I
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2545
To provide that a State that uses a system of limited voting, cumulative
voting, or preference voting may establish multi-member congressional
districts.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
OCTOBER 26, 1995
Ms. MCKINNEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To provide that a State that uses a system of limited voting,
cumulative voting, or preference voting may establish
multi-member congressional districts.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Voters’ Choice Act’’.
SEC. 2. MULTI-MEMBER DISTRICTS PERMITTED FOR ELEC-
TION OF REPRESENTATIVES FOR STATES
WITH CERTAIN VOTING SYSTEMS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding Public Law 90–
196 (2 U.S.C. 2c), a State that is entitled to more than
one Representative in Congress may establish a number
of districts for election of Representatives that is less than
the number of Representatives to which the State is enti-
tled, if and only if that State uses a system of limited
voting, a system of cumulative voting, or a system of pref-
erence voting in its multi-member districts.
(b) LIMITED VOTING DESCRIBED.—Limited voting is
a system in which a voter may not cast a number of votes
that is more than one-half the number of Representatives
to be elected.
(c) CUMULATIVE VOTING DESCRIBED.—Cumulative
voting is a system in which a voter may cast a number
of votes up to the number of Representatives to be elected,
and the voter may distribute those votes, including frac-
tions of votes, in any combination, including all votes for
one candidate.
(d) PREFERENCE VOTING DESCRIBED.—Preference
voting is a system in which a voter ranks the candidates
and candidates win by reaching a required threshold of
votes. After totaling first-place votes, all candidates who
have reached the threshold are declared elected. Votes in
excess of the threshold are transferred to the voters’ next-
choice candidates: either some votes at full value or all
votes at an equally reduced value. When no candidate is
above the threshold and all seats have yet to be filled, the
candidate with the fewest top-ranked votes is eliminated,
and all of the candidate’s votes are transferred to the next-
choice candidates at full value. Voters may rank can-
didates equally. When candidates are so ranked, the value
of the ballot is divided equally among such candidates. The
threshold is calculated as—
(1) votes divided by the number of Representa-
tives to be elected;
(2) votes divided by the number of Representa-
tives to be elected plus one, plus one vote; or
(3) any number between the number calculated
under paragraph (1) and the number calculated
under paragraph (2).
(e) EQUALITY REQUIREMENT.—In a State that uses
districts in a system of limited voting, a system of cumu-
lative voting, or a system of preference voting, the number
of residents per Representative in a district shall be equal
for all Representatives elected.
(f) SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS ALLOWED.—A State
may use single-member districts alone or in combination
with multi-member districts.
SEC. 3. RELATION TO VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965.
The rights and remedies established by this Act are
in addition to all other rights and remedies provided by
law, and the rights and remedies established by this Act
shall not supersede, restrict, or limit the application of the
Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973 et seq.). Noth-
ing in this Act authorizes or requires conduct that is pro-
hibited by the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973
et seq.).
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