The Greenbelt City Council voted to put a brief advisory question about ranked‑choice voting on the Nov. 4 ballot and chose a concise, two‑sentence description for voters rather than a longer bulleted summary.

Board and staff members had discussed two language options: a detailed bulleted explanation that listed examples of how ranking and tabulation would work, and a short statement aimed at keeping the ballot text compact while leaving further voter education to outreach materials. A representative from the Board of Elections recommended the shorter version for inclusion on the ballot.

Councilmember comments: The mayor pro tem and several council members said the detailed explanation would be useful for voter education, but they favored keeping the ballot line short and putting explanatory material on the city’s website and in outreach. "I would move the short version… to appear on the ballot," the mayor pro tem said; another council member seconded. The vote passed with six in favor and one opposed.

Why it matters: Ranked‑choice voting is a method that can change how vote totals are tallied and winners are determined; the advisory question is nonbinding and intended to ask voters whether Greenbelt should pursue the change. If voters advise support, further ordinance drafting, public education and a formal adoption process would follow.

Next steps: The short advisory question will be placed on the Nov. 4 ballot. Council members and local advocates also plan broader outreach and demonstrations to explain how ranked‑choice voting works before Election Day.