District Based Ventura City Council Elections Community Information Meeting, October 26th

The City of Ventura is hosting a Community Information Meeting to review the process for district based City Council elections and how residents can participate, on Thursday, October 26, 2017, at 6 p.m. in the Ventura Room at the Poinsettia Pavilion, 3451 Foothill Road, Ventura.  Residents are also encouraged to attend the Public Hearings on district based elections October 23, November 6, December 4, and December 11, 2017, at City Hall, 501 Poli Street, Ventura.  A certified interpreter will be on hand for the community meeting and public hearings.

The City hired National Demographics Corporation to guide the City through the transition to district based City Council elections, public education and outreach.  Residents will have multiple opportunities during the process to review, provide input and submit draft maps on voting districts, criteria to form district lines, communities of interest, and which districts have elections in 2018 and which in 2020.

On September 1, 2017, the City of Ventura received a letter from Mr. Robert Rubin, Esq., of San Francisco demanding that the City Council elections transition from the current “at large” method to “by district” in order to conform to the California Voting Rights Act.  To protect the City and avoid significant legal costs typically in the six or even seven figure range, the City Council adopted a resolution on October 16, 2017, declaring the City’s intent to transition to district based elections; the ordinance needs to be adopted by January 14, 2018 making district elections effective for the 2018 election. 

The City of Ventura currently elects City Council members through an at-large election process, which means all voters elect all members of the City Council.  Changing to district based elections will result in the City being divided into seven  geographic districts, each with one City Council member who resides in the district and is chosen only by the voters residing in that district.

For a complete list of key dates, administrative reports and frequently asked questions, visit www.cityofventura.ca.gov/districtelections. The City will be working to keep this webpage up-to-date as we progress through discussions on districts.

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