Ocean State Ranked Choice Voting
Ocean State Ranked Choice Voting is an advocacy organization campaigning to adopt Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) in Rhode Island. It was founded by Michael Garman during his time as a statewide organizer at Rank the Vote. 1 The group supports Rhode Island Bills S152 and H5726, which would both bring RCV to the state. 2
Contents
2025 Legislation Supported
Ocean State Ranked Choice Voting supported S152 and H5276 in the 2025 legislative session. The Senate bill S152, introduced by Rhode Island Sens. Valarie Lawson (D-East Providence) and Jacob Bissaillon (D-Providence) would implement Ranked Choice Voting in the state for presidential primaries. 3 Ocean State Ranked Choice Voting publicly supported the bill and urged voters to contact state legislators to bring the bills up for a vote. 2 The legislation did not pass in the 2025 legislative session. 4
The House bill H5276, introduced by ten Rhode Island Democrats on January 31, 2025 would likewise implement Ranked Choice Voting for the presidential primaries in Rhode Island. 5 Ocean State Ranked Choice Voting publicly supported this bill and called for action in the same way as it did for S152. 2 The legislation did not pass in the 2025 legislative session. 6
Staff
Michael Garman was the executive director of Ocean State Ranked Choice Voting. 7 Garman is a Democratic Party operative and activist, having worked as the campaign manager for Democrats Enrique Sanchez and Sam Bell in their campaigns for the Rhode Island state legislature. He worked for Rank the Vote, a left-of-center organization that advocates for the implementation of Ranked Choice Voting. According to his LinkedIn page, he has worked for the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters since May 2025. Garman has also worked as a secretary for the Newport Democratic City Committee and is a board member of CT Voters First. 1