A measure to outlaw “approval voting” and “ranked-choice voting” in North Dakota is on its way to Governor Armstrong.
The state Senate passed the bill 38 to 8.
The measure’s supporters say elections are a state matter, and should be uniform.
Fargo currently uses “approval voting” in municipal elections. Under it, a voter can choose a number of candidates for local office, and the highest vote-getters are elected. A floor amendment was offered to allow Fargo to keep it, while prohibiting other local governments from adopting those methods.
Senate Minority Leader Kathy Hogan (D-Fargo) argued in favor of the amendment.
"The advantage of approval voting is it encourages individuals to run for office," Hogan said. "We've had really good engagement in civic activity because of approval voting. This has demonstrated that we want people to be involved in political life, and this methodology has worked very effectively for our community."
But Sen. Michelle Powers (R-Fargo) said she finds approval voting to be “very confusing.”
"It has not gotten easier," Powers said. "Every time (people) come across it, it's a headache to try to explain."
The amendment was rejected, and the bill passed on a 38 to 8 vote.
