North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong signed a bill on Wednesday prohibiting ranked-choice and approval voting, a system used by Fargo, the state’s largest city. Approval voting allows voters to select as many candidates as they want, with the top vote-getters winning. The bill was supported by Republican Rep. Ben Koppelman and Secretary of State Michael Howe, who argued for uniform elections across the state.
Fargo adopted approval voting in 2018 after candidates won commission seats with low percentages of the vote in previous crowded races. Supporters, including Mayor Tim Mahoney, say approval voting works for Fargo, but critics argue it favors less controversial candidates.
In a statement, Governor Armstrong emphasized the need for a consistent, efficient, and understandable voting experience to maintain trust in the election system. In 2023, a similar bill to ban Fargo’s system was vetoed by then-Governor Doug Burgum, who called it state overreach. However, the veto was overridden by the House.
Fargo’s next election is scheduled for June 2026, with the city officials accepting the legislative decision to ban approval voting. Despite the strong support for the bill in the Legislature, Mayor Mahoney expressed the people of Fargo’s satisfaction with the approval voting system.
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