Lisa D.T. Rice
History isn’t only about what’s happened in the past. We make history as we move through our daily lives. And that’s what’s happening right here, right now in Washington, DC.
Yes! We made history on Tuesday, June 16 when, in the primary elections, ranked choice voting was used in DC for the first time ever. This means that, when those who go on to hold office in January 2027, they will have been approved with support of the majority of voters.
DC’s Democratic primary is a fait accompli for all but one contest on the general election ballot which follows in November. For the DC Council and mayoral contests, this primary was the definitive election.
How did this change come about? My name is Lisa Rice. I am a native Washingtonian, current District resident, and passionate democracy reformer. I care about this democracy of ours, as frayed as it is, and believe our path to restoration will only be successful when we put voters first.
In 2023, I proposed a change to our election system here in DC. Initiative 83 combined two powerful voter-centric reforms – ranked choice voting and semi-open primaries. It won in November 2024 with 73% of the vote. We the people made a law!!
When it came to funding, the Council chose to break apart the two elements and in 2025 appropriated funds in the FY26 budget only for the implementation of ranked choice voting, leaving semi-open primaries out in the cold.
That was then. This is now. And we’re turning up the heat!
The Council is working through the FY27 budget, with a final vote scheduled for Tuesday, June 23. This is their opportunity to do the right thing and appropriate funds for semi-open primaries, to let independents vote.
For a total cost of just $1.1 million in a $21.2 billion budget, the cost to fund semi-open primaries is a rounding error. I’ll put it into even sharper focus. For $0.40 per resident, this can be funded.
That’s half the cost of a postage stamp. C’mon now! Let’s get real, this isn’t about money, it’s about political will.
Shawn Griffiths
In an era of mass dilution of voting rights, I'm still mourning the Supreme Court’s Louisiana v. Callais decision to gut the Voting Rights Act, which quickly opened the door to a wave of redistricting laws across the country to disenfranchise people of color.
Nationally, Democrats decried these measures. And yet the DC State Democratic Committee tried everything in its power to keep me from voting. The irony of that is sickening.
While rank and file Democrats stood strongly behind Initiative 83 – this is, after all, a voting rights issue – the party leadership led opposition to these changes. But they lost. A recent court decision once again rejected their lawsuit.
We should celebrate this rare victory for voter enfranchisement by making those reforms a reality.
Tuesday’s primary results, though not yet official, show there is a leadership change on the horizon. And many of those about to assume leadership of the DC Democratic State Committee are supporters of these policy changes.
If his numbers hold, the Committee’s next National Committeeman will be Philip Pannell, the treasurer of the Initiative 83 campaign. Philip has joined me in my efforts to persuade the DC Council to fund semi-open primaries.
Just a couple of days ago he said, “I strongly believe DC’s current closed primary system is a form of political exclusion, electoral segregation and voter suppression.”
With new party leadership about to take charge, I believe the political will I mentioned earlier may find new resolve. I’m not a partisan, but I’m pretty sure that with opposition walking out the door, it will be an easier political path for those who were hesitant to support funding to now find their way to voting yes to fund semi-open primaries.
These are taxpayer-funded elections. Every voter should be able to cast a ballot. It is time to fund implementation of semi-open primaries. Now. Just get it done!