Polls open DC on primary day with big changes on the ballot

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Voters across D.C. are heading to the polls Tuesday in a primary that could reshape several key positions in city government and, in many races, effectively decide the winners.

Polls are open at 75 locations across the District until 8 p.m.

While it is a primary election, the vast majority of D.C. voters are Democrats, meaning many of the candidates who win their party鈥檚 nomination are likely to go on to win in November.

One of the most closely watched contests is the open race for D.C.’s delegate to Congress. Several candidates are competing to replace longtime delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, who is not seeking reelection.

Voters are also deciding the race for attorney general, where incumbent Brian Schwalb faces a primary challenger.

Multiple seats on the D.C. Council are also on the ballot, including competitive at-large races. There is also a special election to fill the at-large seat Kenyan McDuffie vacated to run for mayor.

Several ward races are also being decided, which could bring new members to the council.

The mayor鈥檚 race is also drawing attention, with seven candidates running to replace Muriel Bowser, who is not seeking another term.

This election is the first in D.C. to use ranked choice voting. Under that system, voters rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate receives a majority, the counting process continues in rounds. The candidate with the fewest votes will be eliminated each round, and their votes redistributed to those remaining, until someone crosses the 50 + 1 percent threshold.

Winners are not expected to be finalized on election night: Initial returns will reflect early and first choice vote totals, while more complete results will come in the days after as additional ballots are counted. Final certified results are expected by mid-July.

After the polls close, candidates will be watching returns from events across the city, including mayoral candidates Janeese Lewis George at the Howard Theatre and Kenyan McDuffie at The Park at 14th. Among the delegate candidates, Brooke Pinto will be at Wild Days on the Eaton hotel’s rooftop, Robert White at The Point on 2nd Street and Kinney Zalesne at Barcelona Wine Bar. Mayoral candidate Gary Goodweather is planning a watch party at Bar Angie.

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