Virginia County Stops Using Ranked Choice Voting After June Primary.
Get ready for an exciting update on the upcoming November election in Arlington, Virginia! The Arlington County Board recently made a decision regarding ranked choice voting (RCV) for local races. After a trial run during the June primary, the board has decided not to use RCV for the upcoming election. But why? Let’s dive into the details.
During a board meeting on July 15, board members listened to feedback from proponents of RCV. While there was support for RCV, the board felt that more outreach and education were needed to help voters understand how RCV works. Outgoing Chair Christian Dorsey emphasized the importance of gathering data, information, and socializing the concept with the community before committing to it for every election.
One of the concerns raised by board members and constituents was the lack of understanding about RCV, particularly the tabulation process. Vice Chair Libby Garvey highlighted the need for voters to know how their vote counts, making her uncomfortable with implementing RCV for the upcoming election.
So, what exactly is RCV? It’s an election method that allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference. In Virginia, candidates in an RCV election must secure 34 percent of votes cast when there are two open seats to win.
Residents Share Their Feedback
After the June primary, the board conducted a survey and received 2,450 responses. The majority of respondents (57 percent) had positive or exceptional experiences using RCV, while 29 percent had negative experiences and 13 percent had fair experiences. Interestingly, 47 percent of respondents believed that RCV should be implemented in every election, while 7 percent thought it should only be used in primaries. On the other hand, 32 percent believed that RCV should not be implemented at all, and 12 percent were unsure.
Ranked Choice Voting Scores for 2021 Virginia GOP Primary. (Courtesy of FairVote)
According to county board spokesman David Byetta, voters learned about RCV from various sources, with political organizations being the most common (74 percent). Other sources included friends, the county website, and the news.
Frank Lusby, head of the Arlington County Republican Committee’s election integrity team, expressed concerns about the complexity of the RCV tabulation process. He believes that the additional steps and mathematical complexity could lead to errors that are harder to detect, potentially affecting voter confidence in the election results.
Liz White, the executive director of Up Virginia, an RCV advocacy group, acknowledged that there were concerns about the tabulation process. However, she remains optimistic about the benefits of RCV.
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