Ojai, California, Measure M, Ranked-Choice Voting Measure (November 2022)

Ojai Measure M
Election date November 8, 2022
Topic Local elections and campaigns and Local electoral systems
Status Approved
Type Referral

Ojai Measure M was on the ballot as a referral in Ojai on November 8, 2022. It was approved.

A “yes” vote supported establishing the use of ranked-choice voting, starting in the November 2024 general election.

A “no” vote opposed establishing the use of ranked-choice voting, starting in the November 2024 general election.

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

Election results

Ojai Measure M
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		1,909	55.84%
No		1,510	44.16%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Measure M was as follows:

“

Shall the voters authorize, at the discretion of the City Council, the use of ranked choice voting, also known as instant runoff voting and allowing voters to rank candidates for elected office in order of preference, to elect City offices at-large, thereby amending the Ojai Municipal Code to no longer elect City Council members by district, if the City Council implements it starting with the November 2024 general election?

”

Support

The Ojai Valley Democratic Club led the campaign in support of Measure M.

Arguments

You can share campaign information or arguments, along with source links for this information, at editor@ballotpedia.org.

"Ojai is a community with a history of creative decision making that protects the distinct character we celebrate.

Due to the threat of a costly lawsuit under the California Voting Rights Act, Ojai was forced to move from at-large voting to districts. This has degraded our governance and discourse. Voters are confused to discover they can only vote for candidates living in their small area of what is already a small town, rather than candidates for all the Council seats throughout our town.

The commonly adopted remedy to protect minority candidates and women candidates from discrimination in voting is district voting. But because minorities live across Ojai rather than in one area, district voting actually has the opposite effect, reducing rather than protecting their voting power. Districts also reward negative campaigning, which discourages minority and women candidates from running.

Fortunately, there is a proven remedy: at-large Ranked Choice Voting. This method gets rid of restrictive districts. It ensures representation from all segments of our community while maintaining critically important community cohesion. You vote for your preferred candidates from anywhere in the city, and rank your choices, ensuring your support goes to your most preferred candidate that can win. This will give us a city government that:

Accurately reflects our values, Holds elected officials accountable to all voters across our city, Increases opportunity for women and candidates of color to gain office, and Promotes more positive, civil, and issue-oriented campaigns.

Significantly, the League of Women Voters has endorsed ranked choice voting.

If this measure passes, it authorizes Ojai to enact at-large, ranked choice voting, when it is legally feasible, thus avoiding costly litigation.

Vote Yes. We deserve a government that represents our values, our diversity and our strength as a unique small city.

s/Suza Francina Ojai City Council Member

s/William Weirick Ojai City Council

s/Brenna Furness Business Owner

s/Judy Murphy Planning Commissioner"

Opposition

Arguments

You can share campaign information or arguments, along with source links for this information, at editor@ballotpedia.org.

"Vote No!

Ranked choice is no choice, not allowed under the State of California Constitution as a General Law city, Which Ojai is and has been for over 100 years. Only 7 of 478 cities in California use ranked choice. Why is this a last-minute issue? Why now? Why be a “test case”? Why risk the costs of a lawsuit? Why are we fallowing Santa Monica who spent $7 million and counting this folly? Our city attorney said “it could cost us hundreds of thousands”!

No advance notification, keeping the public from weighing in, until the last minute. Stop wasting our time and money. If the voters want to get away from districting, then the voters would speak out. They haven’t! We haven’t even implemented all our districts and they want to get rid of what hasn’t been a problem, except in their minds.

The council only supports ballot initiatives that are in the favor of council. They have opposed ballot initiatives brought by the citizens. The yes votes to forward these propositions are from councilmembers whose positions are at high risk due to the re-districting policy. Is that coincidence? If you can’t win an election for Mayor, then just agree with your buddies to get appointed. Convenient, Council is creating problems that don’t exist, reacting to problems that only they see. They don’t like an elected Mayor, even though the voters have chosen it twice. They don’t like districting because it makes it more difficult for them to get reelected. They want the voters to relinquish their future rights to determine how we vote so they can preserve their jobs. All this at the cost of nearly $100,000, creating risks of wildly expensive litigation, and the distraction of our city resources from the real problems they should be solving.

s/Robert Daddi Ojai Voter"

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 2024, 79 ranked-choice voting (RCV) local ballot measures were on the ballot in 58 jurisdictions in 19 states.

• Ballotpedia has located 71 local ballot measures to adopt RCV. Voters approved 52 (78.9%) and rejected 15 (21.1%).

• 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 topic.

Local ranked-choice vote measures by topic and outcome, 1965 - April 2025
Topic	Total	Approved	Approved (%)	Defeated	Defeated (%)
Adopt RCV	72	57	79.2%	15	20.08%
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

This measure was put on the ballot through a vote of the governing body of Ojai.

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in California

See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in California.

How to vote in California

Poll times

All polls in California are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.

Registration

Check your voter registration status here.

To vote in California, an individual must be a U.S. citizen and California resident. A voter must be at least 18 years of age on Election Day. Pre-registration is available at 16 years of age. Pre-registered voters are automatically registered to vote when they turn 18.

Automatic registration

California automatically registers eligible individuals to vote when they complete a driver's license, identification (ID) card, or change of address transaction through the Department of Motor Vehicles. Learn more by visiting this website.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

California has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

California allows same-day voter registration.

Californians must be registered to vote at least 15 days before Election Day. If the registration deadline has passed for an upcoming election, voters may visit a location designated by their county elections official during the 14 days prior to, and including Election Day to conditionally register to vote and vote a provisional ballot, which are counted once county election officials have completed the voter registration verification process. The state refers to this process as Same Day Voter Registration.

Residency requirements

To register to vote in California, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

California's constitution requires that voters be U.S. citizens. When registering to vote, proof of citizenship is not required. Individuals who become U.S. citizens less than 15 days before an election must bring proof of citizenship to their county elections office to register to vote in that election. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.

As of November 2024, two jurisdictions in California had authorized noncitizen residents to vote for local board of education positions through local ballot measures. Only one of those jurisdictions, San Francisco, had implemented that law. Noncitizens voting for board of education positions must register to vote using a separate application from the state voter registration application.

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The secretary of state's My Voter Status website allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

California does not require voters to present identification before casting a ballot in most cases. However, some voters may be asked to show a form of identification when voting if they are voting for the first time after registering to vote by mail and did not provide a driver license number, California identification number, or the last four digits of their social security number. On September 29, 2024, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed SB 1174 into law prohibiting any jurisdiction in the state from adopting a local law that requires voters to present ID before voting.

The following list of accepted ID was current as of October 2024. Click here for the California Secretary of State page to ensure you have the most current information.

“

Current and valid photo identification provided by a third party in the ordinary course of business that includes the name and photograph of the individual presenting it. Examples of photo identification include, but are not limited to, the following documents: driver's license or identification card of any state; passport; employee identification card; identification card provided by a commercial establishment; credit or debit card; military identification card; student identification card; health club identification card; insurance plan identification card; or public housing identification card. Any of the following documents, provided that the document includes the name and address of the individual presenting it, and is dated since the date of the last general election…: utility bill; bank statement; government check; government paycheck; document issued by a governmental agency; sample ballot or other official elections document issued by a governmental, agency dated for the election in which the individual is providing it as proof, of residency or identity; voter notification card issued by a governmental agency; public housing identification card issued by a governmental agency; lease or rental statement or agreement issued by a governmental agency; student identification card issued by a governmental agency; tuition statement or bill issued by a governmental agency; insurance plan card or drug discount card issued by a governmental agency; discharge certificates, pardons, or other official documents issued to the individual by a governmental agency in connection with the resolution of a criminal case, indictment, sentence, or other matter; public transportation authority senior citizen and disabled discount cards issued by a governmental agency; identification documents issued by governmental disability agencies; identification documents issued by government homeless shelters and other government temporary or transitional facilities; drug prescription issued by a government doctor or other governmental health care provider; (R) property tax statement issued by a governmental agency; vehicle registration issued by a governmental agency; or vehicle certificate of ownership issued by a governmental agency.

”

See also

Local measures

• Local measures in 2022
• Local elections and campaigns on the ballot

• Ventura County measures

California

• California 2022 local measures
• Local ballot measures, California
• Ojai, California

News and analysis

• State and local preemption conflicts
• Measures advancing national agendas

External links

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