The city of Bellflower has joined a growing list of municipalities to face legal challenges over their voting methods.
The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) and two law firms filed a lawsuit against the city Monday, claiming that its at-large system violates the California Voting Rights Act by diluting minority votes.
Despite the city’s 52 percent Latino population, not a single Latino sits on the city council. There are no African-American council members either (African-Americans constitute 14 percent of the city’s residents). According to MALDEF, that’s because of the city’s at-large system, in which officials are elected citywide rather than by geographic districts.
“Bellflower’s at-large method of election prevents Latino and African-American voters from electing candidates of our choice,” said Luis Melliz, a plaintiff in the case. “It was time to do something. Latinos and African-Americans have a right to have a voice in what happens in Bellflower.”
The plaintiffs would like to see the city switch to district-based elections, just as countless other cities have done.
Bellflower officials said they are reviewing the complaint.
Read more about the lawsuit here.