How Route 1 Towns are Reshaping the Ballot Box

Route 1 corridor towns are again leading the way in national voting reform.

In November, Greenbelt residents voted by a 2-1 margin to adopt ranked-choice voting, while the College Park City Council recently debated a similar proposal before ultimately deciding against it.

Under this system, voters rank candidates by preference instead of choosing only one. If no candidate secures a majority, the one with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their supporters’ votes are redistributed to their next choice. This process repeats until a candidate receives at least 50%.

Advocates for ranked-choice voting argue that it encourages competition without the fear of a “spoiler effect,” promotes civility by reducing negative campaigning and makes government work better.

Ranked-choice voting has been used in Australia and Ireland for years and was adopted in recent years by Maine and Alaska and more than 50 cities around the country, including the recent New York mayoral primary.

Route 1 towns have also been at the front of other reforms, such as allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to vote (College Park, Greenbelt, Hyattsville, Mount Rainier and Riverdale Park) and non-citizens to vote (Brentwood, Edmonston, Greenbelt, Hyattsville, Mount Rainier and Riverdale Park) in local elections.

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