Voting guide: How DC's new ranked choice voting ballot works
Voters prepare to head to the polls Tuesday
With just one day left before the D.C. primary election, voters are getting ready to head to the polls Tuesday.
WASHINGTON - D.C. voters are casting ballots under a new system that changes the way the District picks its leaders.
For the first time in city history, D.C. is using ranked choice voting — making its debut in the June 16, 2026, primary. Instead of selecting a single candidate in each race, voters can rank candidates in order of preference: first choice, second choice and so on.
The backstory:
D.C. voters approved ranked choice voting in November 2024, when Initiative 83 passed with roughly 73% of the vote and carried every ward, according to previous FOX 5 D.C. reporting. The measure also called for opening primaries to independent voters — but the D.C. Council funded only the ranked choice voting piece in the city's budget.
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That distinction matters: primaries are not open to unaffiliated voters in the District. This is called a "closed primary." This is a type of election where only voters who are officially registered with a political party can vote in that party’s primary, according to Ballotpedia. Therefore, the new system will change how D.C. voters cast their ballots, not who they can vote for.
How it works
In any race with three or more candidates, you can rank up to five — or as many as appear on the ballot if fewer than five, according to the D.C. Board of Elections. Fill in the bubble for your first choice in the first column, your second choice in the next column and continue down the line.
A few rules to avoid spoiling your ballot:
- You don't have to rank five. Ranking just one candidate is fine — your vote still counts.
- Don't give two candidates the same ranking. Each candidate needs their own column.
- You can skip a ranking, but don't skip two in a row. Two consecutive blanks can invalidate any choices after the gap.
Ranking additional candidates never hurts your top pick. It only gives your vote somewhere to go if your first choice is eliminated.
How the votes are counted
All first-choice votes are counted first. If a candidate wins more than 50% of first-choice votes, that candidate wins outright, according to the D.C. Board of Elections.
If no one clears 50%, the candidate in last place is eliminated. Anyone who ranked that candidate first has their vote moved to their next available choice. The process repeats — round by round — until someone crosses the 50% line.
Dig deeper:
Don't expect a clear winner in every race on election night. Because D.C. accepts mailed ballots for several days after an election, the elimination rounds aren't run until most ballots are in — so final results in close races can come days later.
The Board of Elections has posted an interactive practice ballot — including a mock election where you can rank ice cream flavors — along with explainer videos and webinars here.
In the June 16 primary, polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and D.C. voters can cast a ballot at any voting center in the city, regardless of their home precinct. Voters can also return mail ballots at official drop boxes or by mail.
The Source: Information from Ballotpedia, the D.C. Board of Elections and previous FOX 5 D.C. reporting.