In part, it would prevent the state and local governments from using ranked choice voting, which involves voters ranking all of the candidates when casting ballots. If no candidate receives a majority in the initial tally, the candidate with the fewest votes drops off. Votes for that candidate then shift to other candidates.
The process continues until a candidate has a majority.
The issue has arisen in places such as Sarasota, where voters in 2007 approved moving to ranked choice voting. But the city has not started using it, and Secretary of State Laurel Lee has said it is not allowed under Florida law, according to local media reports.
A political committee known as Floridians for Free and Fair Elections has proposed a constitutional amendment to allow ranked choice voting in the state.
But as of mid-day Monday, the state had received only 16 valid petition signatures for the initiative, according to the Florida Division of Elections website.
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This article appears in Oct 21-27, 2021.