Ranked-Choice Voting Bans Rise Across States

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A wave of criticism is building against ranked-choice voting (RCV), and the numbers tell a striking story. Nineteen states have now banned the practice, and voters in several more are being asked to weigh in. Critics argue the system is confusing, slow, and erodes public trust in elections.

Here’s what the debate looks like right now, and why it matters for every American who cares about election transparency.

What Is Ranked-Choice Voting?

Ranked-choice voting is an election method in which voters rank candidates in order of preference rather than choosing just one. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of first-choice votes, the counting continues in multiple rounds. The lowest-performing candidates are eliminated one by one until someone crosses that threshold.

Supporters say this system produces majority winners and reduces negative campaigning. But critics argue the opposite, that it creates confusion, delays results, and leaves thousands of ballots uncounted before a winner is declared.

The Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA), a conservative policy group, describes the system as one where “thousands of ballots get thrown in the trash to force a false majority in tabulation.” The FGA argues this is not a flaw in the design — but the design itself.

19 States Have Now Banned It

According to the FGA, nineteen states have passed outright bans on ranked-choice voting. Eight of those bans came in the past year and a half alone.

Among the most recent: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed a ban in March 2026, making Ohio the 19th state to prohibit the practice. Indiana followed earlier that same year, with a law stating plainly that “an election may not be determined by ranked choice voting.” Both laws were passed with bipartisan support.

Other states that have banned ranked-choice voting in recent cycles include Wyoming, West Virginia, North Dakota, Arkansas, Kansas, and Iowa. Notably, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, signed her state’s ban despite nearly all Democratic lawmakers voting against it.

The FGA notes that in the 2024 election cycle, RCV initiatives were rejected by voters in five states, even though supporters outspent opponents by roughly 20 to 1.

Alaska’s Repeal Effort Heads to the Ballot

Alaska is one of only three states, along with Maine and Hawaii, the latter for special federal elections only, that have implemented a ranked-choice voting system for elections. Alaska adopted the system in 2020 through Ballot Measure 2, which passed with just 50.55 percent of the vote.

A repeal effort failed in 2024 by roughly 700 votes. Now, a new initiative is set to appear on the November 3, 2026, general election ballot.

The initiative is titled “An Act Restoring Political Party Primaries, Single-Choice General Elections, and Campaign Finance Rules.” If passed, it would dismantle the current system and restore traditional primaries and general elections in which the highest vote-getter wins.

Writing in the Juneau Empire, retired banker and community leader Win Gruening argues that repealing ranked-choice voting is “a common-sense step toward restoring transparency, public trust, and a system where the people decide elections plainly and directly.”

Gruening also raises concerns about outside money shaping the debate. He notes that the original 2020 RCV campaign raised nearly $14 million, mostly from out-of-state donors, while opponents raised less than $600,000. He warns that out-of-state funding is likely to play a large role again ahead of the 2026 vote.

Critics: The System Hurts Voter Trust

A central argument from RCV critics is that the system makes elections harder to understand, and harder to trust. Gruening writes that ranked-choice voting “delays election results, often for weeks, weakens public confidence, and creates the perception that outcomes are being engineered behind closed doors.”

The FGA echoes this view, arguing that voter confusion leads to lower turnout and that results can “take days or weeks to finalize.” The group also says RCV primarily benefits political insiders and activists who understand the system, while ordinary voters are left behind.

Both critics and supporters agree that faith in elections is already fragile. Where they disagree is whether ranked-choice voting strengthens or weakens it.

In Maine, the other state with a full RCV system, the state Supreme Court recently issued a unanimous ruling blocking an effort to expand ranked-choice voting to state races in general elections. The court declared LD 1666, the expansion bill, unconstitutional.

That ruling was seen as a setback for RCV advocates who had hoped to broaden the system’s reach. Maine had already faced legal and political challenges to its RCV implementation since adopting it.

The FGA calls the Maine ruling one of several recent wins for those who want to limit or eliminate ranked-choice voting across the country.

Where the Debate Stands

The push to repeal or ban ranked-choice voting is growing. Critics say the system complicates elections, benefits well-funded campaigns, and leaves voters confused about whether their ballot even counted. Nineteen states have already acted to prohibit it, and Alaska voters will soon have their say again.

Supporters of RCV maintain that the system reduces negative campaigning and ensures winners reflect broader voter preferences. But as more states move to ban it, and as legal challenges mount, the future of ranked-choice voting as an election reform tool remains very much in question.

Elections are the voice of the people. Whether ranked-choice voting amplifies or distorts that voice is a question voters across the country are being asked to answer.

Engaging in our political process should be clear, meaningful, and effective—but too often, people feel overlooked or unsure how to make an impact. That’s where we come in.

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