The Arlington County Board voted 4-0 to continue using ranked choice voting (RCV) in its 2025 County Board general election, reaffirming its position as Virginia's first county to implement the system.

It carried broad support despite some concerns about funding for community outreach and voter education.

"Over the last two years, we've seen RCV improve both the process and outcomes of our local elections," said Meredith Sumpter, an Arlington resident and CEO of the nonprofit better elections group FairVote.

Sumpter testified in favor of RCV extension. She highlighted the system's benefits, stating that it encourages candidates to build broader coalitions and engage in deeper policy discussions on key issues like housing.

RCV was first introduced in Arlington County in 2023. It allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference, with votes transferring in an instant runoff if no candidate initially secures a majority.

This system has been received so well that county officials continue to extend its use. In total, 3 elections to date have used RCV in Arlington, which Sumpter argues have fostered more diversity "in age, gender, race, and life experience."

However, concerns regarding voter education surfaced during the Board’s deliberations. JD Spain, who was elected under RCV, stressed the need for increased financial investment in public outreach and voter education.

"We have not heard— I have not heard—what are we going to do moving forward to engage the community," he remarked, advocating for an explicit commitment to funding voter education before proceeding with the vote.

County Manager Mark Schwartz suggested addressing these concerns during the upcoming budget season. While Spain proposed delaying the vote on RCV extension until March to allocate funding, other Board members objected to a delay.

It was noted during debate on the matter that it was important to provide election certainty ahead of the April 3 filing deadline for the June primary. 

Board Vice-Chair Matt de Ferranti acknowledged Spain’s concerns but preferred to move forward with the RCV ordinance while committing to securing voter education funding during budget discussions.

As a result, Spain abstained in the final vote.

"I do like ranked choice voting, but I've also often said there's a wrong way to do the right thing," he noted, underscoring the need for intentional community engagement.

Board member Susan Cunningham echoed his sentiments, calling for a robust education campaign to ensure voters fully understand the system.

According to a report from the County Registrar’s office, only about 1 in 100 voters required additional explanation about RCV in the most recent election, and those who did often needed assistance with the entire ballot rather than RCV specifically.

Arlington is also not alone in expanding RCV's use in and around Virginia. Charlottesville will use RCV in its City Council primary this June, while Newport News and Loudoun County are considering adoption.

Additionally, Washington, DC voters overwhelmingly approved an RCV ballot measure last fall with a 70% majority. And the Virginia Generally Assembly passed a bill that allows local jurisdictions to adopt RCV for all their elections.

Prior to the bill's passage, RCV could only be used for city council and county board elections.

A special thanks to Sally Hudson at Ranked Choice Virginia for providing information and updates on this story.