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Washington, D.C., Initiative 83, Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative (November 2024)
| District of Columbia Initiative 83 | |
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| Topic Local elections and campaigns |
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| Type Initiative |
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Washington, D.C., Initiative 83, the Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative, was on the ballot in Washington, D.C. as an initiative on November 5, 2024. The ballot measure was approved.
A "yes" vote supported this initiative to:
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A "no" vote opposed this initiative, thereby maintaining the district's closed primary and plurality election system. |
Election results
See also: Results for ranked-choice voting (RCV) and electoral system ballot measures, 2024
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District of Columbia Initiative 83 |
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| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
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212,332 | 72.89% | ||
| No | 78,961 | 27.11% | ||
Overview
What did the initiative change about elections in Washington, D.C.?
- See also: Text of measure
Initiative 83 created a semi-open primary system allowing voters who are unaffiliated with a political party to vote in a party primary election. The initiative also established ranked-choice voting for elections in Washington, D.C., beginning in 2026.
A ranked-choice voting system is an electoral system in which voters rank candidates by preference on their ballots. If a candidate wins a majority of first-preference votes, he or she is declared the winner. If no candidate wins a majority of first-preference votes, the candidate with the fewest first-preference votes is eliminated. First-preference votes cast for the failed candidate are eliminated, and counting the next-preference choice indicated on those ballots. A new tally is conducted to determine whether any candidate has won a majority of the adjusted votes. The process is repeated until a candidate wins an outright majority.[1]
Had other states or localities adopted ranked-choice voting?
Heading into November, two states had adopted and implemented ranked-choice voting at the state level. Maine was the first state to adopt it in 2016. Alaska was the second state to adopt it in 2020. In 2022, Nevada voters approved an RCV initiative that needed to be approved again in 2024 to take effect.
One state (Hawaii) had implemented RCV in certain elections. Fourteen states contained localities that either used or were scheduled to begin using RCV in municipal elections. Ten states had enacted legislation banning the use of ranked-choice voting in statewide or local elections.
One RCV ballot measure was defeated in Massachusetts in 2020 with 54.8% opposing it.
Who supported and opposed Initiative 83?
- See also: Support and Opposition
Yes on 83 led the campaign in support of the initiative. It was endorsed by Rank the Vote DC, Represent.Us, and FairVote. Philip Pannell, treasurer of the campaign, said, "I have been a supporter of RCV for over 20 years because not only does it guarantee that the winner of an election would receive a majority of the votes but it is a process that encourages minority candidates and injects civility in elections. When candidates are ranked by voters, the slogan that 'every vote counts' takes on an even deeper concrete mathematical meaning. Also, if you are a candidate who wants to be a voter’s second choice, it helps if you not engage in negative campaigning."[2][3]
Vote No on Initiative 83 led the campaign in opposition to the initiative. The initiative was opposed by the Democratic Party of Washington, D.C.. Peter Rosenstein, LGBTQ rights and Democratic Party activist, said, "I don’t know any office holder in D.C. who hasn’t worked hard for votes. Actually, you could find just the opposite; candidates would be much more wishy-washy on issues in an effort to appeal to more people. In essence telling voters even less about what they really want to do so as not to alienate them. With RCV you have the real chance for games as we saw in New York’s ranked choice mayoral primary, when Andrew Yang and Kathryn Garcia endorsed each other, suggesting each of their voters give the other their second vote, even though they had totally different platforms. The bottom line is neither RCV nor open primaries would benefit the people of D.C. in any way. So just say NO! to both."[4][5]
Text of measure
Short title
The short title for the initiative was as follows:
| “ | Ranked Choice Voting and Open the Primary Elections to Independent Voters Act of 2024[6] | ” |
Summary statement
The summary statement for the initiative was as follows:
| “ | If enacted, the Initiative would both:
(a) implement ranked choice voting to allow voters to rank up to five candidates according to their preference in each contest for any office (other than political party offices); and (b) permit any voter who is not registered with a political party to vote in the primary election of that voter’s choosing for all offices (other than political party offices). This Initiative will not be implemented unless the D.C. Council separately chooses to appropriate funds for the projected costs.[6] |
” |
Full text
The full text of the initiative is below:
Support
Yes on 83 led the campaign in support of the initiative.[2]
Supporters
Officials
- Former Ward 8 D.C. State Board of Education member Markus Batchelor (Nonpartisan)
- D.C. Council member Christina Henderson (Independent)
Organizations
Arguments
Opposition
Vote No on Initiative 83 led the campaign in opposition to the initiative.[4]
Opponents
Political Parties
Individuals
- Renée L. Bowser - Local activist
Arguments
Campaign finance
Ballotpedia identified one committee—Make All Votes Count DC—registered in support of Initiative 83. One committee—Vote No on Initiative 83—was registered in opposition to Initiative 83.[7]
| Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions | Cash Expenditures | Total Expenditures | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Support | $877,522.41 | $406,227.80 | $1,283,750.21 | $573,483.17 | $979,710.97 |
| Oppose | $4,717.00 | $1,006.29 | $5,723.29 | $3,950.31 | $4,956.60 |
| Total | $882,239.41 | $407,234.09 | $1,289,473.50 | $577,433.48 | $984,667.57 |
Support
The following table includes contribution and expenditure totals for the committee in support of the measure.[7]
| Committees in support of Initiative 83 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Committee | Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions | Cash Expenditures | Total Expenditures |
| Make All Votes Count DC | $877,522.41 | $406,227.80 | $1,283,750.21 | $573,483.17 | $979,710.97 |
| Total | $877,522.41 | $406,227.80 | $1,283,750.21 | $573,483.17 | $979,710.97 |
Donors
The following were the top donors who contributed to the support committee.[7]
| Donor | Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unite America | $553,000.00 | $0.00 | $553,000.00 |
| All One God Faith Inc. | $100,000.00 | $263,065.30 | $363,065.30 |
| Fair Vote Action | $110,000.00 | $46,011.54 | $156,011.54 |
| Filiblaster LLC | $0.00 | $45,627.22 | $45,627.22 |
| Final Five Fund Inc. | $25,000.00 | $0.00 | $25,000.00 |
Opposition
The following table includes contribution and expenditure totals for the committee in opposition to the measure.[7]
| Committees in opposition to Initiative 83 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Committee | Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions | Cash Expenditures | Total Expenditures |
| Vote No on Initiative 83 | $4,717.00 | $1,006.29 | $5,723.29 | $3,950.31 | $4,956.60 |
| Total | $4,717.00 | $1,006.29 | $5,723.29 | $3,950.31 | $4,956.60 |
Donors
The following were the top donors who contributed to the opposition committee.[7]
| Donor | Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verna E. Clayborne | $889.99 | $0.00 | $889.99 |
| Deirdre Brown | $840.00 | $0.00 | $840.00 |
Methodology
To read Ballotpedia's methodology for covering ballot measure campaign finance information, click here.
Media editorials
- See also: 2024 ballot measure media endorsements
Support
Opposition
Ballotpedia did not identify any media editorials opposing the initiative. If you are aware of one, please send an email with a link to editor@ballotpedia.org.
Background
Ranked-choice voting
- See also: Ranked-choice voting
Ranked-choice voting is a voting system where voters are able to rank candidates based on preference on their ballots. Ballots are processed in rounds. If a candidate wins a majority of first-preference votes, that candidate is declared the winner. If no candidate wins a majority of first-preference votes, the candidate in last place is eliminated, lifting the second-choice preference on the ballots. The process is continued until a candidate wins the simple majority (50% plus 1) of the votes.
How ranked-choice voting works
Broadly speaking, the ranked-choice voting process unfolds as follows for single-winner elections:
- Voters rank the candidates for a given office by preference on their ballots.
- If a candidate wins an outright majority of first-preference votes (i.e., 50 percent plus one), he or she will be declared the winner.
- If, on the other hand, no candidates win an outright majority of first-preference votes, the candidate with the fewest first-preference votes is eliminated.
- All first-preference votes for the failed candidate are eliminated, lifting the second-preference choices indicated on those ballots.
- A new tally is conducted to determine whether any candidate has won an outright majority of the adjusted voters.
- The process is repeated until a candidate wins a majority of votes cast.
Ranked-choice voting in the United States
As of September 2025, ranked-choice voting is used in some states and localities across the United States. See the map, tables, and list below for further details. The numbers below do not include states where RCV is used by a political party for partisan primaries, or where military/UOCAVA voters use ranked ballots for runoff elections. For more information on these uses of RCV, see the table beneath the map below.
If you know of any additional U.S. localities using RCV that should be included here, please email editor@ballotpedia.org.[8]
- RCV used statewide: Three states use RCV statewide. Alaska and Maine use RCV in some federal and statewide elections, while Hawaii uses it for certain statewide elections.
- RCV used (or scheduled for use) in some localities: Fourteen states contain localities that either use or are scheduled to begin using RCV in municipal elections.
- RCV prohibited: Seventeen states have adopted law prohibiting the use of RCV in any elections.
- No laws addressing RCV, not in use: Twenty-two states have no laws addressing RCV, and neither the state nor any localities in the state use it.[9]
The map below shows which states use ranked-choice voting statewide or in some localities as of September 2025. It also shows the states where RCV is either prohibited or not addressed in the law. It does not show states where RCV is used by a political party for partisan primaries, or where military/UOCAVA voters use ranked ballots for runoff elections. See the table beneath the map for details on these uses of RCV.
States and cities that incorporate ranked-choice voting
Maine
In 2016, voters approved Question 5, a ballot measure that established a statewide system of ranked-choice voting. Question 5 provided that ranked-choice voting be used to elect U.S. senators, U.S. representatives, the governor, state senators, and state representatives. Voters approved the initiative 52.12 to 47.88 percent.
Question 5 defined ranked-choice voting as "the method of casting and tabulating votes in which voters rank candidates in order of preference, tabulation proceeds in sequential rounds in which last-place candidates are defeated and the candidate with the most votes in the final round is elected." The passage of Question 5 made Maine the first state to use the ranked-choice method for elections.
Alaska
In 2020, Alaska voters approved Ballot Measure 2, which replaced partisan primaries with open top-four primaries for state executive, state legislative, and congressional offices, as well as establishing ranked-choice voting for general elections, including the presidential election. The measure won with 50.55% of the vote.
In December 2020, a lawsuit was filed by the Alaskan Independence Party, Scott Kohlhaas, Robert M. Bird, and Kenneth P. Jacobus, against the state, declaring that Ballot Measure 2 was unconstitutional. The plaintiffs argued that Ballot Measure 2 violated their rights to free political association, free speech, and due process under the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution and Article 1 of the Alaska Constitution.[10] On July 29, 2021, Ballot Measure 2 was upheld by Judge Gregory Miller, who wrote in his opinion that plaintiffs had "not met their burden of showing that any part of the new law is unconstitutional on its face."[11] The decision was then appealed to the Alaska Supreme Court. On January 19, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that the measure was constitutional.[12]
New York City
In 2019, New York City voters approved Ballot Question 1, a charter amendment that established ranked-choice voting to be used for primary and special elections beginning in 2021. Under the amendment ranked-choice voting would be used in primary and special elections for mayor, public advocate, comptroller, borough president, and city council members. The amendment was approved by 73.61%-26.39%.
Hawaii
On June 17, 2022, Governor David Ige (D) signed SB2162 into law, establishing ranked-choice voting in federal special elections (provided that these elections do not coincide with a regularly scheduled primary or general election) and any special election to fill a vacancy on a county council. The legislation was set to take effect on January 1, 2023.[13]
Local ballot measures
2025
| Jurisdiction | State | Type | Title | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skokie | IL | Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative | Adopt ranked-choice voting for city elections |
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6,800 (59%) |
4,812 (41%) |
1965-2024
The following table provides a list of ranked-choice voting local ballot measures from 1965 to 2024.
Path to the ballot
Process in Washington, D.C.
In Washington, D.C., the Board of Elections is responsible for overseeing the ballot initiative process. After the D.C. Board of Elections approves a petition for a ballot initiative, proponents have 180 days to gather a number of signatures equal to at least 5 percent of the voters registered citywide. Signatures from 5 percent of registered voters in five of eight city wards are required to meet the city's distribution requirement. Once signatures are filed with the Board of Elections, staff have 30 days to count and review the signatures.
Details about this initiative
- The initiative was filed by Lisa D. T. Rice and Phil Pannell on May 17, 2023.[15]
- The initiative was cleared for signature gathering on July 21, 2023.[16]
- On July 1, the campaign submitted an estimated 40,000 signatures to D.C.'s Board of Elections.[17]
- On August 2, the D.C. Board of Elections voted to send the initiative to the ballot certifying that enough of the signatures were valid.[18]
Lawsuit
On August 1, 2023, the D.C. Democratic Party filed a lawsuit in D.C. Superior Court alleging that the D.C. election board should not have allowed the initiative to move forward and requested it be blocked from appearing on the ballot. The lawsuit alleged, "Allowing 80,000 non-affiliated voters to participate in partisan elections would undermine the intent of the Charter and dilute the votes of party members who seek to nominate party candidates to stand in subsequent general elections." The Superior Court ruled that it did not have jurisdiction in the case. The ruling was appealed to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.[19]
Initiative proponent Lisa D. T. Rice said, "The DC Democratic Party is so committed to preventing DC voters from deciding on these reforms for themselves, that is, being able to decide on the future of DC’s electoral process, they have filed a lawsuit that is not ripe, has no merit, and, we believe, will ultimately fail. From the Supreme Court to the DC Superior Court, Initiative 83 is grounded in sound case law. This lawsuit clearly shows that the DC Democratic Party wants to suppress the voices of 86,000 independent voters in the District of Columbia and prevent all DC voters from electing candidates that receive at least 50% of the vote. We believe that DC voters should decide the future of our electoral process, not the courts."[19]
On February 6, 2025, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals remanded the case back to the Superior Court.[20]
| Lawsuit overview | |
| Issue: Whether the measure violates the city charter and the First and Fifth amendments to the U.S. Constitution | |
| Court: D.C. Superior Court | |
| Plaintiff(s): D.C. Democratic Party | Defendant(s): Election officials |
| Plaintiff argument: The ballot initiative violates the D.C. Home Rule Charter which provides that voters must elect the mayor, attorney general, and members of the D.C. Council on a partisan basis and that opening primaries would violate voters' freedom to associate with a political party, therefore violating the First and Fifth amendments to the U.S. Constitution | Defendant argument: The lawsuit was filed prematurely and should be dismissed |
Source: Washington Post
How to cast a vote
- See also: Voting in Washington, D.C.
See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Washington, D.C..
See also
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Footnotes
- ↑ Make All Votes Count DC, "Full text," accessed August 22, 2023
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Make All Votes Count DC, "Home," accessed August 22, 2023
- ↑ East of the River DC, "Give us RCV," accessed August 26, 2024
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Vote No on 83, "Home," accessed August 5, 2024
- ↑ Washington Blade, "Opinion ranked-choice voting open primaries," August 3, 2023
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 The District of Columbia - Office of Campaign Finance E-Filing, "Financial Reports Search," accessed August 26, 2024
- ↑ Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center, "Where is RCV Used," accessed January 17, 2023
- ↑ Michigan is included in this category despite numerous local jurisdictions approving the use of RCV. Although Michigan does not explicitly prohibit the use of RCV, state election laws prevent the implementation of RCV. One jurisdiction in the state, Eastpointe, did use RCV between 2019-2023 as a result of federal enforcement under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The jurisdictions of Ann Arbor, Ferndale, Kalamazoo, East Lansing, and Royal Oak have all authorized the use of RCV and plan to begin using the election method if legislation providing the state's authorization is signed into law.
- ↑ Alaska Superior Court, "Kohlhaas v. Alaska," December 1, 2020
- ↑ Alaska Superior Court, "Kohlhaas v. Alaska," July 29, 2021
- ↑ ADN, "Alaska Supreme Court upholds elections ballot measure, state will use ranked-choice voting," accessed January 20, 2022
- ↑ Hawaii State Legislature, "SB2162 SD1 HD1 CD1," accessed June 21, 2022
- ↑ Note: Although Measure L was approved, Measure L and Measure J were conflicting ballot measures. As both received a majority of votes, the one that received the most votes was enacted. Measure J received more votes than Measure L. Therefore, Measure J was enacted and Measure L was not.
- ↑ DCist, "New Ballot Initiative Proposes Bringing Ranked-Choice Voting And Open Primaries To D.C.," accessed August 22, 2023
- ↑ Washington Post, "D.C. ranked-choice voting ballot initiative clears first hurdle," accessed August 22, 2023
- ↑ WUSA, "Group hopes to bring ranked choice voting to the District," July 2, 2024
- ↑ Washington City Paper, "Election Reform Measure Initiative 83 Can Appear on November Ballot, Board Rules," August 2, 2024
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Washington Post, "D.C. Democrats sue to block ranked-choice voting ballot measure," accessed August 22, 2023
- ↑ Independent Voter News, "DC Appeals Court Revives Democrats' Effort to Kill the Already Approved Initiative 83," February 10, 2025
- ↑ D.C. Board of Elections, "Election Day Vote Centers," accessed May 5, 2023
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 District of Columbia Board of Elections, "Register/Update Voter Registration," accessed May 5, 2023
- ↑ D.C. Law Library, "Code of the District of Columbia § 1–1001.07. Voter," accessed September 25, 2024
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
