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AN ORDINANCE proposing to amend the King County Charter to utilize ranked-choice voting for the election of county officers, including the King County executive, the King County assessor, the King County director of elections, the King County councilmembers and the King County prosecuting attorney, effective January 1 following the council's adoption of an ordinance approving protocols for ranked-choice voting; amending Section 610 of the King County Charter; and submitting the same to the voters of the county for their ratification or rejection at a special election to be held in conjunction with the November 2, 2021, general election.
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BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. There shall be submitted to the qualified voters of King County for their ratification or rejection, at a special election to be held in conjunction with the November 2, 2021, general election, an amendment to Section 610 of the King County Charter to read as follows:
Section 610 Election Procedures.
The nominating primaries and elections for the offices of the King County executive, the King County assessor, the King County councilmembers and the King County prosecuting attorney shall be conducted in accordance with general law governing the election of nonpartisan county officers. However, the elections of county officers, including the King County executive, the King County assessor, the King County director of elections, the King County councilmembers and the King County prosecuting attorney, shall be conducted using ranked-choice voting, effective January 1 following the county council's adoption of an ordinance approving protocols for ranked-choice voting.
Ranked-choice voting shall give voters the option of ranking candidates in order of preference and shall be conducted in rounds. In each round, each voter's ballot shall count as a single vote for whichever continuing candidate the voter has ranked highest. The candidate with the fewest votes after each round shall be eliminated. The eliminated candidate's votes shall be redistributed to the next-ranked continuing candidate, until one candidate receives the majority of votes for all remaining candidates. That candidate shall be deemed elected at the time of certification.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, if at the end of the candidate filing period two or fewer candidates have filed for the office of the King County executive, the King County assessor, the King County director of elections, the King County councilmembers or the King County prosecuting attorney, the election for that office may be conducted by either ranked-choice voting or according to general law governing nonpartisan county offices.
When ranked-choice voting is conducted, there shall not be a primary for impacted offices and all qualified candidates shall appear directly on the general election ballot.
SECTION 2. The clerk of the council shall certify the proposition to the director of elections in substantially the following form, with such additions, deletions or modifications as may be required by the prosecuting attorney:
Shall Section 610 of the King County Charter be amended to utilize ranked-choice voting, effective January 1 following the county council's adoption of an ordinance approving protocols for ranked-choice voting, for the election of county officers, including the King County executive,
the King County assessor, the King County director of elections, the King County councilmembers and the King County prosecuting attorney.