The early voting process for the crucial Washington, D.C. primary elections opens this Sunday, June 8 and will extend through Sunday, June 14. During those seven days, voting centers will operate continuously from 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
These primaries on Tuesday, June 16 are shaping up as the most consequential in more than a decade for the capital. In addition to debuting the ranked choice voting system, the city will elect a new mayoral candidate for the first time in 12 years. Furthermore, it will also decide who will succeed delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton in Congress after 36 years.
Unlike the main election day, the system allows voters to go to any early voting center in the city. It doesn’t matter which neighborhood they are registered in, according to the DC Board of Elections.
What are the three ways to vote before June 16?
Registered voters in the District of Columbia have three main options to exercise their right to vote. These options are designed to provide flexibility and prevent crowding on election day.
- In-person early voting: Available from June 8-14 at any Early Vote Center in the city. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. If the voter is already registered, no identification is necessary. Those who need to register the same day can do so by bringing valid proof of DC residency, such as a utility bill or bank statement.
- Mail-in voting: All registered voters should have automatically received a ballot by mail, a process the Board of Elections began in May. Voters must complete the ballot in blue or black ink, place it in the secrecy envelope, and then in the prepaid return envelope. It can be mailed ensuring it is postmarked on or before June 16, or deposited in any official ballot drop box before 8:00 p.m. on election day.
- Election day: For those who prefer tradition, on Tuesday, June 16, voting centers will operate from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Anyone in line at 8:00 p.m. will have the right to vote.
How does the new system work?
This election marks the debut of the ranked choice voting system, approved by voters through Initiative 83 in November 2024. The goal, according to election authorities, is to ensure that candidates assume office with at least 50% support.
Under this new system, instead of marking just one option, voters can rank up to five candidates in order of preference for each vacant office. If no candidate obtains an absolute majority in the first count, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. Additionally, their votes are redistributed to those voters’ second choice. Finally, this process of elimination and redistribution continues until a candidate reaches 50% plus one.
Because of this system, ballots will be more extensive than usual. The Board of Elections makes a special call to the
