DNC Threatens to Ban Ranked Choice Voting

UNITED STATES SENATOR ANKIT JAIN (D-DC) CALLS ON DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE TO REJECT PROPOSED BAN ON RANKED CHOICE VOTING IN PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES

(Washington, DC) -- The Rules & Bylaws Committee for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) recently proposed a ban on the use of Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) for the 2028 Democratic presidential primaries. The proposal seeks to make Washington, DC and other states legally required to use RCV for presidential primaries only count voters’ first-choice rankings. It also preemptively bans any other state or territory from using RCV in presidential primaries. More information about the proposal can be found here.

The proposed RCV ban will be voted on by all DNC members as part of the full 2028 Delegate Selection Rules package at the August 15th DNC meeting. If the DNC passes it the ban would be the first successful nullification of DC law during the Trump presidency.

In response, U.S. Senator Ankit Jain (D-DC) issued the following statement:

“We are used to seeing Republicans attack DC Home Rule. It is outrageous that now some Democratic Party insiders are trying to override the will of this majority Black and Brown Democratic city and launch such a brazen attack on DC Home Rule. DC already sends no voting members to Congress. Now, a 45-person committee within the national Democratic Party wants to strip us of a voting method we overwhelmingly chose for ourselves.

These party insiders are attempting to give their hand-picked establishment candidates a leg-up in the primary and erase the will of the voters; and they are willing to burn down DC Home Rule to get what they want.

The DNC’s preferred approach is unworkable and would result in severe voter confusion in this majority Black and Brown jurisdiction. It is not even clear if DC law would allow us to implement the DNC’s proposed procedure, and what would happen if DC could not comply.

DC will fight back against this attack on our city. I call on DNC members to end this distraction, strip the RCV ban out of the rules at the DNC’s August meeting, and get back to focusing on winning the 2026 and 2028 elections.”