HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 4a Citywide Single Vote Outreach Strategy Presentation1
Citywide Single Vote for Council
2026 Voter Education & Outreach Plan
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Purpose of This Presentation
1.Provide overview of the voter education plan
2.Explain goals, strategy, and timeline
3.Review budget and implementation approach
4.Confirm Council direction and create transparency
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Why We’re Here
1.Public Hearing held by Council in November 2024
2.Result of a settlement agreement related to the California Voting Rights Act
What is Citywide Single Vote?
•Instead of voting for two Council Members, everyone will vote for one with the top two
Council Members being elected.
•The process for electing the Mayor stays the same.
•Preserves the ability for people to continue to vote in every election for Council Members .
•Allows voters to select the candidate that best represents them from across the City.
•The method is legally recognized, low-cost to implement, and compatible with County
elections.
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Developing the Plan: What We Learned
1.Past input, public comment, and public hearings indicated a strong
desire for clear, consistent communication and voter education leading up
to the election
2.Conversations with City staff, Council Members, County Elections
Officials, and HRC members reiterated need for outreach.
3.Community survey shows low awareness of the change
a.Many voters unclear on:
•Why the change is happening
•How the ballot will look
•How many candidates they can vote for
b.Strong demand for:
•Plain-language explanations
•Visual examples and sample ballots
•Bilingual materials
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2025 Survey Results & Analysis
City surveyed 464 voters and community members to help inform communications around
this change ahead of the November 2026 General Election.
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1.Clearly inform residents about the change
2.Encourage voter registration
3.Provide clear direction on how to vote to prevent invalid ballots
4.Support voter turnout that meets or surpasses previous election
levels
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
Communications Goals
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1.Maintain or increase registered voter levels
2.Maintain or reduce overvotes to 0.15%
3.Meet or exceed 64% voter turnout in 2026
What Success Looks Like
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Target Audiences
1.All registered voters and eligible unregistered voters
2.Harder-to-reach groups, for example:
•Spanish-speaking residents
•Older adults
•Students (Cal Poly, Cuesta College)
3.Partners
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
Who Are We Reaching
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Core Messages to Voters
What Residents Need to Know About Council Member Elections
You get to vote in
every election and
put all your support
behind your one
preferred Council
Member candidate.
You vote for one
Council Member
candidate, and the
top two win; creating
a level playing field for
everyone.
You can unite with
others across
neighborhoods who
have shared priorities to
more effectively support a
single Council Member
candidate.
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Phase 1 January – June:
What’s changing & why
Phase 2 June – September:
How to register & participate successfully
Phase 3 September – November:
How to vote successfully
Three-phased, multimedia, bilingual approach
Outreach Strategy
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Engagement Tactics at a Glance
What We’re Doing Month-to-Month
•Social media (2–4 posts/month)
•Monthly email updates
•Community working group meetings
•Pop-up tables at events
•Media outreach and interviews
•Additional engagement
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Community Partnerships
How We Extend Our Reach
•Collaboration with:
o Neighborhood groups
o Hard-to-reach groups
o Schools, faith-based groups
o Civic organizations
•Goal: trusted messengers and relationship-based outreach
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Measuring & Adapting
Accountability & Transparency
•Monthly Working Group Meetings
•Regular performance reviews:
o Website traffic
o Social engagement
o Ad reach
o Meeting attendance
o Media coverage
•Adjust tactics based on data and community feedback
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Outreach Budget
Proposed Investment: $120,000
Print, TV, Radio
Ads, $53,500
Direct Mail,
$33,000
Branding &
Communication
Plan, $13,000
Digital Ads, $8,000
Contingency, $5,300
Translations & Interpretation, $4,200 Community
Outreach &
Partnerships,
$3,000
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Next Steps
What’s Coming Up Following This Meeting?
1.Finalize branding and materials
2.Launch Phase 1 outreach
3.Form community working group
4.Coordinate with County Clerk-Recorder
5.Continue reporting progress to Council
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Thank You
More details at
www.slocity.org/SingleVote
Public input, questions or comments:
email us at voting@slocity.org
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