New Jersey S 215: Permits use of instant run-off voting in balloting for certain local elective public offices.

Bill Text

S215 

SENATE, No. 215 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Senator SHIRLEY K. TURNER

District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

Senator ANDREW ZWICKER

District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)

SYNOPSIS

���� Permits use of instant run-off voting in balloting 
for certain local elective public offices.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative 
Counsel.

�� 

An Act 
permitting use of instant run-off voting in balloting for certain local 
elective public offices and supplementing Title 19 of the Revised Statutes.

���� Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of 
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� As used in this act: 

���� "instant run-off 
voting" means a system of voting which allows each voter to vote for the 
voter's preferred candidate as well as specific alternative choices from among 
the other candidates appearing on the ballot for that office in order of preference 
and, in the event that no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast for 
candidates for that office, provides that the candidate receiving the fewest 
votes will be eliminated and the second choice votes of the voters who voted 
for that candidate counted, with the process continuing until one candidate is 
a majority winner; and

���� "continuing 
candidate" means a candidate who has not been eliminated as a result of 
this instant run-off voting procedure.

���� 2.��� The governing body of a 
municipality governed by the provisions of the �Uniform Nonpartisan Elections 
Law,� P.L.1981, c.379 (C.40:45-5 et seq.), may, by ordinance or resolution as 
appropriate, authorize the use of instant run-off voting in elections at which 
a candidate is to be elected to an elective public office filled by one 
individual at an election held pursuant to law.� In each such election the 
first choice vote of each voter for each race shall be counted first. If, after 
all ballots are counted, a candidate has obtained a majority of the first 
choice votes for that race, further counting is not necessary, and that 
candidate shall be declared the winner.� If no candidate has obtained a 
majority of first choice votes, then the candidate with the fewest number of 
first choice votes shall be declared eliminated, and the second choice votes of 
voters who voted for this candidate shall be transferred to the next choice 
continuing candidate marked on each continuing ballot, and added to that 
continuing candidate's vote total.� However, if the total of the votes of the 
two or more candidates credited with a low number of votes is less than the 
number of votes credited to the candidate with the next highest number of 
votes, these candidates shall be declared defeated simultaneously and their 
votes transferred to the next choice continuing candidate marked on each ballot 
in a single counting operation.� If the next-choice candidate has been 
eliminated, the vote shall be transferred to the next-choice candidate who is a 
continuing candidate.� After this tabulation, if no continuing candidate 
receives a majority of the votes, then the continuing candidate with the fewest 
votes shall be declared defeated.� This process of eliminating last-place 
candidates, transferring ballots from these candidates, and adding them to the 
totals of continuing candidates shall proceed until a candidate has a majority 
of the ballots, in which case that candidate is elected, or there is a tie 
between all remaining continuing candidates.� If, in any election, a ballot has 
no more available preferences stated, that ballot shall be declared exhausted 
and shall not be counted further.� A ballot assigning the same ranking to more 
than one candidate for an office shall be declared exhausted when the double 
ranking is reached.� If a ballot skips a ranking then the next ranking shall be 
counted.� If there is a tie between candidates, the procedures otherwise 
provided by law shall be followed.

���� 3.��� The Secretary of State, 
pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 
(C.52:14B-1 et seq.), shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to 
effectuate the purposes of this act.� Instant run-off voting shall not be 
implemented in any municipality until the Secretary of State determines that 
voting equipment and ballots have been updated to accommodate this process.

���� 4.��� This act shall take 
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill permits the 
governing body of a municipality governed by the provisions of the �Uniform 
Nonpartisan Elections Law,� N.J.S.A.40:45-5 et seq., to allow the use of 
instant run-off voting in elections at which a candidate is to be elected to a 
local elective public office filled by one individual. 

���� Instant run-off voting is a 
system of voting which allows each voter to vote for the voter's preferred 
candidate as well as specific alternative choices from amon