An Act authorizing ranked choice voting for local elections in the city of Salem

This bill authorizes the use of ranked choice voting for local elections in the city of Salem, but it does not become active until voters approve it in a future ballot measure. Under this system, voters would rank candidates in order of preference rather than selecting just one, and votes are redistributed to remaining candidates in rounds until a winner or winners are determined. The legislation also repeals existing preliminary election rules for Salem and directs the city to create specific rules for ballot design and tie-breaking. Because the bill requires voter acceptance to take effect, it is currently a proposal rather than an immediate change to election procedures.