Executive Director Liz White’s Testimony to Arlington County Board

Nov. 12 | Arlington

Good morning and thank you for the opportunity to speak today.

My name is Liz White, and I am the Executive Director of UpVote Virginia, a nonpartisan democracy reform group dedicated to elevating the voices of Virginia voters through education, advocacy, and grassroots engagement. 

I can’t think of a better way to elevate voters here in Arlington than to move forward in support of Ranked Choice Voting – a simple change to the ballot that enables a better voter experience, better elections, and ultimately, better government.

During your recent public comment period and at this hearing, you’ve heard a lot about the overarching benefits of RCV. I’d like to take a moment and talk to you specifically about how democracy reform has built momentum here in Virginia, and how today’s vote encapsulates that.

In the last few years alone, Virginia has expanded access to absentee ballots, instituted automatic and same-day voter registration, and has established what experts agree are some of the fairest legislative maps in America. These aren’t issues that benefit one party over another – they benefit voters.

That’s why both parties have embraced RCV here in Virginia. Even longtime political rivals have found common ground in support of Ranked Choice Voting. At UpVote Virginia’s launch event in August, we heard remarks in favor of RCV from your very own Democratic Congressman Don Beyer and former Governor George Allen, a Republican. It’s not often you get those two speaking at the same event, but that really encapsulates how broad RCV’s appeal can be.

Today’s vote would make Arlington the first locality in Virginia to move forward on adopting RCV. It marks a crucial step toward the culmination of many years of advocacy by nonpartisan reform organizations and advocates of good government alike. On behalf of UpVote Virginia and our many partners, I want to express our appreciation to you for taking this vote today.

It’s not everyday in Virginia you can say you were the first to do something, but this resolution truly does signify a historic opportunity. Looking forward, we hope your example today will set the stage for other localities across the Commonwealth.

Thank you again for your time today, and for putting voters first.