Frederick Explores Ranked-Choice Voting and a Different Path for City Elections
Council members heard about voter education, staffing and possible primary changes as they consider broader access for unaffiliated voters.
HERE'S WHAT WE KNOW
Frederick is discussing ranked-choice voting and alternative primary arrangements; no adopted change is reported. More than one-quarter of the city’s approximately 59,700 registered voters in the 2025 election were unaffiliated. Officials heard that voter education and staff preparation are major implementation needs, with an Arlington administrator recommending at least a year of lead time.
Frederick officials are exploring whether residents should rank candidates on their city ballots as part of a broader discussion about access to municipal elections.
The City Council’s government operations committee is considering ranked-choice voting alongside open and nonpartisan primary options, according to The Frederick News-Post. The supplied report describes discussions, not adoption of a new system or changes to a current ballot.
Ranked-choice voting allows voters to list candidates in order of preference. How Frederick would structure its elections, including whether to retain a primary, remains part of the discussion.
The issue builds on a 2023 charter review committee recommendation that the city adopt a semi-open primary and seriously consider ranked-choice voting.
Council Member Sarah Hempel Irani said many unaffiliated residents feel excluded from the existing primary process. During the 2025 city election, Frederick had about 59,700 registered voters. Approximately half were Democrats, more than one-quarter were unaffiliated and about one-fifth were Republicans, the newspaper reported.
Michelle Whittaker, executive director of advocacy nonprofit Ranked Choice Voting Maryland, told officials that the system could be used in primary, general or special elections. She also raised the possibility of eliminating a primary, arguing that doing so could broaden participation.
Hempel Irani expressed interest in that option and its potential to reduce municipal election costs. The supplied report does not provide a cost estimate or establish that savings would result.
Much of the discussion focused on practical preparation. Election workers from Arlington County, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., described their jurisdictions’ experiences with the system and public education.
Arlington elections administrator Alyssa Myers said poll workers generally found that voters understood the ballot. But she cautioned that roughly six months of preparation had put substantial pressure on staff and recommended at least a year if Frederick proceeds.
D.C. elections representative Yewoinhareg Kebede emphasized reaching residents with accessible information tailored to their needs.
Council Member Peter Brehm asked what happens when a voter ranks only one candidate. Whittaker said the ballot would still count and that voters could rank as many or as few candidates as they wished.
The discussion highlighted two related decisions: who can participate in each stage of city elections and how votes would be cast and counted. Frederick has not settled those questions in the report supplied.
WHAT IT MEANS
Residents may eventually be asked to navigate a different municipal election process, but the discussion is not an instruction to mark current ballots differently. Any future change would need clear rules, a timetable and public education. Potential turnout gains and cost savings remain arguments for consideration rather than established Frederick outcomes.
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