RICHMOND, Va. - The Virginia Senate approved a bill Monday that would expand the authority of local governments to conduct elections using ranked choice voting (RCV). The bill (SB1009) grants cities, counties, and towns the ability to implement RCV for all elections.

This includes mayoral and school board races.

Current law restricts RCV implementation to city council and county board elections. In a statement about the bill, its sponsor, Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim (Falls Church), emphasized the importance of local control in electoral processes.

"This bill empowers local governments with the option to use ranked choice voting in all their elections, ensuring they have the flexibility to choose what works best for their communities," he said.

RCV has been tested in Virginia. It was adopted in Arlington County in 2023 to elect its county board -- and so far, county board members have voted to extend the program and are considering making it permanent.

Current law, however, limits its application.

"We don't yet have the permission to do that," said Board Member Susan Cunningham at a recent meeting. "If we did, it would make sense to do things all one way or the other."

SB1009 co-sponsor Senator Adam Ebbin (Arlington) echoed the benefits of expanding RCV. He said "elected officials should have the confidence of the majority of voters." He added that Salim's bill could expand RCV across Virginia. 

Arlington isn't alone in exploring RCV as an alternative voting method. Charlottesville, for example, plans to use RCV in its city council primary in June, becoming the second locality in Virginia to implement the system.

Other communities -- like Newport News and Loudoun County -- are actively exploring the possibility of adopting RCV's use as well.

The Newport News City Council has tasked its Charter Review Committee with investigating the method. The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors has scheduled a February briefing to discuss potential implementation.

SB1009 now moves to the House of Delegates for consideration. If passed, the bill could significantly reshape local elections in Virginia by allowing more communities to adopt RCV, a system that proponents argue leads to fairer and more representative outcomes.

Special thanks to Sally Hudson at Ranked Choice Virginia for providing the information for this story.