DC Democratic Party comes out against ranked-choice voting
by Harry Roth
On May 31st, The DC Democratic Party released a statement “to reject the implementation of ranked choice voting.” They correctly stated that RCV could decrease voter turnout and lead to open primaries. The party previously released a similar statement opposing an RCV bill in 2021.
The statement points out that there is “significant concern for equity in a ranked choice voting system.” It points to reports from New York City showing that lower income voters used RCV at lower rates, increasing the possibility that their ballots would not count in the final result.
“The DC Democratic Party believes RCV is not right for the District. We should introduce measures aimed at strengthening voters’ trust and confidence in the system, not introducing convoluted processes that will further alienate voters and exacerbate the public’s distrust in our electoral process.”
This move underscores the bipartisan nature of the opposition to ranked-choice voting. While the political right is mostly unified in its opposition to RCV, the issue divides the left. Progressive Governors like California's Gavin Newsom and conservative Senators like Alaska’s Dan Sullivan have taken positions against RCV.
Read the DC Democrats’ full press release here.