The city of Charlottesville will become the second locality in Virginia to use ranked choice voting as a vote method in a local election, after Arlington County.
The ordinance’s second reading was done at Tuesday’s meeting, which led to the Charlottesville City Council approving the use of ranked choice voting for its June 2025 council primary in a 4–1 vote.
Ahead of the vote, many speakers signed up to offer their support of the voting method, including Nicholas Co, a Navy veteran who resides in the city and is a state volunteer with Veterans for All Voters.
“You’re ushering in a new era of voter empowerment. This system opens up our elections, giving every eligible voter the freedom to truly express their preferences without fears of wasting their vote,” Co said. He added that adopting ranked choice voting enriches political discourse and “strengthens the fabric of our community.”
Another city resident, Alexandra McGee, said it’s a more effective and representative method of voting. “The very act of implementing it here in Charlottesville will be an educational model for other locations and state elections,” McGee said.
Former Democratic Del. Sally Hudson has been a strong advocate for ranked choice voting for a long time; she used her speaking time to frame the narrative behind the history of how her original bill was drafted back in 2020 and led to Tuesday’s council vote.
Currently, Arlington County is the only locale using the system for some local elections.
“To use the popular parlance of our time,” Hudson said, “this ordinance did not just ‘fall out of a coconut tree.’ We exist in the context of all that came before us, and in Charlottesville, that context goes back centuries. I hope that you will join the three founding fathers emblazoned on this building in doing your part to build a more perfect union today.”
Hudson’s bill to bring the practice to the commonwealth limits it to county boards and city council elections. General Assembly, statewide and federal contests cannot be decided through ranked choice voting in Virginia. State Sen. Creigh Deeds, a Charlottesville Democrat, filed a bill during the 2023 General Assembly session to expand the practice, but later withdrew the proposal after hearing concerns from state elections officials.
The easiest way to explain the ranked choice voting process: Instead of voting for a single person, a voter ranks their preferred or favorite candidates. Charlottesville Councilor Michael Payne noted that Arlington has shown that “it can be done.” He said he hopes it could be used for a wider swath of elections, as well as have a long-term positive effect on local elections.
“If we can do it successfully locally, perhaps it builds awareness to start to do it in House of Delegates campaigns, or statewide — like in Alaska or Maine — because I think that’s where we should start to see the biggest difference,” Payne said.
Councilor Natalie Oschirin said she knows there are many people in the community who “might not be aware of what’s going on right now,” and hopes that with outreach efforts, community members will be excited to use the method next summer.
“We have an education campaign that we have to get ready for and implement, so that we try and reach as many voters as possible,” Oschirin said.
Councilor Lloyd Snook was the lone dissenting vote.
Following the passage of RCV, City Council did unanimously approve $26,460 in funding to help develop an outreach and education program ahead of the primary election.
