City of Ventura Even-Numbered Year Elections Charter Amendment, Measure D (November 2014)

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A City of Ventura Even-Numbered Year Elections Charter Amendment, Measure D ballot question was on the November 4, 2014 election ballot for voters in the city of Ventura in Ventura County, California. It was approved.

Upon its approval, Measure D was designed to amend the city charter to ensure the city's general election is held in even-numbered years instead of odd-numbered years. This aligned the city's elections with the elections of surrounding cities and state and federal legislators and officials.

The city's last general election held in an odd-numbered year cost $172,971.61. City officials estimated the cost for a city election in an even-numbered year to be about $35,000, resulting in a savings of about $137,972 every election.

Supporters argued that by making Ventura's election date coincide with more state and federal elections, city elections would be cheaper and would see a larger voter turnout.

Opponents argued that, compared to the multi-hundred million dollar city budget, saving a little over $100,000 every couple of years was entirely insignificant. They also argued that, although voter turnout might be higher over all during even-year elections, local issues and candidates would get completely smothered by high-profile races such as those for governor, president, congress and other national or statewide candidates or issues. They argued that the city's ballot items would be at the bottom of the ballot and could get overlooked. Critics also pointed out that, with all of the other political ads and campaign money flying around in even-numbered years, the cost of a successful campaign for any city candidate would increase significantly, keeping voters from getting to know the candidates and giving incumbents an even larger advantage than they typically have; this, in turn, would make it difficult for voters to make the best decision on election day.

Election results

Measure D
Result		Votes	Percentage
a Yes		25,610	82.61%
No		5,391	17.39%

Election results from Ventura County Elections Office

Text of measure

Ballot question

The question on the ballot:

“

Shall Section 500 of the City Charter be amended to provide for regular City elections in November of even-numbered years instead of odd-numbered years to increase voter turnout and decrease election costs?

”

Impartial analysis

The following impartial analysis was prepared for Measure D:

“	The Charter of the City of San Buenaventura provides for a General Municipal Election to be held biennially in November of oddnumbered years. This election is held for the purpose of electing members of the City Council and School Board, and for any other matters the City Council may prescribe. This Measure will amend Section 500 of the Charter to change the date of the City’s General Municipal Election from November of odd numbered years to November of even numbered years. By changing to an even-year election cycle, the City’s elections will be aligned with the election cycles of all other cities in Ventura County, and the election cycle for the Governor, President, U.S. Senators, and Members of Congress. The most recent General Municipal Election cost the City $172,971.61. The estimated cost for the City’s election, if it is held the next even year, or 2016, will be $35,000. This proposed change to even-year elections will have the effect of extending the terms of City Councilmembers and School Board members for up to one year until the first even-year election after their term expires. This one-year term extension would be for one time only, in order to reconcile the current terms with the new evenyear election cycle. Charter section 507 provides that members of the City Council shall hold office for a period of four years “…and until their successors are elected and qualified.” Charter section 1104 provides the same language for members of the Board of Education, that they shall serve for four years “…and until their successors are elected and qualified.” If the change to an even-year election cycle is approved, each City Councilmember and each School Board member will be duly re-elected or their successors elected at the first even-year election following the end of each of their current terms. By making the change to an even-year election cycle, there will be no election in 2015 or 2017. In other words, if a City Council or School Board member was elected in 2011 to a four-year term that would expire in 2015, because there would be no election in 2015, no one would be elected for a new term until 2016. Likewise, if they were elected in 2013 to a four-year term that was set to expire in 2017, because there would be no election in 2017, no one would be elected for a new term until 2018. This measure was placed on the ballot by a vote of the City Council.	”
—Ventura City Attorney

Related measures

• City of Ventura Unified School District Election Date Advisory Vote, Measure E (November 2014) a

See also

• Local election and voting laws on the ballot
• Ventura County, California ballot measures
• November 4, 2014 ballot measures in California

External links

Suggest a link

• Ventura County Elections Office website