A bipartisan bill proposing a significant change to the way Wisconsin residents choose congressional candidates is set to undergo its first public hearing. The bill suggests implementing a ranked-choice system known as "final five," where voters would rank their top five candidates from all parties, rather than selecting between the top Democratic and Republican contenders. The purpose of the bill, according to its chief authors, Republican Reps. Ron Tusler and Tony Kurtz, Democratic Rep. Daniel Riemer, Republican Sen. Jesse James, and Democratic Sen. Jeff Smith, is to change the incentives for elected officials rather than altering the outcome of elections. The bill aims to free elected officials to deliver solutions that address the complex challenges facing the country.

Under the proposed legislation, all candidates for a U.S. House or Senate seat would appear together on a primary ballot, regardless of their party affiliation. The top five finishers in the primary would then advance to the general election. Currently, Republicans and Democrats participate in separate primary ballots. In the general election, voters would rank the five primary winners in order of preference. If a candidate receives a majority of first-place votes, they would win. If no candidate secures a majority, the candidate with the fewest votes would be eliminated, and the votes of those who ranked the eliminated candidate as their first choice would be transferred to their second choice. This process would continue until a candidate secures a majority of votes. The current system allows candidates to win seats without obtaining a majority.

The bill has garnered support from a bipartisan group of 21 lawmakers who have signed on as co-sponsors. While Maine adopted a ranked-choice system for federal elections and state primaries in 2016, and Alaska adopted it for state and federal races in 2020, no other state has yet implemented such a system. However, three counties and 45 cities throughout the country currently use ranked-choice voting for local elections. Nevada voters passed a ballot question last year in support of ranked-choice voting, but its implementation is contingent on another successful vote in 2024.

Proponents of ranked-choice voting argue that it provides voters with more choices and reduces negative campaigning since candidates must appeal to a broader range of voters to secure second- and third-place rankings. They also assert that the system gives third-party and independent candidates a better chance of success. On the other hand, opponents believe that the system is difficult to comprehend and that tabulating the results would be challenging. They contend that ranked-choice voting contradicts the principle of "one person, one vote" by effectively granting multiple votes to an elector in the same election. Republican opponents in Wisconsin are pushing for a constitutional amendment that would outlaw ranked-choice voting, claiming that it would complicate the state's already complex election system.

The proposal to implement ranked-choice voting in Wisconsin has been introduced during the previous two legislative sessions but failed to gain traction. This time around, opponents are actively pushing for a constitutional amendment to ban ranked-choice voting. They argue that multiple rounds of tabulation would delay the release of results and force voters to speculate about which candidates will remain after each elimination round. Additionally, opponents express concerns about the potential for special interests to manipulate rankings and outcomes. Whether Democratic Governor Tony Evers supports ranked-choice voting remains uncertain.

Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Geoff Mulvihill in Philadelphia, Becky Bohr in Juneau, Alaska, and Gabe Stern in Carson City, Nevada.