DC begins mailing primary ballots ahead of first ranked choice election
WASHINGTON - The D.C. Board of Elections began mailing ballots Monday for the District’s mayoral primary, the first election in city history to use ranked choice voting.
The voting system was approved by voters in 2024 through Initiative 83, which passed with 73% support citywide.
Under the new system, voters can rank up to five candidates in order of preference instead of choosing just one. If no candidate wins a majority of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. Ballots cast for that candidate are then redistributed based on voters’ next-ranked choices. The process repeats until one candidate earns a majority.
During a recent town hall, Executive Director of the D.C. Board of Elections Monica Holman Evans reminded voters that ranking the same candidate in all five spots does not give that candidate an advantage.
https://www.fox5dc.com/election/dc-begins-mailing-primary-ballots-ahead-first-ranked-choice-election