Allows ranked-choice voting options for municipal and school board elections under certain circumstances.

This bill (S 1643) allows New Jersey municipalities and school boards to adopt ranked-choice voting for local elections through voter referendum or local ordinance. It permits communities to choose ranked-choice voting for mayoral, council, or school board races - using instant runoff for single seats (like mayor) or single transferable vote for multiple seats (like council). Voters would need to approve the change via referendum, requiring signatures from at least 10% of voters who participated in the last General Assembly election. The bill defines key terms like "exhausted ballot" and voting thresholds but does not mandate ranked-choice voting statewide. It is currently pending in the Senate (introduced January 2026).