(VCU Capital News Service)
After Arlington County successfully adopted and implemented Virginia’s first ranked choice voting general election earlier this month, more localities are considering reforming their voting options.
Leaders in Albemarle County, Fairfax County and Newport News are considering ranked choice voting, which allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference, for city council and county board elections.
Simultaneously, Virginia Beach was considering amending its charter to allow the city to use the 10-1 voting system that splits the voting age population into 10 equal districts to vote for the mayor and the representative for their district. But on Tuesday evening, the city council voted not to approve a measure towards adding the system in its charter.
Sally Hudson, executive director for Ranked Choice Virginia and a former state delegate, said because of the public’s wavering faith in democracy at the federal level, it’s leading more people to question the fairness of election systems in Virginia and other states.