FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ETI Opposes Ohio’s “Consensus Voting” Proposal
SB 395, Ohio’s “Consensus Voting” Proposal, would replace traditional elections with a multi-matchup system that risks confusion and undermines voter confidence
“SB 395 moves Ohio away from a straightforward election system and toward a more complicated structure. ” — Ken Cuccinelli, National Chairman of ETI
Arlington, VA — April 14, 2026 — The Election Transparency Initiative is opposing Ohio Senate Bill 395, a newly introduced proposal that would overhaul Ohio’s election structure for congressional, state, and local offices with an untested “consensus voting” model.
Introduced by State Senator Louis W. Blessing III on April 7, 2026, and referred to the Senate General Government Committee, SB 395 would replace traditional primaries and general elections with a top-three primary followed by a multi-matchup general election. Under the proposal, all candidates would run in a single primary with the top three advancing regardless of party. In the general election, voters would evaluate three separate head-to-head matchups among the finalists — Candidate A vs. B, A vs. C, and B vs. C — with the winner determined by who wins both of their matchups. If each candidate wins one matchup, a tiebreaker based on the smallest losing margin decides the outcome.
“Ohio voters deserve an election system that is easy to understand, easy to explain, and easy to trust,” said Ken Cuccinelli, Chairman of the Election Transparency Initiative. “SB 395 moves Ohio away from a straightforward election system and toward a more complicated structure. Simply put, this would be wrong for the Buckeye State.”
Senator Blessing has framed SB 395 as an alternative to ranked choice voting after Governor Mike DeWine signed SB 63 into law banning it. Yet ETI believes this proposal introduces many of the same problems: a multi-stage primary, a nontraditional general election format, and a calculation-driven outcome that is harder to explain and verify than a simple vote count.
Transparency depends on voters being able to clearly understand how a winner is chosen. When the rules become more complicated, public trust becomes harder — not easier — to maintain.
“Election transparency is the foundation of voter confidence,” Cuccinelli added. “Ohio should reject this proposal and keep its elections clear, direct, and transparent.”
Media Availability
ETI Chairman Ken Cuccinelli is available for interviews on ranked choice voting or other non-traditional voting systems, state-level election reforms, and federal election integrity efforts. Members of the media may submit interview requests at: https://electiontransparency.org/contact/
About the Election Transparency Initiative
ETI works nationwide to advance commonsense election reforms that protect the integrity of the vote and strengthen public trust in election outcomes through policies that enhance transparency, accountability, and confidence in American elections. Ken Cuccinelli serves as National Chairman of ETI. He previously served as Acting Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and as Attorney General of Virginia.
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