While many Virginians focused on this year’s congressional and presidential elections, Arlington County became the first locality in Virginia to use ranked-choice voting for city and county governing bodies in the general election Tuesday.
But three years after a law went into effect giving localities the option to adopt ranked-choice voting, only Arlington County and the city of Charlottesville have adopted the method common in college campus elections by students, and primary elections and conventions by Republicans in the commonwealth.
The chief concern has been around the lack of education.
“The biggest obstacles that we face in more localities adopting ranked-choice voting is that it’s always new, that it’s a change and I think especially changing the way we vote … in that space is hard,” said Liz White, executive director for UpVote Virginia, which has advocated for ranked-choice voting.
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Arlington County became the first locality to adopt ranked-choice voting for its Democratic primary in June 2023 and again in June 2024. The process allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference, with elections officials reallocating those votes through several rounds of counting ballots. A sample ballot in Arlington County shows the candidate options for the first ranked-choice election for a county board seat in a November General Election. (Nathaniel Cline/Virginia Mercury)
On Tuesday, it was used for an open seat on the Board of Supervisors, which favored veteran JD Spain Sr., a Democrat who won with 58% of the first-choice votes.
Voters’ initial reactions were mixed. Some said they wished they had researched more about the candidates, but one admitted that they only ranked one of the four candidates out of preference. Other voters said they were also pleased to receive guidance about the process from volunteers at their precinct.
“I liked it actually because it’s tough when it’s a binary choice, like one or the other,” said Parker Wood, an Arlington resident. “I think it’s pretty good. It gives a more accurate distribution of data in terms of (what) people think.”
An exit survey conducted after the June primary by FairVote, a nonpartisan organization focused on voting reforms, found that 88% of Arlington voters said ranked- choice voting was “easy” and 67% said “they’d like to use it for future elections.”
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Under former Democrat Gov. Ralph Northam, Virginia passed legislation in 2020 allowing localities to use the election method for city and county governing body elections. But lawmakers will have to consider renewing the legislation before it sunsets on July 1, 2031.
According to the state law, votes will be counted in each step to determine who wins or who has the least number of votes.
Advocates say the goal is to reflect the actual majority of the vote. However, some argue that may not be true under single transferable voting, which could allow candidates with minimal support to be elected to office.
Winter said ranked-choice voting could have been an idea instead of single choice voting in two Democratic primaries this past spring, where more than a dozen candidates vied for seats in the 7th and 10th Congressional Districts held by Abigail Spanberger and Jennifer Wexon, respectively.
Eugene Vindman, an Army veteran, won the 7th District primary with 49% out of seven candidates. However, in the 10th District primary, state Sen. Suhas Subramanyam won with 30.4% of the vote out of 12 candidates.
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“I think having more cases in which ranked-choice voting could make a difference is going to help propel a lot of these local conversations forward,” Winter said, adding that having a ranked choice voting could have helped determine who the majority of voters believe should represent them.
Charlottesville’s about to become the second Virginia city to adopt ranked choice voting
In September, the Charlottesville City Council voted to adopt the method starting next year with the City Council primary in June.
Sally Hudson, former state delegate and author of the ranked-choice legislation, said at the Sept. 3 meeting that the creation of the state law involved top election law experts and organizations in drafting the legislation.
“A lot of people have done a lot of careful work over the last four years to get us where we are today,” Hudson told the council. “To use the popular parlance of our time: this ordinance did not just fall out of a coconut tree. We exist in the context of all that came before us, and in Charlottesville, that context goes back centuries.”
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At that meeting, council members agreed to appropriate $26,460 for an educational and outreach program and to purchase equipment for ranked-choice voting tabulation.
In a second vote to adopt the election method, Council Member Lloyd Snook voted in opposition, citing concerns that a voter’s second selection could be devalued.
Instead, Snook recommended a sequential instant runoff system, claiming it could be a better alternative. Under the single transferable voting method, he disagreed that candidates who won would reflect the true majority of the vote.
“Although I completely agree with the notion of ranked choice voting, and would be really quite pleased to do it under a sequential, instant runoff voting system, I think most folks that I’ve talked to don’t understand how single transferable voting will actually work in terms of what that allocation looks like,” Snook said at the Sept. 3 meeting.
In response, Winter said that’s not the case because “voting for multiple candidates is a means to an end to achieve proportional representation,” White added.
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“I think without understanding the why of proportional representation, it just feels like we took away one of your votes,” White said. “I understand that’s an adjustment, but the idea is to ensure that every voter is represented.”
Lawmakers have sought to expand the law to presidential primaries, but it failed in 2023.
We’re highlighting the many threads that make Virginia so special
As we approach the 250th anniversary of the United States and Virginia, we’re embarking on a journey to celebrate the rich history of the place we call home. (WSLS 10)
Virginia is filled with so much history just waiting to be explored. As we mark the 250th anniversary of the United States and Virginia, we’re celebrating this milestone with a new series: Patchwork 250.
The series will highlight the many threads that make Virginia so special and celebrate every patch (whether that’s a remarkable person, an unforgettable location or a memorable event).
As this new initiative gets underway, we’d love to hear from you. Share your favorite pieces of history and be a part of Virginia’s ongoing story.
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Using Pin It or the form below, let us know: what’s a unique piece of history from your community that you think more people should know about?
Click here for more details.
Copyright 2025 by WSLS 10 – All rights reserved.
About the Author
Jazmine Otey headshot
Jazmine Otey
Jazmine Otey joined the 10 News team in February 2021.
A fatal collision between a motorcycle and a pickup truck on Thursday evening has claimed a life and prompted a significant road closure in South Reno.
The Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) responded to reports of the crash at approximately 5:29 p.m. on February 26. The incident occurred on northbound South Virginia Street, just north of Damonte Ranch Parkway.
According to the Nevada State Police, the rider of the motorcycle, an adult male, was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical personnel. The driver of the pickup truck remained on-site, though no further details regarding other injuries or the cause of the crash have been released. Northbound South Virginia Street: Completely shut down from Damonte Ranch Parkway to Bishop Manogue Drive.
Southbound South Virginia Street: Open, but expect “rubbernecking” delays as drivers pass the emergency vehicles. Officials expect the northbound lanes to remain closed until at least 11:30 p.m. as the NHP Highway Patrol Division completes their investigation.
A new effort is being led by Commonwealth Attorney Krystyn Reid, with support from Sen. Danny Diggs to help missing persons. (Ron Lach/Pexels.com)
HAMPTON ROADS— A proposed initiative known as The Guardian Network seeks to strengthen coordination and public access to verified information when children, seniors, and vulnerable adults go missing in Virginia.
The effort is being led by Commonwealth Attorney Krystyn Reid, with support from Sen. Danny Diggs through a budget amendment to SB30. If the amendment passes, development would move forward through the Virginia State Police.
Reid said the idea grew from her years of public service.
“The difference between politics and public service is simple,” Reid said. “One is what you say. The other is what you do.”
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Reid began her career representing domestic violence survivors and said she witnessed firsthand how quickly families can be thrown into crisis.
“When someone does not make it home, that is a family’s worst moment,” Reid said. “The Guardian Network comes from a belief that we can strengthen coordination in those first critical hours and better protect vulnerable communities.”
The network is designed to complement existing alert systems such as AMBER, Silver, Ashanti and CODI alerts. Participation would be voluntary for both families and the public.
“It does not replace them. It reinforces them,” Reid said. “What we lack is one centralized, accessible place to see verified information. This is about coordination and clarity.”
Currently, information can be fragmented, she said, making it harder for families and communities to respond effectively.
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“Families in crisis should not have to search multiple platforms,” Reid said. “Public safety requires structure. Our response should be organized and accessible.”
The United Way of the Virginia Peninsula has expressed support for the initiative, citing its alignment with the organization’s mission to improve lives by advancing education, financial stability and health.
“Children are the highest age demographic experiencing eviction and homelessness, which creates unique vulnerabilities including separation, exploitation and trafficking,” said Charvalla West of United Way of the Virginia Peninsula. “Seniors face increasing isolation, housing instability and caregiver strain in what many describe as the ‘Silver Tsunami’ of a rapidly aging population.”
She said the organization supports The Guardian Network because it strengthens coordination during the most critical moments when vulnerable individuals go missing.
“The Guardian Network aligns directly with our work to stabilize families and protect vulnerable communities,” West said. “When vulnerabilities are reduced, safety increases.”
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United Way collaborates with certified partner agencies across the Virginia Peninsula that focus on homelessness prevention, youth development, domestic violence response, aging services and housing repair. Those organizations would continue serving in their core roles, providing safe housing, trauma-informed care, mentorship, caregiver support and case management, while the network enhances coordination and awareness.
“The Guardian Network enhances coordination and awareness, while nonprofits provide the direct relational support that protects individuals before, during and after crisis events,” West said.
The concept also includes a second phase of development that would establish a standing advisory committee composed of survivors, impacted family members, nonprofit leaders, victim advocates and public safety professionals. A third phase would focus on identifying and allocating resources to support coordinated response efforts in collaboration with law enforcement, including ensuring necessary logistical supplies are available during active situations.
The immediate focus is Virginia. If successful, supporters say the model could be scalable to other states seeking to strengthen coordination in missing-person cases.
Reid said the goal is clear.
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“A stronger safety net. Better coordination. And helping bring loved ones home,” she said. “Everyone deserves to come home.”
