Commentary: In RVA, a step forward for civic engagement
Richmond Times Dispatch | April 3, 2025
Liz White, Bryce Robertson, Anna Mason, and Evelyn Glazier
From now until April 15, Richmond residents have a unique opportunity to directly shape our city's future.
Richmond City Council has set aside $3 million for the 2025 budget cycle to be used on district-specific projects that citizens themselves have proposed. This innovative approach, known as participatory budgeting, empowers community members to have a direct say in how public funds are allocated — transforming the traditional budget process into a collaborative exercise in democracy.
Richmond joins a growing number of forward-thinking cities embracing participatory budgeting. Communities in neighboring states like Durham, North Carolina, and Nashville, Tennessee, have successfully implemented similar processes in the last few years, demonstrating results that genuinely reflect community priorities.
Voting on Richmond's People's Budget (RVAPB) initiative opened on April 1 and will run until April 15, both online 24/7 and in-person at locations across the city. More information — including in-person locations — can be found at rvapb.org.
Project proposals address a wide range of community needs — from planting trees in high-heat-index neighborhoods and ensuring adequate bus shelters, to implementing pedestrian safety measures, and bringing more public art to our city.
This initiative is particularly unique and noteworthy for a couple of key reasons. First, this is unlike a typical election or referendum, because you do not have to be a registered voter to participate, nor do you have to be over the legal voting age of 18. Anyone over the age of 14 years old who lives, works or studies in the city of Richmond can cast a ballot.
Speaking of the ballot, voters will also notice that the RVAPB process is utilizing ranked choice voting (RCV) to determine which projects receive funding. This marks the first time Richmond voters will use this voting method — one that is rapidly gaining popularity across Virginia and the nation for its ability to better reflect voter preferences.
Here’s how it works: Instead of selecting just one project, RCV allows participants to rank their top three choices in order of preference — first, second, third. This approach ensures that funded projects will have majority support within each district.
Why does this matter? Because in traditional voting, when more than two options are available, the "winner" often receives only a small percentage of votes — sometimes as little as 20% — meaning that 80% of voters preferred something else. RCV addresses this problem by tabulating votes in "instant runoff rounds" until a project reaches over 50% support.
RCV also eliminates the issue of "vote-splitting." Because you can rank multiple preferences, you can vote for the project you truly support without worrying that you're siphoning votes away from another worthy project. This encourages voters to express their genuine preferences rather than voting strategically, resulting in outcomes that better reflect community priorities.
Richmond isn't alone in exploring more representative voting methods. Arlington and Charlottesville have already implemented RCV pilot programs for their local offices, while other Virginia localities — including Loudoun, Fairfax City, Falls Church and Newport News — are actively considering similar initiatives as well. Both major political parties in Virginia have successfully used RCV in their internal processes, demonstrating its broad appeal across the political spectrum.
There’s a reason RCV is the fastest-growing nonpartisan electoral reform in America. Exit polling data regularly indicates that the more people learn about it and use it firsthand, the more they like it and want to use it again.
RVAPB offers a win-win opportunity for our city: residents gain a direct voice in community investments while also experiencing a voting method that produces fairer, more representative results. This real-world experience with RCV will help familiarize voters with a system that could potentially enhance other local elections in the future.
As representatives from three nonpartisan voting rights organizations based in Richmond, we encourage everyone eligible to participate in this groundbreaking civic initiative. The broad eligibility criteria reflects a commitment to inclusive community engagement that goes beyond traditional voting restrictions.
And by ranking your top three projects, you'll not only help direct resources to community priorities but also experience a more representative democratic process that ensures your voice truly counts.
Liz White (UpVote Virginia)
Bryce Robertson (Richmond Crusade for Voters)
Anna Mason, Evelyn Glazier (Metro Richmond League of Women Voters)
