Electoral reform in California
Encyclopedia
Electoral reform in California refers to efforts to change election and voting laws
in the West Coast
state of California
.
in part because of low turnout in its runoff elections. The system is called "Ranked Choice Voting" there. In 2006, Oakland, California
passed Measure O, adopting instant runoff voting. Circa 2006, the city council of Davis
voted 3-2 to place a measure on the ballot to recommend use of single transferable vote
for city elections; the measure was approved by the electorate. The state legislature has approved AB 1294 which if signed by the Governor would codify ranked choice elections in state law and allow general law cities (those without charters) to use these election methods. Californians for Electoral Reform is a non-profit organization which promotes the use of ranked choice voting at all levels of government (city, county, state legislature, school boards, etc.).
Arnold Schwarzenegger
vetoed it. Assemblyman Tom Umberg
indicated he planned to support a ballot initiative
, paraphrasing the Governor by saying, "We'll be back
." There are also 2 slightly different versions of the Popular Vote Interstate Compact attempting to qualify for the ballot in 2008 .
, similarly to Maine
and Nebraska
. The California Democratic Party
calculated that this would likely result in 22 of California's electoral votes going to the Republican candidate in the 2008 U.S. Presidential election.
which called for a panel of three retired judges to draw boundaries for California’s Senate, Assembly
, Congressional and Board of Equalization districts. It had been viewed with suspicion due to its Republican
backers. FairVote
suggested that independent redistricting would help avoid gerrymandering
, but the major reform needed was the replacement of single member districts with multi-member districts. This would make it possible to implement single transferable vote
or other proportional representation
systems.
In November 2008, voters in California passed Proposition 11
to reform how electoral districts are drawn in the state. The proposition called for a commission of fourteen non-politician voters to draw boundaries for the Senate, Assembly, and Board of Equalization districts. The commission is to be made up of five Democrats, five Republicans, and four commissioners from neither major party.
In November 2010, Proposition 20
was passed, which put the commission in charge of drawing United States House of Representatives districts in California.
, voters approved Proposition 14
, establishing the nonpartisan blanket primary as the election method for state and federal offices except for local, non-partisan, and presidential elections.
. Today, any voter may vote absentee. In 2004, State Sen. John Vasconcellos
(D-Santa Clara
) proposed a youth suffrage
constitutional amendment
called Training Wheels for Citizenship
that would give 14-year-olds a quarter vote, 16-year-olds a half vote, and 17-year-olds a full vote.
Electoral reform
Electoral reform is change in electoral systems to improve how public desires are expressed in election results. That can include reforms of:...
in the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
state of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Alternate voting systems
In 2002, San Francisco adopted instant-runoff votingInstant-runoff voting
Instant-runoff voting , also known as preferential voting, the alternative vote and ranked choice voting, is a voting system used to elect one winner. Voters rank candidates in order of preference, and their ballots are counted as one vote for their first choice candidate. If a candidate secures a...
in part because of low turnout in its runoff elections. The system is called "Ranked Choice Voting" there. In 2006, Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
passed Measure O, adopting instant runoff voting. Circa 2006, the city council of Davis
Davis, California
Davis is a city in Yolo County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area...
voted 3-2 to place a measure on the ballot to recommend use of single transferable vote
Single transferable vote
The single transferable vote is a voting system designed to achieve proportional representation through preferential voting. Under STV, an elector's vote is initially allocated to his or her most preferred candidate, and then, after candidates have been either elected or eliminated, any surplus or...
for city elections; the measure was approved by the electorate. The state legislature has approved AB 1294 which if signed by the Governor would codify ranked choice elections in state law and allow general law cities (those without charters) to use these election methods. Californians for Electoral Reform is a non-profit organization which promotes the use of ranked choice voting at all levels of government (city, county, state legislature, school boards, etc.).
Allocation of electoral votes
Currently, California's 55 electoral votes are designated to the candidate winning the statewide popular vote.National Popular Vote Interstate Compact
In 2006, both houses of the California Legislature passed AB 2948, a bill to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact and designate California's electoral votes to the ticket winning the popular vote nationwide. Hours before it was scheduled to become law, GovernorGovernor of California
The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced...
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
vetoed it. Assemblyman Tom Umberg
Tom Umberg
Thomas John Umberg is a U.S. politician, who was a Democrat in the California State Assembly, representing the 69th District.-Military service and family:...
indicated he planned to support a ballot initiative
Initiative
In political science, an initiative is a means by which a petition signed by a certain minimum number of registered voters can force a public vote...
, paraphrasing the Governor by saying, "We'll be back
I'll Be Back
"I'll be back" is a catchphrase associated with Arnold Schwarzenegger, which he first used in his role as the title character from the 1984 science fiction thriller film The Terminator. In the original shooting script, the line was written as "I'll come back". On 21 July 2005, it was chosen as #37...
." There are also 2 slightly different versions of the Popular Vote Interstate Compact attempting to qualify for the ballot in 2008 .
Electors by Congressional district
Republicans proposed a rival reform to allocate electoral votes by Congressional districtCongressional district
A congressional district is “a geographical division of a state from which one member of the House of Representatives is elected.”Congressional Districts are made up of three main components, a representative, constituents, and the specific land area that both the representative and the...
, similarly to Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
and Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. The California Democratic Party
California Democratic Party
The California Democratic Party is the state branch of the Democratic Party in the state of California, headquartered in Sacramento. It is chaired by veteran Democratic politician and former United States Representative John L. Burton, who succeeded Art Torres in April 2009. It is the majority...
calculated that this would likely result in 22 of California's electoral votes going to the Republican candidate in the 2008 U.S. Presidential election.
Redistricting
In November 2005, the electorate rejected Proposition 77California Proposition 77 (2005)
Proposition 77 was a California ballot proposition on the 2005 California special election ballot.-Official summary:From the California Attorney General:Redistricting...
which called for a panel of three retired judges to draw boundaries for California’s Senate, Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
, Congressional and Board of Equalization districts. It had been viewed with suspicion due to its Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
backers. FairVote
FairVote
FairVote is a U.S. non-profit organization based in Takoma Park, Maryland, whose mission is to achieve universal access to participation, a full spectrum of meaningful ballot choices and majority rule with fair representation for all...
suggested that independent redistricting would help avoid gerrymandering
Gerrymandering
In the process of setting electoral districts, gerrymandering is a practice that attempts to establish a political advantage for a particular party or group by manipulating geographic boundaries to create partisan, incumbent-protected districts...
, but the major reform needed was the replacement of single member districts with multi-member districts. This would make it possible to implement single transferable vote
Single transferable vote
The single transferable vote is a voting system designed to achieve proportional representation through preferential voting. Under STV, an elector's vote is initially allocated to his or her most preferred candidate, and then, after candidates have been either elected or eliminated, any surplus or...
or other proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
systems.
In November 2008, voters in California passed Proposition 11
California Proposition 11 (2008)
Proposition 11 of 2008 was a law enacted by California voters that placed the power to draw electoral boundaries for State Assembly and State Senate districts in a Citizens Redistricting Commission, as opposed to the State Legislature. To do this the Act amended both the Constitution of California...
to reform how electoral districts are drawn in the state. The proposition called for a commission of fourteen non-politician voters to draw boundaries for the Senate, Assembly, and Board of Equalization districts. The commission is to be made up of five Democrats, five Republicans, and four commissioners from neither major party.
In November 2010, Proposition 20
California Proposition 20 (2010)
A California Congressional Redistricting Initiative, Proposition 20 was on the November 2, 2010 ballot in California. It was approved by 61.2% of voters. Election officials announced on May 5 that the proposition had collected sufficient signatures to qualify for the ballot...
was passed, which put the commission in charge of drawing United States House of Representatives districts in California.
Nonpartisan blanket primaries
In the June 2010 electionsCalifornia state elections, June 2010
The California state elections, June 2010 were held on June 8, 2010 and included five propositions and two special elections, one for a State Senate seat and the other for a State Assembly seat...
, voters approved Proposition 14
California Proposition 14 (2010)
Proposition 14 is a California ballot proposition that appeared on the ballot during the June, 2010 state elections. It is a constitutional amendment that changed California's election processes by consolidating all primary elections for a particular office into an election with one ballot that...
, establishing the nonpartisan blanket primary as the election method for state and federal offices except for local, non-partisan, and presidential elections.
Expansion of the electorate
In California, voting rights are restored to felons automatically after release from prison and discharge from parole. Probationers may vote. Prior to 1978, only persons who had a certified medical excuse, or who could demonstrate that they would be out of town on Election Day, were allowed to vote absenteeAbsentee ballot
An absentee ballot is a vote cast by someone who is unable or unwilling to attend the official polling station. Numerous methods have been devised to facilitate this...
. Today, any voter may vote absentee. In 2004, State Sen. John Vasconcellos
John Vasconcellos
John B. Vasconcellos Jr. is an American politician from California and member of the Democratic Party. He represented the Silicon Valley as a member of the California State Assembly for 30 years and a California State Senator for 8 years...
(D-Santa Clara
California's 13th State Senate district
California's 13th State Senate District is one of 40 Senate Districts. It is currently represented by Democrat Elaine Alquist of Santa Clara.-District profile:...
) proposed a youth suffrage
Youth suffrage
Youth suffrage, or children's suffrage, is the right to vote for young people and forms part of the broader youth rights movement. Until recently Iran had a voting age of 15; Austria, Brazil, Cuba and Nicaragua have a voting age of 16; and Indonesia, East Timor, Sudan, and Seychelles have a voting...
constitutional amendment
Constitutional amendment
A constitutional amendment is a formal change to the text of the written constitution of a nation or state.Most constitutions require that amendments cannot be enacted unless they have passed a special procedure that is more stringent than that required of ordinary legislation...
called Training Wheels for Citizenship
Training Wheels for Citizenship
Training Wheels for Citizenship was a youth suffrage proposal by California Democratic state senator John Vasconcellos to give 14-year-olds one-quarter of a vote and 16-year-olds one-half of a vote, with 18-year-olds continuing to have a full vote as under the current system. It would have applied...
that would give 14-year-olds a quarter vote, 16-year-olds a half vote, and 17-year-olds a full vote.