Fargo Mayor Against Bill To Get Rid of Voter-Approved “Approval Voting”

BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR/KFGO) — A West Fargo lawmaker wants to prohibit approval voting in North Dakota.

Fargo is the only city with the voting method.

A person can vote for as many candidates as they want and the candidate with the most votes wins.

Republican State Representative Ben Koppelman, the bill’s sponsor, testified before the House Political Subdivisions Committee.

He said this type of voting dilutes the value of the “one man-one vote” and the ability of each voter to cast a single vote for a single office.

Koppleman says it should be banned.

“What I’ve said in many bills that address the power of political subdivisions is, the state should deal with situations that deal with Constitutional rights or civil rights,” Koppleman told the committee.

“The matter at which political subdivisions in North Dakota choose to elect their commissioners, serve the interest of the communities and govern themselves is a question that should be left to local voters,” said Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney.

Fargo overwhelmingly adopted approval voting by initiated measure.

The legislative committee did not take immediate action.