Third in a series
Re “Meghan May Have a Solution to Microscopic Turnouts”
Meghan Sahli-Wells may have found a defining hot-button subject for the nascent City Council campaign —
A proposal to consolidate the two major elections in Culver City life, for the School Board and the City Council.
Each body elects members every other year — the School Board in odd-numbered years, the Council in even years. One month after the School Board election, in November of odd-numbered years, filing opens for the following spring’s Council campaign.
“Because of the consistently low turnouts, said Ms. Sahli-Wells, one of four candidates for the Council, “we need to consolidate our elections. That is something the Council can decide upon, if you get enough people to support it.
“Or you have to do a ballot initiative. One or the other.
“This is something we really need to consider, and not only because it would bring a better turnout.
Santa Monica, a Success Story
“The People’s Republic of Santa Monica does this, and they have something like a 70 percent, maybe 80 percent, turnout. It is amazing how they get people out there.
“They also vote by mail. All of this brings a better turnout, and it costs less money.”
Feeling perky, motivated and in a mood to rally the community, Ms. Sahli-Wells said, “C’mon, guys, let’s be smart about this.
“I am not a conspiracy theorist. But who wants it to be this hard? It makes too much sense.”
It is 104 days until the April 10 election, and Ms. Sahli-Wells said she should have begun campaigning on Dec. 19, the day she took papers from the City Clerk’s office to make her candidacy official.
“I am trying to play catch-up,” she said, “but it is hard to bother people during the holidays.
“I expect to start walking within the first two weeks of January.”
How does she strategize where and when to walk?
Taking the advice of her friend Karlo Silbiger, President of the School Board, who has commanded a number of campaigns, Ms. Sahli-Wells says, “You go to the houses of people who actually vote.
“It is kind of cynical, and I wish it were different. When we consolidate the elections, we will be visiting more houses.”
Speaking of cynicism, “people tend not to be engaged because they feel their vote doesn’t make a difference.
“But I can tell you that literally, every vote counts,” says the young woman who lost the last Council race to Jeff Cooper by 32 votes.
“If you have a 20 percent turnout, your one vote is worth eight votes. There is a multiplier effect in local politics.
“Frankly, if more people voted, it would be more democratic. Until we take those steps, though, to make it more accessible, you do have to target those people who do vote.”
Always on the lookout for potential voters, Ms. Sahli-Wells says that if she sees someone walking down the street, I will sop and talk to the person. I want to energize the parents at my son’s school.
“I hope to get more people involved and show them what a difference it makes.”
(To be continued)
Ms. Sahli-Wells may be contacted at http://meghansahliwells.com/
