The city opened up online voting for residents to choose their preferred design for the official District of Columbia quarter at the end of last week. You can vote for your preference between the three proposed designs, which depict Frederick Douglass, Duke Ellington and Benjamin Banneker, at this web site, with voting open between now and June 18.

The U.S. Mint’s Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee recommended earlier this month to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson that the Banneker design was their preferred choice, but D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton has been pushing to make sure the will of District residents is taken into account in Paulson’s decision. You may also vote by calling (202) 727-5448, or mail your preference to DC Quarter, Office of the Secretary of the District of Columbia, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 419, Washington, DC 20004.

The actual online ballot says the voting is restricted to District residents only, but then merely asks you to select your zip code as proof, so theoretically non-residents can add their two cents with only the smallest amount of deception — not that we’d encourage that kind of thing.