Overview
- Early voting is underway in Washington, D.C., and this primary marks the city's first use of ranked‑choice voting for local races.
- Under the new system voters can rank up to five candidates and rounds of elimination and reallocation continue until one candidate exceeds 50 percent of active ballots.
- The D.C. Board of Elections will release first‑choice totals after polls close but says it may wait several days before running elimination rounds so mail ballots received after Election Day can be verified and counted.
- A large share of D.C. ballots are cast by mail, which slows counting because every mailed ballot requires signature checks and many are dropped off on or after Election Day.
- Campaigns are urging voters to return ballots early or use drop boxes to reduce uncertainty, and officials warn that delayed final results could invite scrutiny or legislative attention from members of Congress.