Re: “City Says No (for Now) to Blended Elections”
Meghan Sahli-Wells, a major proponent of consolidated local elections, listened closely to City Atty. Carol Schwab’s announcement that, in her view, Culver City, a charter city, is exempt from the new state law that blends hometown elections in communities with low voter turnouts.
“It was a straight forward legal opinion, and I think we were expecting that,” said the City Council member.
“My opinion is not about her opinion. My opinion is about the fact that charter cities are exempted, and I am disappointed.”
Ms. Sahli-Wells long has been convinced that “there are compelling reasons to consolidate elections.”
She is resigned to believing that if City Hall and School Board elections are to be combined – l1 percent of registered voters participated in last week’s School Board election – it will have to be by a ballot measure. “That is the same way it moved forward in Los Angeles,” said Ms. Sahli-Wells.
She noted earlier that in her experience, elected officials and office seekers are opposed to consolidated elections “because it is going to be harder for candidates. If that is the issue, that is not the problem of the voters. It is the problem of the candidates.
“If consolidated elections cause a wider voting turnout, that only can be a good thing because it is promoting participation, a better democracy and better opportunities.”
(To be continued)
