PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Democratic Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03) introduced a bill on Tuesday that could shape how elections are held in the United States.

Gluesenkamp Perez -- alongside Democratic Rep. Jared Golden (ME-02) -- introduced the Electoral Reform Select Committee Act which would create a bipartisan select committee to explore electoral methods and recommend reforms to reduce political polarization.

Under the bill, committee members would look at alternatives to the current winner-take-all system – including creating multi-member districts with proportional representation, expanding the House, and establishing independent redistricting commissions.

“Regardless of party or ideology, more and more Americans feel that our democracy isn’t working for them. Voters feel unrepresented and are losing faith in a government that they view as unreflective of their communities and values. As Members of Congress, we need to take a step back, reexamine how we got here, and work toward what we can do to fix it,” said Gluesenkamp Perez in a press release announcing the bill’s introduction. 

She added, “This bipartisan select committee will look at the role our electoral system plays in exacerbating the hyper-partisanship, cynicism, and obstruction that has taken over today’s politics. It’s past time for Congress to set aside the conflict and chaos of clickbait politics and get back to work governing on behalf of the American people.”

“Americans are tired of a political system that divides us,” said Rep. Golden. “Reforms to improve representation are not just a good idea – they are already working in places like Maine. This bill will bring us together to find the solutions we need to make politics better for everyone.”

The bill comes after the representatives wrote an op-ed outlining their electoral reform proposals.

"Amid all the speculation and introspection over what factors were decisive in the 2024 election, one thing is clear: More and more Americans sense that our democracy isn’t working or delivering for them," the representatives wrote.

"The committee will examine a series of reforms to improve our electoral system, such as independent redistricting commissions to push back against gerrymandering, instant-runoff voting (also known as “ranked choice voting”) to ensure an election winner represents a majority of voters, and multimember districts to increase proportional representation," they continued.

The lawmakers pointed out that their bill is backed by more than 170 political scientists, who penned a letter in support and called on Congress to “’take this step towards reversing today’s dangerous levels of polarization and dysfunction and to strengthen itself as the fulcrum of our democracy.'”

As part of their electoral reform efforts, Gluesenkamp Perez and Golden also introduced a bipartisan reform bill to increase access to primary elections for non-affiliated voters. The bill was previously introduced in the 118th Congress.