Bismarck, nd – The governor of the northern state of Dakota signed a draft law on Wednesday to ban The unusual voting system Used by the largest city in its mandate.
Draft Signed by Republicans Kelly Armstrong ruler Block voting in rank and approval to vote. The selection vote is ranked, Where voters arrange their favorite candidates, they are used In Alaska and who And different cities, but not in Northern Dakota. Voters choose the largest number of candidates who want to vote for approval; The highest level of victory.
Vargo approved the approval vote through the polling initiative in 2018 and the system is used to elect the mayor and four city commissioners. This procedure came after the previous elections, which the candidates won the commission seats with only shrapnel from the general vote in crowded races.
In 2018, before the approval vote, the winning committee candidates received 18 % and 16.5 % of the votes, respectively. In the 2024 commission race, the winners received support from 46 % and 44.5 % of the voters. Three elections in the city were used to vote on approval.
Supporters, including Mayor Tim Mahouni, say that the approval vote on Vargo. But the sponsor of the draft law, Republican MP Ben Copman from West Vargo, said that the regime prefers the “vanilla” candidates who do not receive difficult positions. Republican Foreign Minister Michael Hao supported the bill, saying that North Dakota needs unified elections.
In a statement, the ruler said: “Now more than ever, we need a consistent, effective, easy -to -understand experience through our entire state to maintain confidence in our electoral system.”
In 2023, my God. Doug Burgum She objected to a bill from Koppelman to Ban Fargo. Bill State Overreach called a flagrant violation of local control. The House of Representatives exceeded the veto, but the Senate preserved it.
The mayor of Vargo said that the city’s officials saw the end result, given the strong support of the Legislative Council of the draft law.
Mahaouni said: “I loved the people of Veto to vote on approval. We have succeeded in that, but we accept the legislative body. We accept the decision they made,” Maiouni said.
The upcoming elections for the city in June 2026 for the mayor’s seats and the two seats in the city committee.