Let’s make all votes count in DC!

We can change the game and make politicians work for everyone.

We’re a group of neighbors starting the process of letting DC residents vote on whether to make all votes count in DC. This initiative, if we get on the ballot and neighbors vote to approve it, would implement ranked choice voting and end voter disenfranchisement for over 80,000 independent voters in DC.

Want to get involved in our movement to make all votes count and build community power in DC?

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Read below for more on what our Ballot Initiative would do if passed, and more about Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) and Open Primaries (OP).

WHY RANKED CHOICE VOTING?

Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) allows you the option to rank your favorite candidates: first, second, third, fourth, fifth. Your vote stays with your first choice unless they are in last place, when your vote automatically moves to your next choice. You do not have to rank more than one candidate.

When the ballots are counted, if a candidate receives more than half of the first choices, that candidate wins.

However, if no candidate gets more than half the first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is removed. If you picked that candidate first, then your vote goes to your next choice. You only have to rank your choices once – this counting process continues automatically until a candidate wins with more than 50% of the vote.

Ranked Choice Voting is already used for statewide elections in Alaska and Maine, and local elections in more than 50 cities and counties including New York City; San Francisco; Takoma Park, Maryland; Arlington, Virginia; and Oakland, California.

Ranked Choice Voting Has Proven Results:

WHY OPEN UP DC’S PRIMARY ELECTIONS?

The District of Columbia has what are called Closed Primary Elections. Only voters registered with a political party can vote in the Primary Election.

Currently over 86,000 (16%) registered voters in the District of Columbia do not belong from to a political party. This excludes these voters from being able to participate in DC’s most contested election: the Primary Election.

This amounts to voter suppression and we can change this by opening up DC’s primary elections to ALL registered voters.

Open Primaries permit voters not registered with a political party to choose to participate in primary elections of that voter’s choice for all offices other than party offices.

Here’s how it would work: Prior to a Primary Election, unaffiliated voters would contact the DC Board of Elections and choose a party to vote in for that election.  When the voter receives their ballot in the mail or show up to vote, their ballot will be for whichever party they have choosen for that election cycle.