Connect with us

Washington, D.C

DC Board of Elections OKs placing ranked choice voting, opening primaries to independents on ballot – WTOP News

Published

on

DC Board of Elections OKs placing ranked choice voting, opening primaries to independents on ballot – WTOP News


The District of Columbia’s Board of Elections has decided that voters should choose whether they want to institute ranked choice voting and open primary elections to independent voters.

Visit WTOP’s Election 2024 page for our comprehensive coverage. Listen live to 103.5 FM for the latest. Sign up for WTOP’s Election Desk newsletter for headlines and analysis from now until Inauguration Day.

The District of Columbia’s Board of Elections has decided that voters should choose whether they want to institute ranked choice voting and open primary elections to independent voters.

On Friday, the board went along with the recommendations of its executive director, Monica Evans, and approved Initiative 83, also known as the “Ranked Choice Voting and Open the Primary Elections to Independent Voters Act of 2024,” which would place the item on the November general election ballot.

Advertisement

BOE senior policy adviser Alice Miller, speaking on behalf of Evans, said more than 35,000 eligible signatures were received on petitions to put the issues on the ballot, far more than the 5% minimum of registered voters.

Under ranked choice voting, rather than the current process of casting a single vote, a voter can choose their favorite candidate, then rank back up choices second, third, fourth and fifth.

The measure would also allow independent voters to cast a ballot in a primary election. Currently, only registered Democrats and Republicans are allowed to vote in each of their party’s primaries.

In a statement, Lisa D.T. Rice, with the group Make All Votes Count DC — which advocated for ranked choice voting — thanked the Board of Elections for validating tens of thousands of D.C. voters’ signatures.

“These and many more D.C. voters have told us how Initiative 83 would finally give independents a vote in the primary, as well as allow all D.C. voters to use ranked choice voting to hold politicians accountable to a majority of voters,” said Rice.

Advertisement

BOE Chairman Gary Thompson said the agency doesn’t take a position on either issue.

“Take the issue to the voters. At the end of the day, it’s an initiative about how voters should vote,” Thompson said. “And who should decide how voters should vote, (but) the voters.”

Thompson said each side has “excellent and reasonable arguments” to take to the voters, whether they prefer to change voting procedures.

“Educate them,” Thompson said. “People have heard about this, but I think our voters have a long way to go before November to really hear out both sides.”

Thompson said he looks forward to hearing both sides of the argument on whether to implement ranked choice voting and allow independents to vote in primaries.

Advertisement

He said he too remains undecided “like probably a lot of people in D.C.”

The act will take effect after a 30-day period of Congressional review under the Home Rule Act, which allows the District government to pass local laws.

Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Washington, D.C

Amtrak trains delayed along Northeast Corridor from D.C. to Boston, officials say – The Boston Globe

Published

on

Amtrak trains delayed along Northeast Corridor from D.C. to Boston, officials say – The Boston Globe


Amtrak passengers faced delays of 30 to 60 minutes Sunday night because of power line issues along the Northeast Corridor, which provides service between Washington, D.C., and Boston, according to a statement released by the rail service.

Downed overhead wires affected trains operating from Washington’s Union Station to Boston’s South Station, according to Amtrak. Residual delays could occur due to crew shortages, Amtrak said in the statement.

The issues began earlier Sunday, when service was suspended on four tracks shuttling passengers between Pennsylvania Station in New York and William H. Gray III 30th Street Station in Philadelphia because of power issues, according to previous statements from Amtrak. As of 7 p.m., service on one of the four tracks was fully restored, while two tracks were operating at reduced speeds, and one remained out of service.

Advertisement

Amtrak customers with reservations on affected trains will typically be accommodated on trains with similar departure times or on another day, according to the statement. Amtrak will waive additional charges for customers looking to change their reservation during the modified schedule by calling the line’s reservation center at 1-800-USA-RAIL.


Collin Robisheaux can be reached at collin.robisheaux@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @ColRobisheaux.





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Washington, D.C

D.C. Age Debate Reignites After Rep Found at Old Folks’ Home

Published

on

D.C. Age Debate Reignites After Rep Found at Old Folks’ Home


Politics

Rep. Kay Granger was found to be residing at an independent living facility in Texas following a six-month, unexplained absence from the Capitol.

Tom Williams/Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Yasmeen Hamadeh

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Washington, D.C

Mayor Bowser, Commanders' Josh Harris, and other local leaders react to RFK Stadium deal

Published

on

Mayor Bowser, Commanders' Josh Harris, and other local leaders react to RFK Stadium deal


After years of debate, false starts, and controversy, the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act was passed in the Senate with unanimous consent, paving the way for the Washington Commanders to return to D.C.

Now, local leaders are speaking about the benefits, and potential drawbacks, of a new football stadium in the city.

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC)

D.C. has scored a victory in its fight for self-determination just in time for the holidays. When the bill is signed into law by President Biden, D.C. will get to decide for itself what to do with the largest unused tract of land remaining in the District. I look forward to seeing the site transformed from crumbling blight to a productive and bustling complex that will generate significant revenue for the nation’s capital.

Throughout my career in Congress, I’ve prioritized transferring unused federal land to D.C. or the private sector, enabling the redevelopment of neighborhoods, generating tax revenue and bringing much-needed space to the District.

Maryland U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen

Advertisement

Maryland has been the proud home of the Commanders for over two decades and we continue to believe that this partnership should continue long into the future. After working to level the financial playing field, and receiving assurances that should the team move they will redevelop the existing site in a manner that meets the needs of the community, tonight we supported the proposed land transfer legislation. We have always supported the District’s effort to control its own land, and through regional discussions and cooperation, our concerns with this proposal have been addressed.

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser

Josh Harris, Managing Partner of the Washington Commanders

We are extremely grateful that our elected officials have come together on a bipartisan basis to give Washington D.C. the opportunity to decide on the future of the RFK stadium site. This bill will create an equal playing field so that all potential future locations for the home of the Washington Commanders can be fairly considered and give our franchise the opportunity to provide the best experience for all of our fans.

Congressman Glenn Ivey (D-Md)

Maryland should have the chance to compete to keep the Commanders here.

I opposed this bill in the House, and I oppose it today, because federal taxpayers should not be required to subsidize an NFL stadium by offering a 99-year lease of the RFK campus for free. That’s not fair to the taxpayers, and it’s not fair to Maryland because it undermines Maryland’s chance to compete on a level playing field.

But we can still win. Our site offers two nearby Metro stations, superior highway access, and a larger campus for parking. Now that the Dan Snyder era is over and the Harris team has brought winning football back to the DMV, a state-of-the-art indoor stadium would jumpstart redevelopment in the area and trigger property appreciation in short order. In addition to the ten games or so the Commanders play, the stadium could be used year-round for events like the Final Four and music concerts. Working closely with the Harris team–which owns much of the land around the stadium–we could create an economic win-win that would benefit the community, the region, the team, and the fans.

Maryland looks forward to working with the Harris team to make that vision a reality.

DC Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie

DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson

Advertisement

We are grateful the legislation passed and that this large tract will not continue to deteriorate with a crumbling stadium on it.

At the same time, it is unfortunate that the Senate found unanimous consent to move the legislation concerning RFK, but is leaving untouched ten judicial vacancies. This continues to be a setback to the District’s public safety ecosystem. I would also be remiss to not emphasize that the continuing resolution underfunds, our police by $10 million.



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending