What does a ranked choice ballot look like?

Here is the ballot from Arlington's most recent County Board race. There were four candidates running for one open seat. Each candidate is listed in a row with a separate oval for each choice. Voters could select their favorite candidate in the 1st column, their second favorite in column 2, and so on. Unlike traditional, single-choice elections, RCV lets voters share how they feel about all the options, not just one.

Do I have to rank all the candidates?

No. You should rank at least one candidate as your 1st choice. After that, you can rank as many of the rest as you want.

Can I rank my favorite more than once?

No. You can only use each ranking once. You should rank your favorite candidate first and use your other choices for the other candidates.

How does ranked choice work with 1 winner?

Most elections have one winner, like a mayor or a governor. In a ranked choice election with one winner, the winning candidate doesn't just have to earn the most votes. The winner has to earn a majority of votes. Sometimes a candidate will earn a majority in the very first round. For example, in Arlington's recent County Board race, the winning candidate earned 58% of the first-choice votes, so it only took one round to find the majority winner.

What if there is more than 1 winner?

Some offices – like Charlottesville City Council and Arlington County Board – have more than one winner per election. Ranked-choice elections with more than one winner are a lot like the single-winner version, but with two extra details: 1. Each candidate needs fewer votes to win. 2. If a candidate gets more votes than they need to win, their extra votes go to their supporters' next choices.

Does it always take several rounds to find the winner?

No. If a candidate gets enough votes in the first round, there's no need to use second choices to find the winner. Your other choices will only be used if more rounds are needed to find the winner. In Arlington's recent County Board race, the winning candidate earned 58% of the first-choice votes, so only one round was needed.

Does the first-round leader always win?

No. Come-from-behind victories are rare, but they do happen on occasion. Even if the first-round leader wins the election, ranked choice benefits voters by allowing voters to support their favorite candidate without fear of wasting their vote and encouraging candidates to engage with more residents in building a winning coalition.

Do voters understand ranked choice? Do they like it?

Exit polls consistently show that the vast majority of voters report understanding ranked choice after just one use and support using RCV in future elections. Research also finds voters' self-reported understanding increases as communities use RCV year after year. An exit poll conducted after Arlington's June 2024 election found that 88% of surveyed voters thought marking the ballot was easy and 67% would like to use ranked choice in future elections.

Is switching to ranked choice expensive?

The main cost of RCV adoption is voter education. All of Virginia's 133 localities already have RCV-capable voting hardware, and the State Board of Elections has already purchased RCV software from the national RCV Resource Center.

Does ranked choice delay election night results?

In Virginia, yes, but that's a choice of the State Board of Elections and not a technical limitation of RCV. Virginia's current RCV regulations instruct localities to only report preliminary results for first-choice votes on election night. Complete, round-by-round results are then released after absentee ballots are due on the Friday after the election.

When does Virginia allow ranked choice elections?

Virginia law currently allows localities to use RCV to elect their city council and county board members. Legislation has been introduced but not yet passed that would allow RCV in elections for all local offices. RCV is not yet permitted in elections for state or federal office, except in party-run nominating contests, like conventions.

Where has ranked choice been used in Virginia?

In 2023, Arlington became the first Virginia locality to conduct an RCV election. Charlottesville will become the second in June 2025. The Virginia Republican party has also used ranked-choice ballots at conventions to nominate candidates for statewide offices and Congressional districts VA-04, VA-10, and VA-11.

Where is ranked choice used outside Virginia?

Alaska and Maine use RCV in all of their state and federal elections. In addition, more than 50 cities and counties use RCV in local elections, from big cities like New York City and Minneapolis to small towns in Utah, Colorado, and Vermont. In 2024, DC voters overwhelming supported a ballot measure to adopt RCV for their elections, too.

When, Where, and How To Vote | Charlottesville City Council

Key Dates What is on the ballot?Who is eligible to vote?Do I have to register?Ways to Vote

By Mail Early in Person On Primary Day

Accessibility More Questions?

The Democratic primary for Charlottesville City Council is on June 17, 2025. This page describes the basic details about when, where, and how you can vote in the primary election.

Key Dates What is on the ballot?Who is eligible to vote?Do I have to register?Ways to Vote

By Mail Early in Person On Primary Day

Accessibility More Questions?

Key Dates

The primary election is Tuesday, June 17, 2025.
Early voting begins Friday, May 2 and ends Saturday, June 14.
The deadline to request a mail ballot is Friday, June 6.

What is on the ballot?

The primary ballot will include Democratic candidates for Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, and City Council. Voters will use traditional, single-choice voting to select the nominees for Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General. City Council is the only office that will use ranked choice voting.

For more information about the ranked choice portion of the ballot, visit our Ballot Guide.

Who is eligible to vote?

You need to be a registered voter in Charlottesville City to vote in the primary election. Anyone who is eligible to vote in the November 4, 2025 general election can also vote in the June primary. In particular, eligible voters who will be 18 years old by the general election date can vote in the primary, as well.

You do not need to register as a member of the Democratic party to vote in the Democratic primary. Virginia does not register voters by party, so all eligible voters can participate in the primary election.

Voter Registration

Do I need to register to vote in advance?

No. Virginia allows same-day registration, so you can register when you vote early in person or at your polling place on Primary Day.

Registering in advance is recommended, however, to reduce your wait time and paperwork on Primary Day. Learn more about registering to vote.

How do I check my registration status?

You can check your registration status online or call the Charlottesville Elections Office at (434) 970-3250.

Can I register online?

Yes. Eligibile voters can register online with a valid Virginia driver's license or state ID.

Vote By Mail

You can request a mail ballot online or call the Charlottesville Elections Office at (434) 970-3250. The deadline to request a mail ballot is Friday, June 6.

There are three ways to return your ballot.

By Mail: Your ballot must be postmarked by Tuesday, June 17 and received by noon on Friday, June 20.
In Person: Turn in your ballot at the Elections Office during business hours or at any polling place on Primary Day.
Drop Box: A secure drop box is available 24 hours a day outside the Elections Office from May 2 through June 17.

Vote Early in Person

When:

‍‍Early voting starts Friday, May 2 and ends Saturday, June 14.
The City Elections Office is open weekdays from 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM with extended hours on Thursdays until 6:00 PM.
Early voting is also available on the last two Saturdays before the election (June 7 and June 14) from 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM.

Where: Elections Office, City Hall Annex, 120 7th St. NE, Room 142

What to Bring: You don't have to bring an ID to vote, but it makes the process faster. Learn more about Virginia's voter ID requirements.

Vote on Primary Day

When:

Polling places will be open on Tuesday, June 17, 2025 from 6 AM to 7 PM.
Anyone who is in line to vote by 7 PM will be allowed to vote.

Where:

You can vote at the polling place assigned to your neighborhood.
You can look up your polling place online or call the Charlottesville Elections Office at (434) 970-3250.

What to Bring: You don't have to bring an ID to vote, but it makes the process faster. Learn more about Virginia's voter ID requirements.

Accessibility

All voting locations are accessible to voters with disabilities. Curbside voting is available for voters who are 65 or older or who have physical disabilities. Ballot marking devices with audio capability are available for voters with visual impairments.

If you need accommodation or have questions about accessibility, call the Charlottesville Elections Office at (434) 970-3250.

Do you have another question?

For more information about voting in Charlottesville, contact the City Elections Office.

Visit: City Hall Annex, 120 7th St. NE, Room 142
Call: (434) 970-3250
Email: vote@charlottesville.gov
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