Voters in Washington, D.C., and Oklahoma went to the polls Tuesday for primary elections that tested a new voting system in the nation’s capital and asked Oklahomans to approve a gradual minimum wage increase.
D.C.’s election marked the first use of ranked-choice voting in the district. Voters ranked candidates in order of preference, with counting proceeding in elimination rounds if no candidate reaches a majority. The system drew mixed reactions from voters, according to local station WTOP. “It was quite confusing, frankly,” voter Alex Howard told WTOP, describing differences between paper and electronic ballots. Karen Evans called the experience “terrible,” saying the number of candidates made voting “time consuming.” Harrison Kreisberg told the station, “I think it’s great for democracy, and I’m excited that we got it here in D.C.”
The race for D.C.’s non-voting delegate to Congress drew three Democratic candidates — Kinney Zalesne, Robert White and Trent Holbrook — to replace Eleanor Holmes Norton, who held the seat since 1991 and is not seeking re-election. Republican Denise Rosado is running unopposed. D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb also faces a primary challenger, JP Szymkowicz.
In Oklahoma, voters decided State Question 832, which would increase the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2029. The current minimum wage is $7.25, the federal floor. Oklahomans also chose party nominees for governor, U.S. and state legislative seats, state superintendent and attorney general. Gov. Kevin Stitt is term-limited and cannot run again.
The Democratic primary in Oklahoma is now closed to independents, reversing a previous open-primary policy. Since the beginning of the year, more than 17,000 Oklahomans have changed their party registration, with 9,000 of those coming from independents, KOCO-TV reported.
Oklahoma polls closed at 7 p.m. CDT; Washington polls remain open until 8 p.m. EDT.