Equal Voices Act

The Equal Voices Act seeks to fundamentally alter the composition of the U.S. House of Representatives by establishing a new method for determining its size. Currently fixed at 435 members since 1911, the bill proposes that the total number of Representatives be calculated by dividing the national population by 500,000, rounded to the nearest whole odd number. This change is intended to address the significant increase in constituent-to-Representative ratio, which has grown from approximately 280,000 in 1929 to 762,000 in 2020, making U.S. districts among the largest in developed democracies. Beyond increasing the House's size, the legislation introduces optional electoral reforms for states. States would be permitted to establish multi-member districts for congressional elections, where a single district elects multiple Representatives, provided that each Representative within such a district represents an equal population. Additionally, states opting for multi-member districts could also choose to implement ranked-choice voting (RCV) for these elections, allowing voters to rank candidates in order of preference. The bill outlines detailed procedures for RCV, including ballot design requirements, tabulation methods involving election thresholds and surplus transfers, and rules for handling various ballot types like undervotes and inactive ballots. These provisions aim to ensure fair and transparent election processes for states that adopt RCV. The changes related to House size and optional electoral reforms would apply starting with the first decennial census conducted after the bill's enactment. To ensure future adaptability, the Act also establishes a 15-member commission if the number of Representatives changes by 15 percent or more between decennial censuses. This commission, composed of members appointed by congressional leadership, would analyze population shifts and the impact of the new apportionment method. Its duties include recommending an optimal number of House Members and their apportionment, considering factors like reducing district size disparities and ensuring representation for historically underrepresented populations. The commission would submit a report to Congress with its recommendations.