FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, February 28, 2023
Senator Kern Continues
to Fight for Fair Elections
in Arizona
PHOENIX, ARIZONA— Today, Senator Anthony Kern (LD-27) is pleased to announce that his bill SB 1265 (voting; elections; tally; prohibition) has passed the Senate and has been transmitted to the House. This bill seeks to prohibit Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) in Arizona and ensure that the candidate receiving the most legal votes in an election is declared elected.
RCV is an alternative voting method where voters can rank their preferred candidates in order of preference. In RCV, if no candidate receives a majority of the first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed based on the voters' second choice. This process continues until a candidate receives a majority of votes.
"This can be confusing for voters, is more difficult to administer, and may not always result in the candidate with the most first-choice votes winning the election," Senator Kern explained. "In addition, implementing RCV may require substantial changes to the electoral process and may be impractical in some jurisdictions. I am aware that there are groups in Arizona advocating for RCV, but this will only lead to chaos, and we must ensure that our constituents have easy and fair access to the ballot box."
SB 1265 will now proceed through the House legislative process, and if it receives the same support there, it will be sent to the Governor's desk for her signature or veto.
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For more information, contact:
Kim Quintero
Director of Communications | Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus