Submitted by: Councilmembers Schaible, Waszczak, Denes
Submitting Department: Legislative
Agenda Section: Discussion
Item Title:
title
Ranked Choice Voting Referendum for May 2025 City Election
end
Suggested Action:
recommendation
For Discussion
end
Summary Background:
In most American elections, the winning candidate is the one who receives the most votes, even if most voters selected someone else. In a small but growing number of states and municipalities, another majoritarian system-ranked choice voting, or RCV-is used. RCV combines the general election and the runoff by letting voters select-or “rank”-the candidates in order of preference. If no candidate receives 50% of the first-choice votes, the lowest-ranking candidate is eliminated, and their second-place votes are reallocated among the remaining candidates. The process repeats itself until a winner is selected.1
Advocates of RCV claim the system has many benefits over traditional American elections, including:
More positive campaigning because candidates have an incentive to be voters’ second-choice option.
Reduced political polarization, because only candidates with broad support can win.
Eliminating the “spoiler effect,” empowering voters to select their candidate of choice while eliminating the “lesser of two evils” dynamic. 2
Per the City Charter, a Council Directed Referendum must be approved by passage of a resolution with minimum of a 2/3 vote of Council members and must be passed at least 120 calendar days prior to the next municipal election May 13, 2025. As conceived, this would be a non-binding referendum to amend the City’s Charter and Code to implement Ranked Choice Voting for municipal elections in Hyattsville ARTICLE IV - Legislation, Nominations and Elections § C4-11. Vote count.
Next Steps:
For Council Discussion
Fiscal Impact:
TBD
City Administrator Comments:
Staff recommend that the scope of the November 4 discussion focus on determining if the Council wants to include a referendum question on the May 2025 ballot. The City’s Board of Supervisors of Elections has not had the opportunity to formally provide feedback on the possible adoption of rank choice voting for City elections, however a representative of the Board will be available for the discussion to provide initial feedback.
Should the Council wish to move forward with a non-binding referendum for the May 2025 election, the resolution, with the exact wording of the ballot question must be adopted by a 2/3rd majority of the Council at least 120 days prior to the election. 120 days prior to the May 13, 2025 election is January 13, 2025, therefore a resolution must be adopted no later than the January 6, 2025 Council Meeting. The referendum is non-binding and if the Council wishes to move forward with implementing Rank Choice Voting, it must follow the legislative process to amend the City Charter & Code.
Of note, any campaign material in support or opposition of a referendum question is subject to the requirements of City Code, Chapter 8, and will require the publication of an authority line on campaign materials to ensure transparency to voters.
Community Engagement:
Information regarding any referendum would need to be shared with the public via social media, mailings, and community meetings to raise awareness and understanding of the issue.
Strategic Goals:
Goal 4 - Foster Excellence in all City Operations
Legal Review Required?
Pending