Ocean State RCV has four bills in the 2026 session we are supporting that have been submitted in the House and Senate. House Bills No. 7788  and 7981and Senate Bills No. 2590  and 2951 have been introduced by RCV-friendly sponsors. Strategically, these bills relate to ranked choice voting being used in Presidential Primary elections here in Rhode Island and allowing local use of RCV by Rhode Island cities who choose to adopt it.

If you look at the graphic below, public action will be needed for the next step.  The more support we show at the First Committee Hearing, the better chance we have of moving either of these bills expeditiously through each chamber.  Hence, our call for testimony.

Testifying is not difficult. Here are samples of written testimony that you can use to craft your own and submit via the web to Ocean State RCV for use.  Here is a sample of what testimony can look like in person at the State House. We conducted a testimony (written or in-person) training session and you can review the video here.  Once a date is set for a committee hearing, we will inform all and show up en masse. 

Testifying with OSRCV at the State House is what democracy looks like.   

WHY NOW? 

Many times, emails can sound overly urgent. However, a movement is afoot to end RCV and remove other democratic safeguards for elections, both nationally - via the MEGA Act - and here in Rhode Island - via House Bill 7380.  For both bills, there is one central question to ask their sponsors and supporters:  What are they afraid of? RCV is a party-neutral, pro-voter reform. The people trying to ban RCV are afraid of more competition. They’re afraid of having to win a majority of votes.  We HAVE TO DEMONSTRATE greater support for a more democratic election system. 

If you can, please play a role in your democracy and join us for our testimony training and then to testify at the State House when the bills receive their hearings.