Fairfax County Democrats use ranked choice voting in primary election
Over the weekend, Democrats in Fairfax County, Virginia, used ranked choice voting (RCV) to select their nominee for a Board of Supervisors special election. Rachna Sizemore Heizer – an attorney and Fairfax School Board member – won handily. This contest is just the latest use of RCV in Virginia, as the reform has steadily expanded across the Old Dominion in recent years.
Four candidates ran to be the Democratic nominee for the Braddock District seat on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. The election was triggered by the resignation of James Walkinshaw, who won a special election last month to represent Virginia’s 11th District in the U.S. Congress.
Ranked choice voting in Virginia
In recent years, Virginia has seen crowded primaries for several congressional and statewide offices won with far less than a majority of the vote. This spring, Ghazala Hashmi won the Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor with just 27.5% of the vote – her two closest competitors finished with 26.5% and 26.3%. Last year, Suhas Subramanyam won the Democratic nomination for Northern Virginia’s 10th congressional district with just 30.4% of the vote. In 2022, Republicans nominated Yesli Vega in Northern Virginia’s 7th congressional district with just 28.9% of the vote.
RCV can deliver majority winners in a crowded field, and it has been increasingly used in both party-run primaries and public, government-run elections in Virginia. Arlington County has now used RCV three times in public, government-run elections, and will use it again for its County Board election this November. Charlottesville used it for the first time in June. Both jurisdictions made use of the state’s “local option” statute that gives cities and counties the freedom to use RCV to elect local officials.
Both major parties have also used RCV in party-run primary elections. For example, Fairfax County and Arlington County Democrats have successfully used RCV to nominate candidates for local offices, and Republicans have used RCV in several statewide and congressional nominating contests – including to nominate their statewide ticket in 2021.
October 4 ranked choice voting primary
With RCV, Fairfax County Democrats were able to rank the Board of Supervisors candidates in order of preference. Sizemore Heizer won 60% of voters’ first choices, comfortably clearing the majority threshold and eliminating the need for RCV tabulation. She will face Republican Ken Balbuena in the December 9 general election.
The contest was run directly by the local Democratic Party, which set the rules and coordinated the logistics. (This differs from the recent RCV primaries in Arlington and Charlottesville, which were government-run.)
All voters in the Fairfax County primary used a software tool called ElectionBuddy. Voters could register and submit their ballots remotely, or come to one of three physical polling locations where party volunteers assisted voters. The registration process required several steps: Voters had to complete a web form, be confirmed by a party representative, receive a verification code by email or text, and then log back in to vote.
Some voters experienced difficulty connecting to the internet in the older buildings where voting was held, and according to Fairfax County Democratic Committee Chair Aaron Yohai, the software “crashed” at one point during voting. The issue was not related to RCV, as reported by local outlets FFXnow and WJLA.
When combined with higher-than-expected in-person turnout, the online system and layered verification process caused significant lines. The party decided to extend in-person voting by one day, so that people who waited in line on the first day had time to submit their ballots.
Once all ballots were collected, the results were tabulated quickly and without issue. The Fairfax Democrats’ use of online voting was relatively novel; most RCV elections around the U.S. – including those in Arlington and Charlottesville – use paper ballots and existing voting machines, avoiding any challenges associated with online voting.
Local volunteers were stationed at polling places during the primary to answer questions and educate voters. The volunteers shared that voters found their ranked ballots straightforward.
Voters at the Government Center found ranked ballots easy to use and understood the process well. The technical issues that extended voting had nothing to do with RCV itself — the RCV tabulation worked exactly as it should.
– Adam King, leader of the UpVote Fairfax Local Action Group
Despite technical challenges at the Landings Community Center, voters remained enthusiastic about using ranked choice voting… That tells you something powerful about how much voters value having more choice in their elections.
– UpVote Virginia Programs Director Tamara Allen
RCV continues to grow across Virginia, with more localities using it in both party-run and public elections. Each use offers an opportunity to see the reform in action. If you live in Virginia, visit UpVote Virginia or Ranked Choice Virginia today to help bring RCV to your community.
