WASHINGTON, D.C.—Voters will soon be able to rank their choices when voting in D.C. elections, thanks to Council approval of an amendment to the FY 2026 budget that funds the Ranked Choice Voting portion of Initiative 83.
Councilmembers Christina Henderson, I-At Large, and Brianne K. Nadeau, D-Ward 1, introduced the amendment during the first reading of the budget Monday. Ranked choice voting would allow voters to rank up to five candidates in order of preference.
By ranking, they can vote for the candidates they most want to see in office without fear that they will “waste” their vote. And it will mean that winners of elections will reflect a broader constituency.
Voters overwhelmingly approved the initiative in all eight wards last November but it was not funded in the version of the budget introduced by the Mayor.
“Today, with the Council’s approval of the funding for a portion of Initiative 83, the implementation of ranked choice voting will be able to move forward in the District of Columbia, affirming the will of the voters who overwhelmingly supported its implementation through Initiative 83. This has been a long and difficult road, but I was proud to introduce today’s amendment with my colleague, Councilmember Nadeau, and garner the support of 6 additional Councilmembers,” said Councilmember Henderson. “As DC elections get more and more competitive, we need a new method that allows for voters preferences for candidates to truly be realized. While we have not yet identified the funding for the entirety of Initiative 83, this is a huge step forward for our local democracy.”
“In 2024 voters went to the polls and did what this Council couldn’t – they passed a law to establish Ranked Choice Voting,” Nadeau said. “Today I was pleased to work with my colleagues to put the funding in place for its implementation. I am committed to continuing to look for funding for the full implementation of I-83, to include open primaries. Today, we should be proud to move this piece forward.”
The Council will take a final vote on the budget, including the funding for the voting measure, on Monday July 28. The budget will then be sent to the Mayor for her signature. The DC Board of Elections will be tasked with implementation.
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Social media photo: “Voting” by Keith Ivey | C BY-NC 2.0 | https://www.flickr.com/photos/kcivey/480629716
