Testimony for the Rhode Island Senate Judiciary Committee in Support of S. 152, Ranked Choice Voting
Testimony from:
Dr. Jonathan Madison, Governance Fellow, R Street Institute
Testimony in Support of RI S 152, “AN ACT relating to Primaries for Election of Delegates to National Conventions and for Presidential Preference.”
March 20, 2025
Rhode Island Senate Judiciary Committee
Chairman LaMountain and members of the committee:
My name is Dr. Jonathan Madison, and I am a governance fellow at the R Street Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy research organization. Our mission is to engage in policy analysis and outreach to promote free markets, and limited, effective government in many areas, including election administration. This is why we have an interest in Senate Bill 152.
S 152 would implement ranked choice voting (RCV) for presidential primaries in Rhode Island. Under this system, voters would have the ability to rank candidates in order of preference rather than selecting just one. If no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed based on voters’ next preferences. This process continues until a candidate secures a majority.
RCV offers several benefits in the context of presidential primaries. It ensures that nominees have broader support among primary voters by requiring a majority consensus rather than allowing candidates to win with a small plurality. This is particularly valuable in primaries with large candidate fields, where vote-splitting can prevent a widely acceptable candidate from advancing.[1] Additionally, RCV encourages more positive campaigning, as candidates must appeal to a broader electorate to earn second and third-choice votes.[2] Lastly, candidates that emerge from this process enjoy greater legitimacy.[3]
Another important consideration is that Rhode Island tends to host its presidential primary election in April after many other states have already hosted their primaries and many candidates have either been eliminated, or chosen to withdraw from the race.[4] So, RCV could pay dividends for the Ocean State and its voters by ensuring they can still have the opportunity to contribute to the overall selection of the winner.
As with many voting reforms, there is misinformation that is being perpetuated by some individuals who view RCV as convoluted and engendering confusion amongst voters. Research from my organization has revealed that this important election reform doesn’t cause widespread bewilderment. Rather voters tend take advantage of the opportunity to sort contenders based on preference.[5] A critical component of this system is that an individual voter continues to have the option to select a single candidate if they do not want to rank candidates, and this legislation allows voters to rank “uncommitted” among their selections. So, RCV does not disenfranchise electors.
S 152 takes a proactive approach to improving the presidential primary process in Rhode Island by allowing for a more representative nomination process. We appreciate the General Assembly’s commitment to considering electoral reforms that promote greater voter engagement and stronger democratic outcomes. For these reasons, we encourage favorable consideration and passage of S 152.
Thank you,
Dr. Jonathan Madison
Governance Fellow
R Street Institute
385-500-7537
jmadison@rstreet.org
[1] Drew Johnson and Matt Germer, “Ranking Presidents: How Ranked-Choice Voting Can Improve Presidential Primaries,” R Street Policy Study (R Street Institute, December 2022), https://www.rstreet.org/research/ranking-presidents-how-ranked-choice-voting-can-improve-presidential-primaries/.
[2] Rachel Leven and Tyler Fisher, “Alaska’s Election Model: How the Top-Four Nonpartisan Primary System Improves Participation, Competition, and Representation,” Unite America Institute, October 2023, https://www.uniteamericainstitute.org/research/alaskas-election-model-how-the-top-four-nonpartisan-primary-system-improves-participation-competition-and-representation.
[3] Cynthia McClintock, Electoral Rules and Democracy in Latin America (Oxford University Press, 2018), pp. 29-64.
[4] U.S. Federal Elections Commission, “2024 Presidential Primary Dates and Candidate Filing Deadlines for Ballot Access,” April 25, 2024: https://www.fec.gov/resources/cms-content/documents/2024pdates.pdf
[5] Matt Germer, “An Analysis of Ranked Choice Voting in Maine” (R Street Institute, September 21, 2021), https://www.rstreet.org/research/an-analysis-of-ranked-choice-voting-in-maine/.