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__________________________ 2
Councilmember Wendell Felder 3
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A BILL 5
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 10
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To Amend the District of Columbia Election Code of 1955 to require the Board of Elections to 14
conduct a comprehensive needs assessment to ensure the District’s institutional readiness 15
for implementing ranked choice voting, to analyze voter awareness and public 16
perceptions of the ranked choice voting system, to assess the equity and access 17
implications of ranked choice voting for historically marginalized communities, to review 18
best practices and implementation experiences from other jurisdictions, and to require the 19
Board to submit a report to the Mayor and the Council that includes a RCV 20
implementation plan, a full cost model, an operational timeline with critical milestones 21
and a comprehensive voter outreach and education plan. 22
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 24
act may be cited as the “Board of Elections Ranked Choice Voting Needs Assessment 25
Amendment Act of 2025.” 26
Sec. 2. Section 8a of the District of Columbia Election Code of 1955, effective March 21, 27
2025 (D.C. Law 25-295), D.C. Official Code § 1-1001.08a), is amended by adding a new 28
subsection (n) to read as follows: 29
“(n) No later than January 1, 2027, the Board Shall conduct a comprehensive needs 30
assessment to support the effective and efficient implementation of Ranked Choice Voting. 31
“(1) The assessment shall include: 32
“(A) An institutional readiness review, including: 33
“(i) An evaluation of Board’s capacity to implement ranked choice 34
voting, including ballot design, vote tabulation system and associated staff training; and 35
“(ii) Identification of necessary systems upgrades, operational 36
process, and logistical requirements for successful implementation; 37
“(iii) Projected costs of implementation, including equipment, 38
staffing, technology, translation, accessibility services, and public education. 39
“(B) Development of proposed regulations governing the implementation 40
of RCV that includes at a minimum: 41
“(i) ballot structure, ranking limits, tabulation sequencing, tie-42
breaking procedures, ballot adjudication, recount triggers, certification and public reporting 43
“(ii) a timeline for public notice, comment, final rulemaking and 44
Council review. 45
“(C) A public knowledge and perception evaluation to measure: 46
“(i) General voter awareness and understanding of rank choice 47
voting; and 48
“(ii) Targeted analysis of awareness among populations with 49
limited English proficiency, seniors, and communities with historically low civic engagement; 50
“(D) An equity and access impact analysis to assess the potential effects of 51
ranked choice voting on historically underrepresented communities, including Black, Latino, 52
low-income, and retuning citizen populations; and 53
“(E) A best practices review, including: 54
“(i) A summary of implementation strategies from other 55
jurisdiction; and 56
“(ii) Identification of success factors and common implementation 57
challenges. 58
“(2) Upon completion of the assessment, the Board Shall submit to the Mayor and 59
the Council a report that includes: 60
“(A) A proposed plan regarding ranked choice voting implementation; 61
“(B) A timeline for phased implementation that includes critical 62
milestones; and 63
“(C) A robust outreach and education plan.” 64
“(3) The Board of Elections shall not implement or administer any new voting 65
policies, procedures, or election system modifications, including but not limited to ranked choice 66
voting, unless it has first conducted a comprehensive needs assessment addressing operational 67
capacity, budgetary requirements, staffing, technology, public education needs, and equity 68
impacts and submitted to the Mayor and the Council a detailed implementation plan, finalized 69
regulations, a budget analysis, and operational timelines with key milestones. 70
Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement. 71
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 72
impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, 73
approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 74
Sec. 4. Effective date. 75
This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 76
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto) and a 30-day period of congressional review 77
as provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 78
24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Code § 1-206(c)(1)). 79