Election reform tries to put L.A. voters first at the polls
LOS Angeles voters are telling us our election process is in dire need of an overhaul.
Voters are burned out by too many primary, runoff and special elections. And they are increasingly disillusioned as a result of negative campaigns and big-money special interest funding of those campaigns.
For proof, one only needs to look at the ballot box. It is becoming increasingly common to see single-digit percentage turnout in city elections. In a city of 4 million people, this simply cannot continue.
That is why we have introduced The Los Angeles Voters' Bill of Rights, a four-part election reform package designed to increase voter participation, limit special interest influence and save money for our cash-strapped city. The package was designed in collaboration with several good government organizations, including California Common Cause, The League of Women Voters of Los Angeles, The California Clean Money Campaign and the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project.
The four components of the plan include:
Voter-owned elections
We want to limit special-interest influence on City Hall by asking voters to remove the cap on the city's matching funds program to encourage more candidates to use matching funds instead of special interest money. This will increase voter confidence in elected leaders.
Vote-by-mail/vote centers
Los Angeles residents currently must fill out a form to vote by mail. We propose removing that step, while maintaining in-person voting on election day at larger vote centers, tailored to the needs of neighborhoods, which would be properly staffed and offer longer hours of operation and good access to transportation. Data from cities such as Denver and the states of Washington and Oregon, show a clear increase in voter participation among all voters, regardless of political affiliation, race or economic status.
Ranked choice voting
Under ranked choice voting, voters would pick their first, second and third preferences for an office. The system would continue the current practice in which any candidate receiving more than 50 percent of the vote in our nonpartisan elections would win. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, the winner would be determined by taking second and, if necessary, third-place rankings into account until a single candidate receives a majority.
This is similar to the process voters go through when their favorite candidate fails in a primary election, and months later those same voters come back to choose another candidate. Ranked choice voting simply eliminates the need for costly runoff elections while encouraging more civil campaigns, since it is in the candidates' interest to appeal to a broader electorate.
The first three proposals would require a voter-enacted change to the city's charter, so we are asking our colleagues on the City Council to put our election-reform package on the March ballot.
Same day registration/voting
We support the idea of giving American citizens who can be legally verified as voting-eligible the opportunity to do so if they register to vote on election day. It would not appear alongside our other ballot proposals since action by the state and/or county is required.
We understand that increasing voter turnout is not just about making it easier for voters to participate in the election process. We need to get voters excited about elections and the candidates they are electing.
Along the same lines, we are working together on a ban on campaign donations from entities vying for city contracts.
The Los Angeles Voters' Bill of Rights warrants serious consideration from anybody who believes, as we do, that the city must do more to engage voters.
Jose Huizar and Eric Garcetti are members of the Los Angeles City Council.
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