Opinion: Respect the will of voters, fund semi-open primaries
The D.C. Council has voted to fund one part of Initiative 83. But another crucial aspect of the law is still in limbo.

As fireworks burst over the National Mall this July 4, I thought of my father – a World War II Army veteran who fought for freedoms overseas that he was often denied here at home. I reflected on the promise our founders imagined when they placed D.C. at the center of American democracy: a capital meant to embody the ideals of unity, equality, and representation. And I thought about how far we still have to go, almost 250 years later.
America’s revolution was sparked by the injustice of taxation without representation. Yet today, in Washington, D.C., we still confront this very same injustice. Every D.C. resident lacks full voting representation in Congress. But I – and many voters like me – am doubly disenfranchised. Because I am not a member of a political party, I (along with 84,000 other independents) am locked out of the primary elections that my own tax dollars fund. This isn't democracy, and it's certainly not the vision of America our ancestors fought for.
That’s why I proposed Initiative 83, a historic reform approved by 73% of D.C. voters last November, winning with supermajorities in every ward. Initiative 83 opens primary elections to independent voters and implements ranked choice voting, a straightforward system which ensures that politicians are chosen by a true majority of voters. Initiative 83 represents precisely the kind of democratic innovation our founders envisioned, driven not by partisan interests, but by a shared commitment to representation and fairness.
This week, the D.C. Council took an important step forward by voting to fund the ranked choice voting portion of Initiative 83 for implementation in 2026. That is a victory worth celebrating, and I’m deeply grateful to the councilmembers who listened to the will of the people.
Yet our work is not finished. At this time of risk for our democracy, when D.C.’s home rule and right to govern ourselves seem constantly under threat, many of D.C.’s elected officials still seem ready to ignore the other half of Initiative 83: opening primary elections to independent voters like me. The initiative would implement semi-open primaries in the District, allowing independent voters to cast votes in primary elections as long as they notify the Board of Elections ahead of time.
As the D.C. Council approaches its final budget vote on July 28, that reform is still at risk. The Board of Elections cannot implement semi-open primaries without specific funding in the 2026 budget. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s proposed budget did not include this funding, and some Councilmembers seem content to quietly let this critical reform wither on the vine. This is our one chance to implement the full will of D.C. voters. Failing to fund semi-open primaries during this budget cycle will leave voters feeling disenfranchised and disaffected when our democracy is most fragile.
Implementing semi-open primaries costs just 58 cents per D.C. resident per year over four years, a mere 0.007 percent of the budget. Our 2026 primary could be the most consequential election in a generation, potentially featuring both mayoral and congressional primaries without incumbents for the first time in decades. The leaders we choose will shape our city for years to come. Not implementing the reforms voters clearly demanded would be a disgrace.
Some opponents argue that the 73% of DC voters who supported Initiative 83 did not know what they were voting for, even though these are the same voters who elected our mayor and council. As a 64-year-old Black woman raised and living east of the Anacostia River, let me be very clear: claims that older Black residents will find this system confusing are as insulting as they are false. Native Washingtonians of every background put in the work to canvass, educate, answer questions, and build support for this initiative, resulting in the supermajority support across every ward.
When my future grandchildren ask me how I stood up in this challenging moment in history, I want to proudly tell them that we rose to meet it. We fulfilled the promise of our city and our home rule, and we proved that democracy still belongs to the people. This is our moment to lead, and right here in the heart of the nation, we can show the country what democracy can look like.
Lisa D.T. Rice is the Chief Executive Officer of Grow Democracy DC. She is a native Washingtonian, former ANC Commissioner, Ward 7 resident, independent voter, volunteer with Veterans for All Voters, and the proposer of Initiative 83.