Eureka, California, Measure C, Ranked-Choice Voting Amendment (November 2020)

Eureka Measure C
Election date November 3, 2020
Topic Local electoral systems and Local charter amendments
Status a Approved
Type Referral	Origin Lawmakers
List of California measuresCalifornia Proposition 13 (March)California Proposition 14California Proposition 15California Proposition 16California Proposition 17California Proposition 18California Proposition 19California Proposition 20California Proposition 21California Proposition 22California Proposition 23California Proposition 24California Proposition 25Submit

Eureka Measure C was on the ballot as a referral in Eureka on November 3, 2020. It was approved.

A “yes” vote supported amending the city charter to require ranked choice voting for electing the mayor and councilmembers.

A “no” vote opposed amending the city charter to require ranked choice voting for electing the mayor and councilmembers.

A simple majority was required for the approval of Measure C.

Overview

Measure C established ranked-choice voting in Eureka, California, for the office of mayor and councilmembers. Under the California Election Code, ranked-choice voting is defined as "a method that allows voters to rank candidates for elected office in order of preference." Under the measure, a candidate will need a simple majority of the vote (50%+1) to be declared the winner of an election. If no candidate wins a simple majority of the vote, the candidate with the fewest votes would be eliminated. People who voted for that candidate as their first choice would have their votes redistributed to their second choice. The tabulation process would continue as rounds until a candidate receives a majority of the votes to be declared the winner.

Election results

Eureka Measure C
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		7,083	61.05%
No		4,519	38.95%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot question

The ballot question was as follows:

“

Shall Sections 202 and 207 of the Eureka City Charter be amended to require the Eureka City Council to adopt an ordinance providing for ranked choice voting for offices of Mayor and Councilmembers?

”

Impartial analysis

Eureka City Attorney Robert N. Black wrote the following impartial analysis for Measure C:

“ I. WHY IS THIS A CHARTER AMENDMENT AND NOT AN ORDINANCE? In California only charter cities have the legal authority to implement Ranked Choice Voting (RCV). Eureka is a charter city but we do not have a charter provision authorizing the City Council to enact RCV. A Charter amendment is necessary if the voters want to have RCV in Eureka. Measure C amends the City Charter to both authorize and direct the City Council to adopt an ordinance implementing RCV. II. HOW DOES RANKED CHOICE VOTING WORK? RCV is an alternative to the standard methods of conducting municipal elections in California. These are either (a) a primary election followed by a separate run-off election with a 50%+1 winner or (b) a single election with the highest (not necessarily majority) vote-getter being elected. The second is Eureka’s current method of choosing Councilmembers and The Mayor. When there are more than two candidates for one seat, RCV allows voters to rank candidates for that seat in order of preference when marking their ballots. Only one candidate can represent each of the voter’s first, second, or third, etc., choices. Functionally, when electing a single candidate using RCV – as in a race for mayor or ward representative with more than two candidates – all first choices are initially tallied. If any candidate receives a majority of the first choices, that candidate is elected. If no candidate receives a majority, the “instant run-off” process is triggered. The candidate receiving the fewest first choices is eliminated, and the voters for that eliminated candidate now have their second choices counted. The ballots are again tallied and the process continues until one candidate wins a majority. RCV is also called “instant runoff” because it allows a majority winner to be determined in just one election. It is a substitute both for a separate runoff election and for a method in which a contest with more than two competitors can be won with the highest vote-getter having less than a majority. III. IF MEASURE C PASSES, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? Measure C is a charter provision to be implemented by a later ordinance that the City Council would adopt, which will lay out the details of how RCV will work in the City of Eureka. The ordinance will only affect elections for public office and will have no effect on ballot measures or any Federal, State, County or District elections. In order to provide a more complete picture of what RCV would mean for the City, a draft ordinance for discussion purposes has been developed and posted on the City’s website. If Measure C passes, the first regular election to be conducted using RCV would be in November 2022. ”

Full text

The full text of this measure is available here.

Support

Yes on Measure C led the campaign in support of the ballot measure.

Supporters

Former officials

• Mayor Peter LaVallee

Political parties

• Humboldt County Democratic Central Committee
• Green Party of Humboldt County
• Humboldt County Progressive Democrats

Organizations

• North Coast People's Alliance
• Cooperation Humboldt
• Humboldt League of Women Voters

Unions

• Humboldt and Del Norte Central Labor Council
• United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 5
• National Union of Healthcare Workers
• AFSCME Local 1684

Arguments

The following argument in support of Measure C was filed with the city for voter information material:

“ Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) improves elections. It empowers voters to fully express their opinion, and frees us from “lesser of two evils” choices. RCV also save money by eliminating the need for run-off elections. Please vote yes on C. At least 15 cities and the state of Maine already use RCV, as well as the Utah Republican Party. RCV encourages a wider range of candidates and inspires higher voter turnout. In winner-takeall elections, voters are often forced to settle for uninspiring candidate. Many do not vote at all. By allowing voters to rank their choices, from the candidate they want most to the one they want least, RCV encourages more candidates to run. We need elected officials from different cultural, economic and generational backgrounds. RCV can do that. Ranked Choice Voting: Discourages negative campaigning: RCV promotes issue-based campaigning. The current system incentivizes negative campaigning. Under RCV, candidates must show voters why they are the “next best” choice. Provides more choices: In the current system, candidates are actively discouraged from running for fear they will split the vote, leading to voter disengagement with a process that seems rigged. More candidates means more robust debate and more diverse points of view. Municipalities that have enacted RCV have seen increases in voter turnout. Minimizes strategic voting: Rather than vote for a candidate because they seem more “electable,” RCV allows us to vote for the candidates we really want. Promotes broader representation: Municipalities with RCV have seen an increase in the diversity of candidates, resulting in elected officials who more accurately reflect the community. Signed by: John Frahm, Secretary-Treasurer Humboldt/DelNorte Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO Caroline Griffith, Steering Committee Chair on behalf of North Coast People’s Alliance Tamara McFarland, Director (Board Treasurer) on behalf of Cooperation Humboldt ”

Opposition

Ballotpedia did not identify a campaign in opposition to Measure C. The City of Eureka did not receive an argument in opposition to Measure C for voter information material.

Background

Ranked-choice voting (RCV)

See also: Ranked-choice voting (RCV)

The ballot measure has played a role in shaping electoral systems in the U.S., including ranked-choice voting (RCV) for state and local elections.

Since 1915, there have been more than 150 ballot measures to adopt or repeal ranked-choice voting systems. Ashtabula, Ohio, was the first jurisdiction to approve a ranked-choice voting measure in 1915.

RCV is an electoral system in which voters rank candidates on their ballots. RCV can be used for single-winner elections or multi-winner elections; when used for multi-winner elections, the system has also been called single-transferable vote or proportional representation. These terms were often used to describe multi-winner RCV before the 1970s. You can learn more about ranked-choice voting systems and policies here.

Local RCV ballot measures

See also: History of ranked-choice voting (RCV) ballot measures

Between 1965 and October 2025, 80 ranked-choice voting (RCV) local ballot measures were on the ballot in 59 jurisdictions in 19 states.

• Ballotpedia has located 72 local ballot measures to adopt RCV. Voters approved 57 (79.2%) and rejected 15 (20.8%).

• There were eight local ballot measures to repeal RCV. Voters approved four (50.0%) and rejected four (50.0%).

• The year with the most local RCV ballot measures was 2022, when nine were on the ballot in nine jurisdictions. Voters approved seven of them.

• The state with the most local ballot measures related to RCV is California, where there have been 13.

The following table shows the number of ranked-choice voting measures by policy direction.

Local ranked-choice vote measures by policy direction and outcome, 1965 - October 2025

Direction	Total	Approved	Approved (%)	Defeated	Defeated (%)
Adopt RCV	72	57	79.2%	15	20.8%
Repeal RCV	8	4	50.0%	4	50.0%
Total	80	61	76.3%	19	23.7%

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing local ballot measures in California

Measure C was put on the ballot through a 5-0 vote of the Eureka City Council on June 2, 2020.

See also

Local measures

• Local measures in 2020
• Local election and voting laws on the ballot
• Local charter amendments on the ballot
• Humboldt County measures

California

• November 3, 2020 measures in California
• Local ballot measures, California
• Eureka, California

News and analysis

• State and local preemption conflicts
• Measures advancing national agendas

External links

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