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East Lansing, Michigan, Ballot Question 3, Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative (November 2023)
| East Lansing Ballot Question 3 | |
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| Topic Local charter amendments and Local elections and campaigns |
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| Type Initiative |
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East Lansing Ballot Question 3 was on the ballot as an initiative in East Lansing on November 7, 2023. It was approved.
A "yes" vote supported this charter amendment to:
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A "no" vote opposed this charter amendment to adopt ranked-choice voting (RCV) for city council elections and allow a special election to fill a vacant city council. |
Election results
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East Lansing Ballot Question 3 |
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| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
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2,811 | 52.48% | ||
| No | 2,545 | 47.52% | ||
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for Ballot Question 3 was as follows:
| “ | 3.1a RANKED CHOICE VOTING: IN THE EVENT THE MICHIGAN BUREAU OF ELECTIONS CERTIFIES THE PROCESS FOR THE USE OF RANKED CHOICE VOTING BEGINNING IN THE ELECTION OF 2023, OR SUCH SUBSEQUENT ODD YEAR ELECTION ONCE THE CONDITIONS OF A CERTIFIED PROCESS ARE SATISFIED, THE CITY COUNCIL SHALL BE ELECTED IN THE MANNER PRESCRIBED IN THIS SECTION. | ” |
Full Text
The full text of this measure is available here.
Background
Ranked-choice voting (RCV)
| Ranked-choice voting (RCV) ballot measures | |
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| Pages: • Ranked-choice voting (RCV) • History of RCV ballot measures • Electoral systems on the ballot • Local electoral systems on the ballot • Electoral systems by state | |
- See also: Ranked-choice voting (RCV)
The ballot measure has played a role in shaping electoral systems in the U.S., including ranked-choice voting (RCV) for state and local elections.
Since 1915, there have been more than 150 ballot measures to adopt or repeal ranked-choice voting systems. Ashtabula, Ohio, was the first jurisdiction to approve a ranked-choice voting measure in 1915.
RCV is an electoral system in which voters rank candidates on their ballots. RCV can be used for single-winner elections or multi-winner elections; when used for multi-winner elections, the system has also been called single-transferable vote or proportional representation. These terms were often used to describe multi-winner RCV before the 1970s. You can learn more about ranked-choice voting systems and policies here.
Local RCV ballot measures
Between 1965 and 2024, 79 ranked-choice voting (RCV) local ballot measures were on the ballot in 58 jurisdictions in 19 states.
- Ballotpedia has located 71 local ballot measures to adopt RCV. Voters approved 52 (78.9%) and rejected 15 (21.1%).
- There were eight local ballot measures to repeal RCV. Voters approved four (50.0%) and rejected four (50.0%).
- The year with the most local RCV ballot measures was 2022, when nine were on the ballot in nine jurisdictions. Voters approved seven of them.
- The state with the most local ballot measures related to RCV is California, where there have been 13.
The following table shows the number of ranked-choice voting measures by topic.
| Local ranked-choice vote measures by topic and outcome, 1965 - April 2025 | |||||
| Topic | Total | Approved | Approved (%) | Defeated | Defeated (%) |
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| Adopt RCV | 72 | 57 | 79.2% | 15 | 20.08% |
| Repeal RCV | 8 | 4 | 50.0% | 4 | 50.0% |
| Total | 80 | 61 | 76.3% | 19 | 23.7% |
Path to the ballot
This measure was put on the ballot through a successful citizen initiative petition drive.
How to cast a vote
- See also: Voting in Michigan
See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Michigan.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Michigan Secretary of State, "Frequently Asked Questions: Elections and Voting," accessed April 16, 2023
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Michigan Secretary of State, "Registering to Vote," accessed October 7, 2024
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 NCSL, "State Profiles: Elections," accessed August 26, 2024
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Michigan.gov, "Notice to Voters: Voter Identification Requirement in Effect," accessed October 7, 2024
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