Thursday, May 7, 2026
DC’s new DC Ranked-choice voting (RCV) system is a great improvement for our local elections and our democracy. One of the biggest benefits of RCV is that it eliminates victories by candidates who the majority of voters oppose. I can think of many examples where unpopular incumbents were returned to office after the majority of voters chose other candidates in multi-candidate races. Just last year, disgraced Ward 8 Councilmember Trayone White – who the DC Council had unanimously expelled for being caught on an FBI video taking a bribe – won a special election with only 28% of the vote in a four person race. 72% of Ward 8 voters were clear that they wanted someone else to represent them yet because of DC’s old “first around the post” election law – they were stuck with White as their Councilmember. RCV completely eliminates this problem in the future.
Under the new RCV system that we are using for the first time this year, we will all be able to rank candidates in our order of preference – from one to five – rather than choosing just one. If someone gets more than 50% of the first place votes cast, they win. But, if no one reaches 50% of first place votes – which happens often in our multi-candidate races – then the candidate who got the fewest first place votes is eliminated from the race. But the ballots that placed them first are still alive. The second place votes on those ballots are redistributed to the other candidates and a second round of counting begins. Again, if no one wins 50% in the second round, another candidate is eliminated and the process repeats itself for as many rounds as needed until one candidate crosses the 50% threshold of support. This process used to be done by hand in Ireland and it could take days. In DC, with computer counting, it should all happen pretty quickly. What sounds like just a tweak to the way we cast ballots actually reshapes elections in powerful ways.
First, RCV ensures that winners of multi-candidate races have broader support. In a diverse city like Washington, D.C., winners who have the support of a broader cross section of the electorate can help build legitimacy and trust.
Second, RCV gives voters more choice to express their real preferences. I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard “I am voting for the lesser of two evils” usually for the best known, or financed candidates; or, “I don’t want to waste my vote, so I’m not voting for the person I really want because she doesn’t have a chance.” Ranked-choice voting frees us to pick our favorite – regardless of how well known or wealthy their campaigns are, without worrying about “wasting” our vote. If our first choice candidate doesn’t make it, our second (and perhaps later) vote still counts until someone has at least 50% support. This creates space for new voices and ideas, which is essential in a healthy democracy.
Third, RCV often discourages negative campaigning – although in these divided times that’s aspirational. Candidates are now competing for second and third choice votes of their competitors. So negative campaigning that angers one’s opponents supporters could drive their later choice votes to other candidates. Even small shifts toward more respectful discourse is a good thing for our city.
RCV critics often point to the system’s complexity, but years of experience in other cities and countries around the world suggests that voters adapt quickly when given clear instructions. In fact, many people find the system intuitive after using it once. More importantly, the added complexity serves a purpose: it captures voter preferences more accurately than a single-choice ballot ever could.
No voting system is perfect, and RCV is not a cure-all for every challenge facing democracy in Washington, D.C. Issues like representation in Congress or local governance structures will not be solved by ballot design. But improving how elections translate voter intent into outcomes is a meaningful step forward. I for one am grateful to the city’s voters for passing the RCV ballot initiative and look forward to this new era for our elections.