Richmond considering ranked-choice voting for city council races

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Richmond voters could become the first in the state to pick their local elected officials by ranked-choice voting.

It is a method where voters rank candidates by preference on their ballots.

If a candidate wins a majority of first-preference votes, they are declared the winner.

If no candidate wins a majority of first-preference votes, the candidate with the fewest first-preference votes is eliminated.

A city council committee will meet next Wednesday to take up the idea.

“I encourage everyone to tune in. If you have comments about it, questions, this is the time. We want to hear from people before it goes up for a vote,” Katherine Jordan, Richmond City Council.

It comes after the General Assembly passed a law back in 2020, allowing the method to be used for local races.

The proposal for Richmond would only apply to city council races.

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