[EM] The "Make Elections Great Again Act"

[robert bristow-johnson]

I have heard about this, particularly the "Make Elections Great Again" Act.

I'm probably going to have to write a letter to Sen. Welch about this stuff again.

I actually would favor mandating paper ballots everywhere, but the mandate should not from from the federal level (because of our history and tradition of elections being managed at the state level according to state law).  I just wish that every single state used optical scan technology with paper ballots.  For the sake of democracy, I am willing to kill a few trees (they deserve it anyway).

I fear, that the RCV Industrial Complex will just circle the wagons and lie about problems of Hare RCV.  This lies will be exposed by opponents to RCV and the whole movement will lose credibility.  (Thank you, FairVote.)

--

r b-j . _ . _ . _ . _ rbj at audioimagination.com

"Imagination is more important than knowledge."

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> On 02/01/2026 9:39 PM EST Rob Lanphier via Election-Methods <election-methods at lists.electorama.com> wrote:
> 
> 
> Hi folks
> 
> In case you hadn't heard, the move to ban RCV (and all electoral reform) has gone federal in the United States:
> https://legiscan.com/US/text/HB7300/id/3343097
> 
> Here's the press release:
> https://cha.house.gov/press-releases?id=460DC098-9C01-4F60-8BA5-E795D1501893
> 
> Here's some mainstream reporting about it:
> https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5712698-house-republicans-election-reform-bill/
> 
> ...and here's a post I made to reddit about it earlier today:
> https://www.reddit.com/r/EndFPTP/comments/1qt80c8/proposed_ban_on_rcv_at_the_federal_level/
> 
> To quote the press release, this will:
>   * Require photo identification to vote
>   * Require states to verify citizenship of individuals when registering to vote
>   * Implement stronger routine voter list maintenance requirements in states
>   * Require mail-in ballots to be received by the close of polls on election day
>   * Require states to use auditable paper ballots
>   * Ban ballot harvesting
>   * Ban ranked choice voting
>   * Ban universal vote by mail
> If you were thinking "great!they're banningRCV/IRV", bear in mind that the actual bill contains this:
> > "A State may not carry out a general election for Federal office in the State using a voting system that— (1) permits a voter to vote for more than one candidate for the same office; (2) permits a voter to rank multiple candidates for the same office; or (3) reallocates the vote of a voter from one candidate to another candidate for the same office."
> 
> Whee! One of us (maybe me, maybe y'all) should update this electowiki article as you learn more about this bill:
> https://electowiki.org/wiki/Make_Elections_Great_Again_Act