Charlottesville Officially Becomes Second Virginia City to Adopt Ranked Choice Voting

Charlottesville Officially Becomes Second Virginia City to Adopt Ranked Choice Voting
Photo by Getty Images on Unsplash. Unsplash+ License obtained by author.
Published: 04 Sep, 2024
1 min read

Photo Credit: Getty Images / Unsplash+

In Virginia, the Charlottesville City Council on Tuesday voted to approve the use of ranked choice voting (RCV) for its June 2025 Council primaries. Former Charlottesville delegate Sally Hudson, who is now with Ranked Choice Virginia, praised the 4-1 vote.

"This step has been years in the making, and Charlottesville can be proud we’re doing our part to make democracy better for the long haul," she said.

Hudson authored HB 1103 in 2020, which authorized local municipalities to adopt RCV at their discretion. Arlington was the first city in Virginia to use RCV in 2020 and voted to use it again in June 2024.

The Charlottesville officials who voted in favor of adoption were Mayor Juandiego Wade, Vice Mayor Brian Pinkston, and Councilors Natalie Oschrin and Michael Payne. The only objection came from Councilor Lloyd Snook.

The final passage of the RCV ordinance came after City Registrar Taylor Yowell recommended passage, stating that RCV "has been successfully adopted in various localities and states across the nation and has been shown by research to support more diverse candidate pools and improved civility in campaigns and elections."

You Might Also Like

My Next Congressman Won His Primary with 24% of the Vote
My Next Congressman Won His Primary with 24% of the Vote
Illinois conducted its 2026 primary elections Tuesday, and in some cases the winner advanced to November with around or less than 30% of the vote. In my congressional district, IL-7, State Representative La Shawn Ford won his primary with roughly 24% of the vote....
18 Mar, 2026
-
4 min read
John Fetterman Blasts Hypocrisy on Both Sides of the SAVE Act Fight
John Fetterman Blasts Hypocrisy on Both Sides of the SAVE Act Fight
Fetterman has pointed out that voter ID is an "80-20 issue," citing an August 2025 Pew Research survey that found 83% of American voters support or are okay with requiring photo ID to vote....
16 Mar, 2026
-
14 min read
The Federal Voter ID Bill Is Designed to Fail. Here's Why
The Federal Voter ID Bill Is Designed to Fail. Here's Why
Most Americans support voter ID, so why is this fight so explosive? It’s simple: the two-party system keeps turning a broadly popular reform into a partisan weapon. Instead of solving the issue, both sides use it to energize their base and deepen distrust....
12 Mar, 2026
-
3 min read
Wisconsin Lawmakers Propose Ranked Choice Voting for All Elections
Wisconsin Lawmakers Propose Ranked Choice Voting for All Elections
State Senator Mark Spreitzer (D-Beloit) and Representative Clinton Anderson (D-Beloit) introduced LRB-5709 on March 5, legislation that would implement ranked choice voting for state, federal, and local elections in Wisconsin....
10 Mar, 2026
-
2 min read
How James Talarico Won Over Independents Amid Texas Primary Chaos
How James Talarico Won Over Independents Amid Texas Primary Chaos
James Talarico wins Texas’ Democratic Senate primary as campaigns point to unusually high independent participation in the state’s open primary system. Then Dallas County’s last-minute switch back to precinct-only voting sparks confusion, long lines, and a legal fight over ballots cast after 7 p.m....
05 Mar, 2026
-
3 min read
Don’t Kill Top Two. Upgrade It: A Smarter Way to Elect California’s Governor
Don’t Kill Top Two. Upgrade It: A Smarter Way to Elect California’s Governor
The answer to today’s crowded field is not retreat. It is modernization. Instead of empowering party gatekeepers, we can empower voters with more choice, less vote splitting, and majority-supported outcomes....
03 Mar, 2026
-
4 min read