HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/19/2024 Item 7a, Smith, C.
carolyn smith <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:7a. Settlement of Election Lawsuit
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Mayor Stewart and Councilmembers,
First of all, why is the public getting such short notice of this drastic change of our election system in
the city? There has been nothing in the local traditional or social media about this, nor has there
been a city press release that I'm aware of, so every resident I've mentioned this to has no clue this is
happening. It seems undemocratic that we the People shouldn't have had more time to research,
analyze, and opine on this very important issue. This settlement changes our election system, so it's
shocking to me that we were given such short, unpublished notice of this major important issue.
Secondly, please do not approve the settlement which changes our voting system to a city-wide
single voting system (aka Bullet Voting) but continue this to a later meeting to allow residents more
time to be aware of what's being recommended and do their own research in order to have an
informed voice into the ramifications of this change and potential alternatives for settlement of this
lawsuit, including District Election voting. City-wide single voting still requires a candidate to
campaign city-wide which will have the same significant burdens for minorities and others who would
like to run for council such as: (1) the burden of fund raising to run a citywide campaign; (2) the
burden of forming a campaign committee, organizing communication, mailings, media, etc.; (3) the
need to contact voters to gain some recognition in an area that is larger than possible for an individual
to canvas; (4) added time away from work and family to campaign and raise funds. These are just a
few of the roadblocks for many residents who would like to run for council and are becoming even
more burdensome as the city is growing and spreading. Additionally, it's even more difficult if you run
against an incumbent who has a significant advantage over anyone else who has little to no support.
It definitely leaves out middle to lower income candidates, including minorities, who might not have
the ability to garner support from any organization or group due to their lack of connections. This
settlement doesn't provide more inclusion and definitely won't provide more diversity on the dais.
Bullet voting would continue allowing organized groups such as the Chamber of Commerce, the
Downtown Association, the Bike Coalition, the Realtor Associations, and Cal Poly, etc. to rally behind
their one candidate to assure their candidate's success leaving out anyone else who doesn't have
that type of support or the ability to raise sufficient funds or have the connections to campaign for that
type of support. I know some candidates who have had to raise $30,000 and up to $50,000 or more
to run a city-wide campaign in SLO in order to be competitive. It also hinders many from even
applying to run for a seat as was noticed in this and the past few elections when there have been
fewer and fewer candidates applying to run for council.
On the other hand, district elections would allow all residents who want to run for council with the
opportunity to do so. It would be far more affordable and far less time consuming to campaign for a
district. I don't agree with comments that district elections in SLO wouldn't work to provide more
diversity. The financial and time commitment running a district campaign would be so much less, it
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would broaden the scope of candidates where there would be ample diverse choices for voters.
Additionally, district elections would give all residents the opportunity to vote for someone in their
neighborhood who understands their concerns since they live in the district. Residents near Cal Poly
experience different issues than those living in the Laguna Lake area or the Arbors, or the downtown
area, etc., and if you're a minority living in these districts, you feel totally excluded.
Therefore, I urge you to deny the proposed settlement at this time for further public input. I've heard
many residents like the idea of District Elections and feel their voices would be better represented
than the current city-wide election. District Elections would allow for more diversity on the dais, since
others, including minorities, who normally wouldn't consider running for council would be able to do so
and actually have a chance to win.
Thank you for your consideration.
Carolyn Smith
45 year SLO City resident
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