Frequently Asked Questions
Below you will find common questions and answers about Initiative 83.
If you have a question that you do not find below, please fill out our contact form.
Frequently Asked Questions
Click on the questions below to reveal their answers.
We are the official campaign committee supporting YES on 83, a grassroots movement to make politicians work harder for all of us here in Washington, DC! We are led by Initiative 83 Proposer Lisa D. T. Rice and Treasurer Philip Pannell. Learn more about support for the campaign!
Initiative 83 is a ballot initiative that is on the back of DC voters’ ballots in the November 2024 election. If passed, it would: 1) let independents vote in taxpayer-funded primary elections and 2) use ranked choice voting for all elections in DC starting in 2026.
Ranked choice voting is a proven voting system where politicians can only win if they get more than 50% of the vote. Vote for your favorite candidate, then rank your backup choices. If your favorite doesn’t win, your vote counts for your next choice, until a candidate wins with more than 50% of the vote.
Using ranked choice voting means politicians have to work harder for every vote and every voter, not just for a small group. Learn more about ranked choice voting.
Check if you’re registered to vote. If you still need to register, you can register at your polling place during early voting (through November 3) or on Election Day (November 5).
If you've received your ballot in the mail, you can return it by mail (must be postmarked on or before November 5) or at a dropbox (by 8:00 p.m. on November 5). You can also vote in-person during early voting or on Election Day. Find your polling place (or a dropbox near you).
Remember to flip to the back of your ballot to vote YES on 83!
Both make politicians work harder! Letting independents vote makes them work for more voters and ranked choice voting makes them compete for your backup choices.
No. People rank things everyday: from the school lottery, to public housing buildings, to buying your 2nd choice if the supermarket is out of your favorite. It’s a proven system and voters overwhelmingly understand it and want to keep using it. 95% of voters in New York City said it was simple.
Initiative 83 is supported by neighbors across DC, local DC community food co-ops, and other local grassroots organizations. We have nine times more donors from DC than our opponents. Our funding goes towards native Washingtonians being hired to educate communities throughout the city, including East of the River, so they can make an informed decision about this potential change to our system.
We also receive funding from FairVote Action (a national ranked choice voting advocacy organization based in Silver Spring, MD) and Dr. Bronner’s soap company (which has also supported successful DC ballot measures to raise restaurant worker wages and decriminalize marijuana).
Some councilmembers support Initiative 83, but other local party bosses and politicians are opposed because it will make them work harder. Many politicians have won under the current system and are used to not having to work very hard to keep their position. Initiative 83 would make them work harder for your vote.
You can read about all of our supporters and endorsers, including The Washington Post.
Initiative 83 is about giving voters more power and making politicians work harder for our votes. It is not partisan, and doesn’t help or hurt any party or ideology.
Ranked choice voting has helped preserve Black elected representation in the face of displacement. Cities that use ranked choice voting have elected their first-ever Black mayors and most racially diverse city councils. On average, Black voters rank more candidates than white voters.
No. Letting independents vote in primaries would not allow voters who are members of one political party to vote in another party’s primary. Democrats will still only vote in the Democratic primary, and Republicans can still only vote in the Republican primary.
With Initiative 83, independents can vote in one party primary of their choice – Democratic, Republican, or DC Statehood Green Party – by expressing their preference to the DC Board of Elections prior to the primary election.
Yes, rank as many candidates as you’d like. Remember, ranking gives your vote more power – if your first choice doesn’t have a chance to win, your vote can count for a backup choice.
Taxpayers should be able to vote in taxpayer-funded elections. There are many reasons why a voter might not register with a political party. Party registration is public information. Because of this, many voters in DC choose to be independent to remain neutral in their roles as military personnel, civil servants, or journalists. Independent is also the default option when you register to vote!
New York City held its first citywide ranked choice voting (RCV) election on June 22, 2021 in party primaries for mayor and all other city offices in the wake of 73% of voters backing a 2019 ballot measure proposed by a city charter commission. Key findings from FairVote’s analysis include:
- These elections resulted in the most diverse NYC city council ever, including a majority of women and more than two-thirds people of color.
- Nearly nine in ten votes (87%) ranked multiple candidates for mayor.
- In the mayoral election, voters in heavily-White precincts tended to return more ballots with a high number of rankings, but the exact opposite pattern occurs in the comptroller election, the only other citywide election, where the most strongly positive relationship to highly-ranked ballots is precincts with large Black populations.
We’d love to have you on board! Learn more about our volunteer opportunities. And, if you’re able, please support us with a donation!
Please submit your information on our yard sign request form.
In 2006, the cherry was named the official fruit of DC, thanks to Mr. Bunton's class at Bowen Elementary School. We included two cherries in our logo to represent the two parts of Initiative 83.
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