Arlington County

RCV is happening now!

June 2023: The Democratic Party of Arlington County used ranked choice voting in its primary for the County Board of Supervisors, making it the first locality in Virginia to implement ranked choice voting. Through the use of ranked choice voting, 84% of voters cast a ballot for a winning candidate – up from 45% in the last comparable two-candidate primary.

December 2023: The Arlington County Board unanimously voted to permanently adopt ranked choice voting for its primary elections.

February 2024: The Arlington County Board voted unanimously to use ranked choice voting in the November 2024 County Board general election.

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FAQs

What exactly did the County Board pass?

The Board passed an ordinance that established ranked choice voting as the election method for the June 2023 County Board primary election.

This decision allows the Arlington Board of Elections to run the primaries for County Board using ranked choice voting. Voters will be able to vote at their regular polling place, and more voters will be able to participate in the election.

See Chair Katie Cristol’s initial presentation of her proposal. (8:10 mark)

Before the board approved ranked choice voting for this election, they offered multiple opportunities for community comment and input, including a survey in which 75% of respondents were in favor of using ranked choice voting.

Why just the County Board?

The option to adopt ranked choice voting for local legislature elections (City Council or Board of Supervisors) comes from HB1103, a bill passed through the General Assembly in 2020. Arlington, specifically, was given this option by Del. Patrick Hope’s bill, HB506.

HB1103 created a pilot program, through which any locality could decide to try ranked choice voting for their elections. Both bills are narrowly focused and do not include an option to use ranked choice voting for elections for School Board or other constitutional offices.

If localities try ranked choice voting and like it, they can encourage the General Assembly to expand the pilot program to include other offices.

Arlington elects two Board members every four years. How does that work?

Every four years, two of the five at-large Board members are elected. With ranked choice voting, the voter experience doesn’t change – they still pick their favorite candidate, their second favorite, and so on. The way the votes are counted does change, as does the number of votes needed to win. This video helps explain multi-winner ranked choice voting elections.

Learn more about ranked choice voting in Arlington

FOX 5: (Adorably) explaining the ranked choice voting method

WTOP: Arlington Co. board asks for feedback on ranked choice voting

Arlington Now: Should Arlington County change its form of government?

Arlington Now: Ranked-choice voting could decide County Board nominees in June 2023 primaries

Inside NOVA: Survey closes; Arlington board will get data from ranked-choice-voting questionnaire

Arlington’s 2023 County Board of Supervisors Primary

Voters in Arlington’s 2023 County Board of Supervisors primary used ranked choice voting to nominate their two candidates for County Board. This is the first time ranked choice voting was used in a state-run election – congratulations to Arlington for this historic step!

Voters can rank up to three candidates. You are NOT required to rank three candidates.

Voting for a candidate in multiple columns does not help them. Your vote will only count for that candidate once.

DO NOT vote for multiple candidates in the same column - this will invalidate your ballot.

Try out a two-winner ranked
choice voting election

Every four years, two of the five at-large Arlington County Board members are elected. With ranked choice voting, the voter experience doesn’t change – you still pick your favorite candidate, your second favorite, and so on.

Share this mock election with friends!

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