Opportunity DC Launches “Rank Your Vote DC” Voter Education Campaign on Ranked Choice Voting

Campaign will make six-figure investment after new polling shows 2 in 3 Black voters are unaware the District has adopted new voting system

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Opportunity DC is launching “Rank Your Vote DC,” a new education campaign aimed at ensuring voters are informed and prepared to successfully cast their ballots in the upcoming June primary election. Rank Your Vote DC will include a six-figure investment to educate voters and help them confidently participate in the District’s first-ever ranked choice voting election. 

New polling conducted by Hart Research from February 10-13, 2026 (margin of error: ±4.1%) shows that 43% of all DC voters are not aware of the new ranked choice system, with 66% of Black voters not aware. The findings underscore the importance of robust voter education to ensure every resident who casts a ballot has their voice heard and that ballots are not rejected because of confusion or improper completion.

The campaign will focus on engaging with residents where awareness of rank choice voting is lowest, especially people of color and older residents who are the least familiar with the new voting system. 

“No matter who you support or what issues matter most to you, what’s important is that you vote, and that you’re prepared to do it correctly under this new system,” said Antwanye Ford, a Ward 8 small business owner and Opportunity DC board member. “Voter education needs to start now to make sure every resident casts their ballots confidently and correctly.”

“As a DC school teacher for more than 20 years and an ANC, I know how important it is that people have clear, accessible information about the decisions that affect their communities,” said Dawn Cook, a Ward 7 Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner and leader of Rank Your Vote DC. “If we do this right, then every resident in the District, regardless of background, will be able to cast their ballot confidently and make their voice heard.”

“Ranked choice voting is brand new for DC, and with just over 100 days until the primaries, too many voters still don’t know how it works,” said Tony Dugger, a Ward 7 small-business owner and leader of Rank Your Vote DC. “It’s on all of us to make sure voters have the information they need to feel confident and prepared. Our goal is simple: no voter should walk into the polling site unsure of how to successfully cast their vote.”

DC residents are encouraged to visit RCVDC.org to access simple, easy-to-understand educational materials that explain how ranked choice voting works, along with additional resources and step-by-step guides to prepare them to cast their ballots with confidence.  

ABOUT RANK YOUR VOTE DC

Composed of DC residents, small-business owners, and community advocates, Rank Your Vote DC is a public education initiative designed to ensure voters are informed, confident, and prepared to successfully cast their ballots under the city’s new ranked choice voting system. The program is a project of Opportunity DC, a 501c(4) organization dedicated to increasing economic opportunity and lowering the cost of living through commonsense public policy in the District of Columbia. To learn more, and access simple, easy-to-understand ranked choice voting educational materials, visit RCVDC.org.