District-Based Elections

Welcome to our City's District-Based Elections page. Here, you'll find all the details about the upcoming transition to district-based elections. 

Where We Are Now

The demographer has developed three draft maps incorporating feedback from the Community of Interest form, Mapping Tools, and public hearings. These maps will be formally introduced to the City Council during the third public hearing on Wednesday, August 28, at 4 PM.

How to Share Your Feedback

Residents are invited to review and provide feedback on each draft map over the next month. This feedback will be presented to the City Council at the fourth public hearing on Tuesday, September 24, at 7 PM. 

  • Review the three draft maps and submit input to districts@losaltosca.gov
  • Stop by a pop-up booth at the Farmers' Market starting Thursday, September 5
  • Attend an upcoming community workshop or public hearing
  • Sign up for an information meeting by emailing districts@losaltosca.gov

Background

The California Voting Rights Act (CVRA) is intended to minimize racially polarized voting in City Council elections by moving agencies from at-large elections to voting districts. On April 18, 2024, the city of Los Altos received a Notice of Violation of the CVRA. The notice demands that the city of Los Altos immediately transition from the current at-large elections system to a district-based one. 

The transition to a district-based election system is an open, public process where public input is highly sought after and appreciated. California Elections Code Section 10010 mandates that five public hearings must be held throughout the transition process, but the City Council may choose to hold as many public community workshops as necessary to gather as much public input as possible within the time constraints for the overall project. The initial public hearings gather input from the community to better understand the distinct neighborhoods within Los Altos; this information is used to create the draft district maps that will be released in the following months. The deadline to approve the district maps is Thursday, October 31. 

Upcoming Feedback Opportunities
  • Public Hearing #3 | Wednesday, August 28, at 4 PM, Council Chambers
  • Community Group Meeting - Los Altos Residents | Tuesday, September 3, at 5 PM, Los Altos Community Center
  • Downtown Farmers' Market Tabling | Thursday, September 5, from 4-8 PM
  • Community Group Meeting - Los Altos Community Coalition | Friday, September 6, at 8:30 AM, Virtual
  • Downtown Farmers' Market Tabling | Thursday, September 12, from 4-8 PM
  • Downtown Farmers' Market Tabling | Thursday, September 19, from 4-8 PM
  • Community Workshop | Saturday, September 14, at 11:30 AM, Los Altos Community Center 
  • Community Workshop| Monday, September 16, at 6:30 PM, Grant Park Multipurpose Room
  • Public Hearing #4 | Tuesday, September 24, at 4 PM, Council Chambers
  • Public Hearing #5 | Tuesday, October 8, at 7 PM, Council Chambers
Past Meetings & Key Documents

July 13, 2024 - Special City Council Meeting - Public Hearing #2

July 9, 2024 - Regular City Council Meeting

June 11, 2024 - Special City Council Meeting - Public Hearing #1

May 28, 2024 - Regular City Council Meeting

April 18, 2024 – Letter from Shenkman & Hughes

Frequently Asked Questions

Background

On Thursday, April 18, 2024, the city of Los Altos received a Notice of Violation of the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA) from Attorneys Shenkman & Hughes, based out of Malibu, California. The letter asserts that the City's current election system, which is an at-large elections system, is characterized by racially polarized voting. Racially polarized voting is when there is a difference in the choice of candidates or other electoral choices that are preferred by voters of a protected class, based on their ethnicity, rather than in the electoral choices that may be preferred by the voters in the rest of the electorate. The notice demands that the city of Los Altos immediately transition from the current at-large elections system to a districts-based one.

An "at-large" elections system is where each of the City's five elected Councilmembers are elected by registered voters throughout the entire City of Los Altos. A "districts-based" elections system would require the city to approve a map of Los Altos that separates the city into four or five designated districts, wherein one person from each district would run for an open seat on the City Council for that specific district, to serve a four-year term. In the current at-large system, the City Council has five members representing the entire City whereas with Districts, each Councilmember would represent the district in which they reside. Also, currently, the Council has a "Rotating Mayor" method, where a Mayor is selected each December by their peers to serve a one-year term. 

During the transition to a districts-based elections system, the Council must not just decide on a final district map but must also decide between the following options:

  • Four districts-based Council seats with a Mayor elected at-large; or
  • Five districts-based Council seats with a rotating Mayor chosen from among the five Councilmember

The transition to a districts-based elections system is an open, public process, where public input is highly sought after and appreciated. California Elections Code Section 10010 mandates that five public hearings must be held throughout the transition process, but the City Council may choose to hold as many public community workshops as necessary to gather as much public input as possible within the time constraints for the overall project. The City's outside counsel reached out to Mr. Shenkman to request more time than originally demanded to complete the transition process and Mr. Shenkman agreed to extend the City's deadline to transition by Thursday, October 31, 2024. 

Category: Districts-Based Elections
What criteria will help the City Council understand the importance of your community in the districting process?

When documenting your community, it is important to address the following questions to assist the City Council in the line-drawing process:

  1. Does your community have a shared culture, characteristics, or bond?
  2. Is your community geographic in nature? Is your community able to be mapped? Is there density within your community? What data can you point the council to that helps identify this community on a map?
  3. How would you describe your community’s relationship with the City and how it is affected by policy decisions made by the City Council? Are there city policymaking or spending decisions that can benefit or harm your community in ways that are different than the general public.

The public can submit any testimony, but it is important to remember that your input can be best used if it addresses all three of these questions.

Category: Districts-Based Elections
What is a 'Community of Interest'?

A 'Community of Interest' is a group of people in the same geographically definable area who share common social and economic interests. Some examples of Communities of Interest are:

  • Senior citizens
  • LGBTQIA+ communities
  • Renters/Homeowners
  • People who live downtown or in a neighborhood
  • Dog park community
  • Residents who share a common language
  • People who use the same transportation systems
Category: Districts-Based Elections
What’s the difference between an “at-large” election system and a “districts-based” elections system?

In an at-large elections system, the City has five elected Councilmembers, who are elected by registered voters throughout all of the City.  Councilmembers are elected to four-year terms, and the Mayoral seat is rotated annually among the five Councilmembers.  In a “districts-based” elections system, the City will have district lines drawn, which would separate the City into specific districts, each with one Councilmember who resides within that district and who is elected only by registered voters residing in that particular district. The Councilmember would still be elected to a four-year term in either elections system.

Category: Districts-Based Elections
Why are we making the transition to district-based elections?

Once the City received the letter from Attorneys Shenkman & Hughes alleging a violation of the California Voting Right Act (CVRA), the City was forced to make a decision to proceed toward a district-based elections system, or to remain “at-large” and to face subsequent legal challenges from Mr. Shenkman.  To avoid potential high costs of attorney’s fees and other court-related penalties, the City chose to transition within the specified extension period to the district-based elections system. You can read more about the California Voting Rights Act here.

Category: Districts-Based Elections
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