Key facts
- The D.C. Council voted to fund semi-open primaries for elections beginning in 2028.
- The council allocated $1.1 million for the implementation of semi-open primaries.
- This decision allows voters not affiliated with a party to participate in district primaries.
- The vote occurred more than 18 months after D.C. voters approved a measure supporting the change.
The D.C. Council has approved funding for semi-open primaries, a significant step toward allowing independent voters to participate in local elections starting in 2028. The council voted 9-2 to allocate $1.1 million for the initiative, which was part of Initiative 83, approved by voters in November 2024. This measure will permit individuals not affiliated with a political party to cast ballots in district primaries.
Initiative 83 also included a provision for ranked-choice voting, for which the council had previously approved funding. However, funding for open primaries was initially omitted from the budget proposals. The recent vote signifies a commitment to implementing this aspect of the voter-approved initiative.
Approximately 86,000 registered voters in D.C., representing nearly 18 percent of the total registered voters, are currently unaffiliated with any party. The Republican party constitutes a small fraction of the electorate, with only 5.11 percent of registered voters identifying as Republican.
Councilwoman Christina Henderson, an independent, introduced the amendment to fund the semi-open primaries. While the measure passed, Council Chair Phil Mendelson and Councilmember Wendell Felder were among the two who voted against it. Lisa Rice, a key proponent of Initiative 83, expressed her enthusiasm for the decision, calling it a victory for democracy.