Ban on ranked choice voting becomes law

SANDUSKY — Gov. Mike DeWine recently signed a bill by state Sen. Theresa Gavarone, R-Bowling Green, to ban ranked choice voting in Ohio. The new law bans a complicated voting system, which has been tried in other states, that asks voters facing a list of candidates to rank them in order of preference rather than choosing just one. The results are then tabulated to take the rankings into account. Proponents argue that it's a reform that encourages the election of moderate candidates and allows voters to register more of their preferences. But Gavarone and her co-sponsor, state Sen. Bill DeMora, D-Columbus, were having none of it. "Ranked choice voting distorts election outcomes and erodes the public trust in election results," Gavarone said. "This disastrous electoral system has no place in Ohio. I'm proud to see Ohio take this important step in maintaining our spot as the leader in election security and integrity." Gavarone's Senate Bill 63 generally bans ranked choice voting in Ohio elections. While cities and chartered counties are allowed to set their own voting rules, the measure says that any local government that uses ranked choice funding will be banned from getting money from the local government fund. The Ohio House approved the bill on Feb. 25. It had earlier passed the Ohio Senate, but it had to go back to the Senate because House members had added a provision stating that candidate petitions submitted by people running for office are public records. On March 4, the Senate voted 24-7 to accept the House amendment, sending the measure to DeWine's desk. Among local lawmakers, state Sen. Nathan Manning, R-North Ridgeville, and state Sen. Bill Reineke, R-Tiffin, voted with Gavarone to send the measure over to the governor. "I had no problem with the amendment," Gavarone said.