Board of Elections readies vendors and ballot questions; committee weighing outreach and ranked‑choice voting

Board of Elections members told the City Council they are selecting vendors for the upcoming election and working on potential charter amendments and ballot questions, including proposals on council districts, council terms and ranked‑choice voting.

Why it matters: Changes to the city charter or ballot procedures would affect how council members are elected and how voters cast ballots. The committee said public outreach and careful scheduling are necessary to inform voters of potential election changes.

Committee report: Nicole Shong, speaking for absent Chair Steve Gilbert, said the board has up to five members and currently has one vacancy. The board is reviewing vendor options for ballot systems (identified in meetings as Clear Ballot and Orange) and is preparing for the election year timeline. She also said the board worked on amendments to the city charter related to voter access and will hold a work session with council to discuss possible ballot questions.

Outreach and next steps: Shong said the board wants to improve voter outreach to raise participation and may recruit members from outside central Greenbelt to improve geographic representation. The Board of Elections will hold a council work session to discuss ballot-question language and logistics. No formal action was taken at the work session.