Act would amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) to prohibit states from using ranked-choice voting (RCV) in elections for federal office. Specifically, the bill adds a new section (Sec. 305) to state that a state may not carry out a federal election using a system in which voters rank candidates in order of preference. The change is a federal requirement that would apply to federal elections held after the bill’s enactment. The measure also makes conforming and clerical amendments to HAVA to reflect the new prohibition and its enforcement, and it updates the table of contents accordingly. The act is titled the “One Vote One Choice Act” and was introduced in the House on April 1, 2025.
Key Points
- 1Prohibits ranked-choice voting for federal elections. A state may not conduct a federal election using a system where voters rank candidates by preference.
- 2Adds a new enforcement provision (Sec. 305) within HAVA and updates Sec. 401 to reference the new section, ensuring the prohibition is enforceable under federal law.
- 3Requires clerical and organizational updates to HAVA (renumbering and tabular amendments) to accommodate the new provision.
- 4Effective date: applies to elections held on or after enactment of the act.
- 5Short title: The bill is named the “One Vote One Choice Act.”
Impact Areas
Primary group/area affected- Voters in states that use ranked-choice voting in federal elections will be affected, as their federal elections would no longer use RCV.- State and local election administrators responsible for administering federal elections would need to adjust procedures, ballot formats, and voting equipment to align with non-RCV methods for federal races.Secondary group/area affected- Federal candidates and political parties, who may face changes in how federal races are conducted and how votes are tallied.- Voter education and outreach programs, which would need to inform voters about the shift away from ranking candidates for federal contests.Additional impacts- Administrative and compliance costs for states to modify election processes for federal elections.- Potential legal and constitutional considerations or challenges related to changing election methods for federal offices (not specified in the bill, but a common consideration in debates over voting systems).- Non-federal elections (state or local) could continue to use ranked-choice voting, as the prohibition applies only to elections for federal office.
Generated by gpt-5-nano on Nov 18, 2025