1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

The proposed S.B. No. 137, which seeks to prohibit ranked choice voting and penalize its use by withholding Local Government Fund distributions, is a step back in our democratic process. Ranked choice voting is a tool that empowers voters, allowing them to express their preferences more accurately. It encourages diverse candidate fields and reduces negative campaigning. Penalizing municipalities for adopting this method is not in the best interest of our democracy. Instead of limiting voting methods, we should be exploring ways to make our electoral system more representative and inclusive. Therefore, reconsider the proposed amendments and enactments in S.B. No. 137, and support the use of ranked choice voting.