PRESS RELEASE: Voting Begins in Arlington County’s Ranked Choice Board Primary Elections
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 5, 2023
Contact: Liz White
Voting Begins in Arlington County’s
Ranked Choice Board Primary Elections
The first Virginia locality to adopt an RCV pilot program will have
three early voting locations until Tuesday, June 20
ARLINGTON, VA – UpVote Virginia, a newly-formed nonpartisan democracy reform nonprofit, joined advocates for fair elections from across the Commonwealth to encourage all voters in Arlington County to take advantage of their Ranked Choice ballots as early voting begins.
At their meeting in December, the Arlington County Board unanimously passed an ordinance to adopt a pilot program for Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) for primary elections. This vote marked the first time a Virginia locality took advantage of the provisions in HB506 (Hope) and HB1103 (Hudson), bills passed in the General Assembly with bipartisan support to allow cities and counties the option to use RCV to elect members of local governing bodies.
In the months since the ordinance was adopted, UpVote Virginia has teamed up with the Arlington County Department of Elections and several nonpartisan grassroots groups to educate the public about the new process. Partner organizations include the Arlington NAACP, FairVote Virginia, the League of Women Voters, UU the Vote, the Arlington County Civic Federation, and Veterans for Political Innovation. You can see UpVote Virginia’s presentation here.
“The more people learn about Ranked Choice Voting, the more they like it,” said UpVote Virginia Executive Director Liz White. “RCV is a simple change to the ballot that enables a better voter experience, better campaigns, and ultimately, better government. Looking forward, our organization hopes that Arlington’s example will set the stage for other localities across Virginia to follow their lead.”
There are three early voting locations in Arlington: Courthouse Plaza (2100 Clarendon Blvd, Ste 320), Madison Community Center (3829 N Stafford St), and Walter Reed Community Center (2909 16th St S).
More information about early voting locations and how Arlington will be implementing Ranked Choice Voting can be found on the County Registrar’s website. Primary Day is Tuesday, June 20, and the registrar’s office will only release the results of the first ballot on Election Night. If two candidates do not clearly pass the threshold to win (33.3%) with first-place votes, final results should be known within 7 days.
UpVote Virginia is a registered 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization dedicated to elevating the voices of Virginia voters through nonpartisan education, advocacy, and grassroots engagement. As a democracy reform collective, UpVote Virginia will focus on multiple issues related to making our elections stronger and more equitable, including its first flagship issue: Ranked Choice Voting. Learn more at UpVoteVA.org.
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