Video from Fox 5 about opening the primaries to independents

Watch this video from Fox 5 to hear Lisa D. T. Rice, proposer of Initiative 83, explain why letting independents vote means so much to her.

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Headlines

Read what Washingtonians are saying about Initiative 83. Read more headlines.

Opinion: Put ranked-choice voting at the top of your list

There is no one trick to fix American democracy — but implementing ranked-choice voting in primary and general elections around the country could help. This reform is on the ballot in several states this year, as well as in D.C. It deserves to pass.

Washington Post, Oct. 3, 2024

DC initiative brings the prospect of ranked choice voting to the forefront again

Voters in the District could be asked whether they would like to open party primaries to independents and begin ranked choice voting after organizers of a new initiative aiming to do just that submitted thousands of signatures this month.

WTOP News, July 18, 2024

Petition to change D.C. elections gets thousands of signatures. What’s next?

Carrying thousands of petitions in black cases, some stacked in a red Radio Flyer wagon, supporters of major changes to D.C. elections delivered more than 40,000 signatures to the Board of Elections in Navy Yard on Monday for a ballot initiative to bring ranked-choice voting to D.C. elections and to allow registered independents to vote in primaries.

Washington Post, July 1, 2024

Incumbent lawmakers survive challenges in D.C. primary election

The crowded contest left many voters struggling to make a choice, including Kingman Park resident Marty Smith, 42, who said he wished the city had ranked-choice voting or a runoff system to winnow the options.

Washington Post, June 4, 2024

It’s not a democracy when the parties control our elections (Opinion)

In Washington, D.C., one in six voters are registered as independents. I am one of them. We are prohibited from voting in our city’s taxpayer-funded primary elections. Our votes are suppressed.

The Hill, February 23, 2024

A D.C. Democratic Party lawsuit is decidedly undemocratic (Editorial Board)

FairVote, a group that advocates ranked-choice voting, has released research suggesting that the system tends to benefit candidates and voters of color.

Washington Post, August 11, 2023