San Luis Obispo's city council races are taking shape ahead of the November election, and residents who want to run, or simply want to cast a ballot correctly, need to be aware of key deadlines and a significant change to how votes are counted.
Council members Michelle Shoresman and Vice Mayor Emily Francis are both up for re-election, as is Mayor Erica Stewart. As of Thursday, the two incumbents and only one challenger have filed to run, with no one currently challenging Stewart.
Natalie Harnett, City of San Luis Obispo Policy and Project Manager, said the city is encouraging community members considering a run to do their homework and meet key deadlines.
"Other people who are interested in running for city council, we encourage you to reach out to the city clerk's office," Harnett said.
The filing period, when nomination papers and candidate statements are due, opens July 13 and closes Aug. 7.
"Council members serve four-year terms... There's two seats up for election in November," Harnett said.
Beyond the candidate filing deadlines, voters will also encounter a new system when they go to cast their ballots.
"Every two years, voters elect the mayor and two of the four city council members. Here's the change: instead of voting for two council member candidates, you vote for one. The top two candidates with the most votes get elected," Harnett said.
The city has published an informational video breaking down the new process, titled 'Citywide Single Vote,' which can be found at THIS LINK. The audio track on the video makes it clear that this was not something the city pursued on its own.
"Let's be clear, the city did not ask for this change and this decision was not made lightly," the narrator said.
The change stems from a notice that the city's previous process was in violation of the California Voter Rights Act, which is designed to prevent racial vote dilution. The city considered three options and spent two years negotiating with voting rights advocates before arriving at the current solution.
For voters, the practical impact is significant: ballots must include only one council candidate. Voting for two will result in a disqualified ballot.
Mayor Erica A. Stewart wrote an op-ed to explain to city residents why this change was made, what prompted the change, and how they came to their decision. You can read her statement, “Why are Council Member Elections Changing?” which can be found HERE.
