Charlottesville, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Charlottesville Mayor Juandiego Wade joined WINA to discuss the City Council’s recent decision to implement ranked choice voting for the upcoming 2025 City Council elections. The Council voted 4-1 in favor of the new voting system, with plans to first roll it out in the June primary as part of a comprehensive education campaign. 

“We definitely didn’t want to kind of roll it out on the big election. The primary would be an excellent way to try it out,” Mayor Wade explained, emphasizing the importance of educating the public before its broader use. 

When asked about the Council’s motivation, Wade stated, “I want the voice of everyone to be heard. This is an opportunity for people that might be 2nd, 3rd, or 4th down on the ballot… to have a possibility of getting their voices, their votes heard in the election.” 

The Council plans to allocate $26,000 primarily toward education efforts to ensure the community is well-informed about the new voting system.  

Listen to the full conversation here: