Santa Barbara, California, Measure C2018, By-District Elections (November 2018)
| Measure C2018: Santa Barbara By-District Elections |
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| The basics |
| Election date: |
| November 6, 2018 |
| Status: |
 Approved
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| Topic: |
| Local elections and campaigns |
| Related articles |
| Local elections and campaigns on the ballot November 6, 2018 ballot measures in California Santa Barbara County, California ballot measures Local governance on the ballot |
| See also |
| Santa Barbara, California |
A measure designed to implement by-district elections was on the ballot for Santa Barbara voters in Santa Barbara County, California, on November 6, 2018. It was approved.
| A yes vote was a vote in favor of amending the city charter to elect city council members by district within six council districts, to elect the mayor citywide, and to adopt new special election requirements for vacancies. |
| A no vote was a vote against amending the city charter to elect city council members by district within six council districts, to elect the mayor citywide, and to adopt new special election requirements for vacancies. |
Election results
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Santa Barbara, California, Measure C2018, By-District Elections (November 2018) |
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| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
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23,775 | 75.64% | ||
| No | 7,657 | 24.36% | ||
Text of measure
Ballot question
The ballot question was as follows:[1]
| “ |
Shall the City Charter be amended to reflect the City’s court-ordered switch to district elections, with six Council districts and the Mayor elected citywide, and including new special election requirements for Council and Mayoral vacancies? [2] |
” |
Impartial analysis
The following impartial analysis of the measure was prepared by the office of the Santa Barbara City Attorney:
| “ |
If approved by a majority of the City's voters, Measure C2018 would amend the City Charter to include the City's court-ordered switch to district elections. It would also require the City Council to hold special elections to fill vacancies on the City Council or in the office of Mayor, rather than making appointments to fill vacant seats. In 2014, the City was sued under the California Voting Rights Act (the "Act"). The lawsuit claimed that citywide at-large voting caused illegal Latino vote dilution. According to the Act, vote dilution impairs the ability of Latinos to elect candidates of their choice or to influence the outcome of an election, as a result of the dilution or abridgment of their rights as voters. The case was settled with an agreement (and court order) to create two Latino majority districts (Districts 1 and 3 consisting generally of the Eastside and Westside). Four additional election districts were also created, covering generally the Mesa (District 2), the Riviera (District 4), San Roque (District 5), and Oak Park/Downtown (District 6). Beginning with the City's 2015 elections, all City Council Members have been residents of and elected from one of these six geographical election districts. The Mayor is elected at large by the entire City. The court order is binding regardless of whether or not the voters approve putting it in the Charter. Switching to district elections also impacts the City Charter's requirements for filling vacancies in the office of Mayor when a sitting council member is elected Mayor. Existing law requires the City Council to appoint the unelected candidate who received the highest number of votes to the vacant Council seat. This cannot be accomplished in a district election system because the appointee must be a resident of the district vacated by the Council Member who is elected Mayor. The Measure changes the law to require the City Council to call a special election to fill mayoral and city council vacancies. After calling a special election, the Council may appoint an interim city council member who holds office until the special election. If an interim appointee runs for election to the City Council, they cannot describe themselves on the ballot as an incumbent or member or former member of the City Council. The City Council placed this measure on the ballot. A "yes" vote is a vote to acknowledge the City's court-ordered switch to district elections and to require special elections to fill City Council and mayoral vacancies. A "no" vote is a vote not to amend the City Charter to include the City's switch to district elections in the City Charter. A "no" vote will also retain the existing Charter language [2] |
” |
| —Santa Barbara City Attorney[3] | ||
Full text
The full text of the measure is available here.
Path to the ballot
This measure was put on the ballot through a vote of the governing officials of Santa Barbara, California.
See also
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ City of Santa Barbara, "November 6, 2018 Election," accessed September 27, 2018
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ City of Santa Barbara, "Impartial Analysis," accessed September 27, 2018
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