FairVote Washington was founded in ___ with a handful of volunteers dedicated to the idea of creating a representative democracy that works for all in Washington. Since then, we’ve built a movement—educating voters, supporting local organizing, developing support in the state legislature, and securing ranked-choice voting on the ballot in Seattle.
Ranked-choice voting for Seattle
In 2022, FairVote Washington led a successful ballot initiative to bring ranked-choice voting to Seattle city elections.
We’re now working with the City of Seattle, King County, and community partners to educate voters on this upcoming change.
In the state legislature
Not every jurisdiction in the state has the authority to use ranked-choice voting like Seattle does. We think every community that wants improved campaigns and governance should have that option. That’s why we’ve introduced the Washington VOICES Act (Voting Options, Implementation, Compliance, Education, and Standards). Over the years, we’ve built support for this bill and moved it further through the legislative process.
In 2025, the VOICES Act…
- Attracted 28 cosponsors in the House of Representatives—over a quarter of the chamber!
- Made it into the Rules Committee, the last stop before the House Floor. It successfully passed the House State Government and Tribal Relations Committee and the House Appropriations Committee.
- Was endorsed by 14 interest groups: the Washington Voting Justice Coalition, Washington for Equitable Representation, American Muslim Advancement Council, Asian Pacific Islander Coalition of Yakima, Fix Democracy First, More Equitable Democracy Action, OneAmerica Votes, Sage Leaders, Sightline Institute, Vote Run Lead Action, Washington CAN, Washington Conservation Action, Washington Voting Justice, and Washington Youth Alliance Action Fund.
- Was supported by __ local elected officials who want ranked-choice voting as an option for their communities.
- Brought over 100 grassroots activists to Olympia for a Ranked-choice Voting Lobby Day.
In addition, we worked with our partners to pass SB 5077, which expands the state’s automatic voter registration system to remove barriers to voting.
Ranked-choice voting in use across the state
- Vacancy appointments in 5 legislative districts
- Local resolutions: Gold Bar,
- LD resolutions in 24 LDs, 5 counties, and 1 statewide resolution
- Civic organizations
Representative democracy for Washington
FairVote Washington’s vision extends beyond any one issue. To achieve a truly representative democracy that works for all, we’ve supported other pro-voter reforms across the state, including:
- Seattle’s successful 2025 Democracy Vouchers renewal (Prop 1)
- Strengthening the Washington Voting Rights Act
- A new law expanding automatic voter registration (HB 5077)
- Lowering thresholds to provide in-language voter materials
- Strengthening the state’s voting system from cybersecurity threats
Supporting democracy champions
To continue making change, we need politicians in office who will fight for voters and our democracy. Starting in 2024, we’ve endorsed Democracy Champions while they run for office. In 2024, we endorsed ___ candidates in the state elections, ___ of whom were elected. In 2025, we endorsed 213 candidates in municipal and special elections, ___ of whom were elected.
- Canvassing
- Number of candidates—16
- Number of volunteer shifts filled ?—87
- Number of doors knocked/calls made ? – need more data
Ranked-choice voting across the country
FairVote Washington and our supporters are part of a nationwide movement for ranked-choice voting, the fastest-growing election reform in the country. 14 million voters in 23 states and Washington, DC are able to rank their ballots. Recent adoptions for ranked-choice voting:
- Washington DC
- Charlottesville, VA
- Greenbelt, MD
- Portland, OR
What’s next for Washington?
We are committed to bringing ranked-choice voting to more jurisdictions across the state.
Want to be involved? Find out how to support our work here!
Statewide Impact
Here’s what we’re doing across the state to build momentum:
- Endorse candidates
- Activate volunteers and donors
- Grow alliances
- Table at community events
- Educate stakeholders
- Pass ranked-choice voting legislation
Seattle
Seattle will start using ranked-choice voting in 2027!
Growing Political Power
+3
Added political director and team
44
Candidates endorsed (2024 primary)
118
Candidates completed our questionnaire
FairVote Washington is a part of…
5
Coaltions
32
Allied orgs in Washington
26
National allied orgs
Legislation: Promoting Two Bills
Washington Voices Act
House Bill 2250 and Senate Bill 6156 would give local jurisdictions the option to use ranked-choice voting.
22
co-sponsors
1,705
signed in “pro”
18
allied orgs supported
7
cities & orgs testified in favor
2
hearings & work sessions
33
local elected from 26 cities signed open letter of support
Ranked-choice Voting for Presidential Primaries
House Bill 1592
21
co-sponsors
Washington State Democratic Party passed the Ranked-choice voting for presidential primaries resolution
Passed Resolutions in Support
14
legislative district party groups
3
county political groups
Held First Ranked-choice Voting Lobby Day in Olympia
January 2024
76
advocates attended
28
legislative districts represented
43
Democrats
21
Republicans
74 Meetings with Legislators
3
legislators said we changed their mind
“With ranked-choice voting coming to Washington State, it’s time to coordinate the rollout.” —Shannon Grimes, The Sightline Institute, January 9, 2024
Outreach and Education
17,850
reached at 51 tabling events
2,675
reached at 112 presentations
1,045
reached through 14 ranked-choice voting webinars
1,364
reached through 62 phone banks
25
local chapter meetings
16
volunteer trainings
8
house parties
100s
of stakeholder 1-on-1s
1,600
participated in National Donut Day ranked-choice voting poll
Election Administration
ADVISOR, Olympia City Council’s ranked-choice voting vacancy election (Jan. 2024)
SPONSOR, State Elections conference
SERVE on King County Elections Ranked-choice Voting Advisory Committee