Four candidates will compete for two at-large D.C. Council seats when polls open Tuesday, Nov. 3.

The race is the most competitive contest on a District ballot that also includes a new mayor and a new delegate to Congress for the first time in decades. Under the District's Home Rule charter, no more than one of the two at-large winners can be a Democrat, according to WAMU's voter guide, setting up a genuine fight for the second seat.

Who's running

Democrat Oye Owolewa, a pharmacist and outgoing shadow representative, is the party's nominee, according to the Hill Rag. His platform focuses on housing, education, jobs and Council oversight.

Independent Elissa Silverman is the incumbent. She was sworn in July 17 after winning a June 16 special election to fill the seat vacated by Kenyan McDuffie, who left to run for mayor. The Hill Rag described her as a fiscal hawk known for meticulous oversight and authorship of the city's paid family leave program.

Republican Darrell Green is a native Washingtonian and retired Metropolitan Police Department officer. His campaign centers on public safety, constituent service and government integrity, according to the Hill Rag. He is not the former Washington football player of the same name.

Statehood Green candidate Darryl Moch is a longtime social-justice advocate who has worked on housing, homelessness and LGBTQ issues, the Hill Rag reported.

Ranked-choice voting changes the math

D.C. voters will use ranked-choice voting for the first time in a general election. In eligible contests with three or more candidates, voters may rank up to five choices, according to the D.C. Board of Elections. If a voter's first choice is eliminated, the vote transfers to the next-ranked candidate still in the race.

That system creates an unusual dynamic in the at-large race. 51st reported that Owolewa is expected to win a majority of first-round votes. Because he would not be eliminated, second-choice rankings from his supporters would never transfer to other candidates. A voter who ranks Owolewa first would help only Owolewa, with no impact on the second-seat contest.

The Council considered changing the tallying rules over the summer but dropped the effort, 51st reported.

What else is on the ballot

The DCBOE's notice to military and overseas voters lists 11 contests and one ballot measure. They include mayor, delegate to the U.S. House, Council chair, ward Council seats in Wards 1, 3, 5 and 6, attorney general and Initiative Measure No. 86, the "Prohibiting Force-Feeding of Birds Act of 2026."

WTOP reported that at-large Council member Robert White planned to resign before Election Day to avoid a legal technicality that could block him from serving as delegate if elected. D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb told White the District of Columbia Delegate Act of 1970 bars delegate candidates from holding paid public office on the date of their election, according to WTOP.

How and when to vote

Polls open Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters still in line at 8 p.m. may cast a ballot. Registered voters can go to any voting center in the District, regardless of address, according to WJLA. Same-day registration is available with proof of residence showing a name and current D.C. address, WTOP reported.

Results will be posted at the D.C. Board of Elections results page after polls close.