Like many local governments, Culver City has an embarrassingly dismal voter turnout in local elections.

The state legislature passed an act to consolidate elections into even-numbered years to solve the problem.

Since Culver City is a charter city, and is supposed to be independent of interference by the legislature, our city is supposed to comply.

This so-called mandate has not been fully tested in the courts.

So how can Culver City increase voter turnout without forcing our citizens to go to the polls to change the City Charter to conform to the state’s dictates?

Here are seven recommendations:

1.   Encourage voting using the mail.
2.   Vote using the internet.
3.    Publicize and set up early voting booths at least at City Hall and West Los Angeles College.
4.   Move the election date to Sunday.
5.  The City Council should set aside some money, say $500,000. Give the voters options so they can vote to have the city take action. That would arouse significant interest and be very democratic.
6.  The city should make an app. Distribute it free to voters, indicating in various languages the candidates, the measures, the candidates’ statements, the legal arguments, forums and poll locations.
7.  The city should mail a voting reminder and a record of registered voters on the city block showing their voting record. This would shame people to vote and encourage people to purge the voting list of those people no longer living in the neighborhood.

A longtime community activist, Mr. Ehrlich may be contacted at pmsha@aol.com