Senate Bill 63 would ban ranked-choice voting statewide and withhold state funding from cities who want to use it.

If you're unfamiliar with the concept, watch this short video for a quick explainer.

When politicians can draw their own districts and choose their voters, they stop being accountable to the people. But ranked-choice voting can help change the game:

• Better Candidates: Politicians must appeal to broader coalitions, not just their partisan base. Even in "safe" districts, incumbents face pressure to represent all constituents.

• More Voices: Ranked choice voting enhances electoral fairness by requiring winning candidates to secure majority support, encouraging broader voter appeal, and fostering a more diverse candidate pool, thus creating a more inclusive and competitive democratic process.

• Local Control: Ohio's constitution provides cities and counties with "home rule" authority to manage their own affairs, including local election methods. Senate Bill 63 would punish local governments adopting ranked-choice voting by making them ineligible to receive Local Government Fund money until they abandon it. 

• Local Innovation: Cities like Cleveland Heights, Lakewood and Cincinnati are considering putting ranked-choice voting on their November ballot. Senate Bill 63 would block these local democratic initiatives.

Better elections empower voters to choose candidates who are accountable to them.

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