Newsletter
Charlottesville's Festive Election Results
More than 750 voters cast ranked choice ballots to name the Grand Illumination tree ahead of Charlottesville's first ranked choice election for City Council in 2025.
December 2, 2024
Are you ready to rank?
On June 17, 2025, Charlottesville will use ranked choice voting to nominate candidates for City Council. Now's the time to get informed and get engaged so that all the City's voters can be ready to rank in June.
132K+
ranked choice ballots cast in Arlington last year
88%
of surveyed voters felt marking the ballot was easy
Common Questions
When will Charlottesville use ranked choice voting?
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Charlottesville voters will use ranked choice in the primary election for City Council candidates on June 17, 2025.
Which offices will be elected using ranked choice?
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City Council only. Virginia law currently permits cities to use RCV in Council races only.
Why is the City using ranked choice voting?
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City Council authorized the ranked choice voting pilot in September 2024, with guidance from the City Registrar and Electoral Board. "Ranked choice voting has been successfully adopted in various localities and states across the nation and has been shown by research to support more diverse candidate pools and improved civility in campaigns and elections," the Registrar advised in a memo to Council. You can learn more about the benefits of ranked choice as well as common concerns.
Is the change permanent?
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No. The June 2025 primary is a pilot program. City Council can assess whether to adopt ranked choice for future elections after the pilot.
