By-District Voting On Agenda For La Verne Council

LA VERNE, CA — City officials are considering changing how elections are done in La Verne to head off any concerns that the city may be violating the California Voting Rights Act.

The City Council will discuss the possibility of transitioning to a new by-district voting system during its Tuesday meeting.

By-district voting involves voters from each district voting for one council member in their district to act as their representative. The city currently has an at-large election system where voters across La Verne vote for their representative, regardless of where they live.

The California Voting Rights Act was signed into law in 2002 and it “prohibits the use of an at-large election in a political subdivision if it would impair the ability of a protected class, as defined, to elect candidates of its choice or otherwise influence the outcome of an election.” In short, the act was established to prevent minority voters from being marginalized.

Although the city has not been made aware that its at-large elections have violated the law, officials said they wanted to “take action now to avoid that possibility and expense.”

Transitioning to a by-district system would require the city to establish a district map and officials say they hope to have one ready by the end of this year.

The La Verne City Council will meet Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. and members of the public can stream the meeting by visiting the city’s website at cityoflaverne.org.