[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2545 Introduced in House (IH)]







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 Representatives 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 ELECTION 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 entitled, 
if and only if that State uses a system of limited voting, a system of 
cumulative voting, or a system of preference 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 fractions 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 candidates 
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 Representatives to be 
        elected;
            (2) votes divided by the number of Representatives 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 cumulative 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.). Nothing in this Act authorizes or requires conduct that is 
prohibited by the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 1973 et seq.).
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