Washington & Elections
D.C. Voters Prepare for a New Mayor and Ranked-Choice Ballots
The District’s ballot includes mayor, Council and congressional-delegate contests, plus a foie-gras initiative and expanded ranked-choice voting.
A consequential District ballot
Washington voters will choose the city’s first new mayor in more than a decade on November 3. Democrat Janeese Lewis George, independent Rhonda Hamilton and Statehood Green candidate Robert L. Gross are on the ballot, according to a Washington Post election guide. Voters will also select Council members, a Council chair, attorney general, school-board representatives and the District’s nonvoting delegate to the U.S. House. Candidate listings should be confirmed against each voter’s official sample ballot.
Council and delegate races
Two at-large Council seats are being filled, and ward contests are scheduled in Wards 1, 5 and 6. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson is seeking another term. Robert C. White Jr., currently an at-large council member, is the Democratic nominee for congressional delegate against Republican Denise Rosado and Kymone Freeman of the Statehood Green Party. If White wins, District procedures would be used to fill his Council seat temporarily before a special election. Voters should evaluate each office separately.
Ranked-choice voting is now part of the process
The District began using ranked-choice voting in eligible contests with at least three candidates in the June primary. Voters may rank as many as five candidates, but they are not required to rank more than one. If no candidate reaches the required threshold, the lowest candidate is eliminated and ballots transfer to each voter’s next active choice. Ranking an additional candidate does not reduce the value of a first choice, according to the D.C. Board of Elections.
The at-large count works differently
The general election for at-large Council seats has two winners. Each ballot initially counts for its highest-ranked active candidate, and elimination rounds continue until two candidates remain. That structure differs from a single-winner mayoral race. Voters should not give two candidates the same ranking, repeat a candidate or intentionally skip a ranking. Official instructions and sample ballots provide the authoritative format. Final results may take time because eligible mail ballots can arrive after Election Day if postmarked on time.
A ballot initiative addresses foie gras
District voters will also decide whether to prohibit production and sale of foie gras made through force-feeding ducks or geese. Supporters frame the measure as an animal-welfare rule; opponents may raise questions about restaurants, enforcement and consumer choice. The initiative should be judged from its official text and fiscal materials rather than campaign slogans. A vote on the measure is separate from candidate rankings, and voters can participate in one contest even if they leave another blank.
Voting dates and practical steps
Mail-ballot drop boxes are available through 8 p.m. on November 3. Early-voting centers are scheduled from October 26 through November 1, and Election Day centers operate from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Board of Elections provides registration checks, ward-specific sample ballots, accessible-voting information and ballot tracking. Residents should verify their record early, read the ranked-choice instructions and use official sources for any schedule change. Preparing before arrival makes a complicated ballot easier to complete accurately.
Reporting note: This article draws on public records and verified reporting; material claims are attributed in the text.