Newport News, VA — Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones published an editorial in today's Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press calling for expanded use of ranked choice voting in Virginia. He cited the recent trend in local Virginia races that delivered winners without majority support:
"Richmond, Roanoke, Winchester, and Virginia Beach all elected mayors this year in wide-field races with a winner who earned less than half the votes. In my own four-way race for Mayor of Newport News in 2022, I won with 40% of the votes, which means nearly 60% of the voters supported someone else."
Ranked choice voting, Jones explained, is a practical solution to the vote-splitting problem. In a ranked choice election, voters rank the candidates from most to least favorite. The ballots are then tallied in an instant-runoff that determines the winner with broadest support. The process encourages candidates to bridge divides and build coalitions around the issues that matter most to voters.
In Virginia, Arlington and Charlottesville have adopted ranked choice voting, and, earlier this month, more than 70% of DC voters approved a ballot measure to adopt ranked choice for their elections, too.
The City of Newport News is now considering ranked choice as part of its ongoing charter review. However, as Jones noted, current Virginia law only permits localities to use ranked choice in elections for City Council and County Board.
"This year’s elections show it’s time for the General Assembly to expand that authority to all local offices. I hope our state leaders in Richmond will support expanding ranked choice voting and bring better elections to us all."
