Santa Monica is the latest city to come under siege by a group of voting rights activists who claim its at-large election system violates the California Voting Rights Act. A lawsuit was filed against the city in Los Angeles Superior Court Tuesday, demanding an end to the system which plaintiffs say disenfranchises minority voters.
“The current at-large election system is illegal and has led to a lack of representation in local government, which in turn has led to neglect of our community," said Maria Laya, member of the Pico Neighborhood Association (PNA), which filed the suit. "All residents and every neighborhood can benefit from a neighborhood-centered approach to representative democracy.”
Tuesday's action was hardly unexpected. The group of activists brought their complaints to the city four months ago, but say they have received no response so far. Numerous cities across the state, meanwhile, have recently had to switch to district-based election systems after the filing of similar lawsuits.
Santa Monica City Council members Sue Himmelrich and Kevin McKeown both took issue with the prospect of such a policy change Tuesday.
"I do not believe that in a city this small, district elections are necessary,” Himmelrich said, with McKeown insisting the current system ensures "a very workable form of proportional representation.”
Read more about the lawsuit here.