Congress·In Committee·H.R. 6589

House Bill Would Require Ranked Choice Voting in All Congressional Elections

Ranked Choice Voting Act

3 months ago·View on Congress.gov

⏸

Stalled

No legislative action in over 90 days.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Key Points

States would have to use ranked choice voting for U.S. House and U.S. Senate elections, including primaries, special elections, and general elections.
Ballots would let voters rank candidates (at least 5 choices, or fewer if there aren’t that many), with clear instructions on how to mark rankings.
The bill would end separate runoff elections for U.S. House and U.S. Senate races, since the ranking process is meant to replace runoffs.
States would get federal payments to update voting equipment, software, training, ballot printing, and voter education to make the switch.
If a State doesn’t follow the rules, the U.S. Attorney General or affected voters could sue to force compliance; it would start for elections on or after Jan. 1, 2030.

Civil Rights

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

How this policy affects specific groups of people

Mixed Impacts(3)

Physical Disability

Neutral

Sensory Disability

Neutral

Cognitive Developmental

Neutral

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Dec 10, 2025House

Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

Dec 10, 2025

Introduced in House

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

2026–2029

Election offices begin multi-year planning and public education for ranked choice voting in federal races.

You may start seeing sample ballots, mailers, public demos, and changes to election websites explaining how to rank candidates, even though the new rules won’t apply yet.

Beginning with the first affected federal primary/general after Jan 1, 2030

Separate runoff elections for U.S. House and U.S. Senate are no longer allowed.

In places that used runoffs, the winner would be decided using the ranked-choice counting process instead of holding a second election weeks later.

As needed, especially close to 2030 and after

If a state doesn’t comply, lawsuits can be filed and courts can order election-calendar changes.

In a conflict, a primary date or deadlines could be moved so a court can rule in time for the general election, which could change when you vote in a primary.

Related News

3 articles

Ballot Access News·2 months ago

January 2026 Ballot Access News Print Edition

Notes the Dec. 10 introduction of companion bills H.R. 6589 and S. 3425 requiring ranked choice voting for congressional primaries and general elections; mentions sponsor counts and what systems would be affected.

The Washington Post·3 months ago

Ready for ranked-choice voting, D.C.? It's moving forward.

Covers D.C.’s implementation timeline for ranked choice voting after a delay effort failed; provides context on RCV mechanics but does not focus on the federal Ranked Choice Voting Act bill itself.

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Axios·4 months ago

D.C.'s new ranked choice voting system is in limbo

Explains uncertainty around D.C.’s rollout of ranked choice voting for local elections; useful background on RCV but not specific to the federal Ranked Choice Voting Act bills.