D.C. Board of Elections Deems Polarizing Ballot Initiative ‘Proper Subject Matter’

In this article, written by Sam Plo Kwia Collins, it recapped the D.C. Board of Elections (DCBOE) designating a polarizing ballot initiative as “proper subject matter,” quoting RepresentWomen. Read an excerpt here:

“I shouldn’t have to subscribe to a party,” Rice said. “If each of the parties were funding their own primary, they could cut me out, but we should be able to vote in them. We want to hold politicians accountable.”

Others who testified in favor of the ballot measure on Tuesday included other Make All Votes Count DC coalition members along with ANC Commissioners Rev. Wendy Hamilton (8D06) and Peter Wood (1C03), the latter of whom cited Federalist Paper No. 39 to argue that power comes from the people.  David Krucoff, a third-generation Washingtonian, said that current elected representation doesn’t represent the District’s political diversity.

Barbara Zia, president of League of Women Voters DC, and Victoria Pelletier of RepresentWomen later touted the need for expanding opportunities for women and other historically marginalized populations to participate in elections.

In his testimony, Kymone Freeman of We Act Radio derided Democrats in D.C. who he thought infantilized District voters by assuming that they would be confused by a ranked-choice voting system. He also alluded to the outcome of the last mayoral race during which D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D), an incumbent with growing opposition, garnered victory with less than half of the votes.  

Read the full article here.