California Cities Rapidly Transition to District-Based Council Elections

California Cities Shift to District-Based Council Elections

A recent report reveals an ongoing transformation in the electoral landscape of California cities as they shift from at-large to district-based council election systems. This change is primarily driven by the California Voting Rights Act of 2002 (CVRA), which aimed to empower Latino and other minority groups who faced challenges in at-large electoral systems.

Before the implementation of the CVRA, only 29 out of 483 incorporated cities in California—accounting for about 6%—adopted district-based elections. Fast forward to the present, and that figure has skyrocketed to 216 cities, representing 44.7% of the total. This substantial increase illustrates a significant shift towards enhancing voter representation.

The report titled Mapping the Revolution in California City Council Election Systems, prepared by the Rose Institute of State and Local Government at Claremont McKenna College, highlights how legal challenges prompted cities to adopt this election format. Many cities adopted district-based systems to preempt potential lawsuits, with historical data showcasing that none of the cities were victorious in CVRA-related lawsuits.

Ken Miller, Director of the Rose Institute, noted, “Though the impact of CVRA took time to materialize, it has now fundamentally transformed local elections, with nearly half of California cities now operating under district-based systems.”

The study also indicates that larger cities are more inclined to transition to district-based elections; 90.9% of very large cities, defined as those with a population exceeding 200,000, and 75% of large cities, between 75,001 to 200,000 residents, have adopted this electoral change. Conversely, smaller cities have lagged in this shift, with only 22.6% of those having populations under 35,000 switching to district systems.

The report is a data-centric exploration of the pace and geographic dispersion of this movement towards district-based elections, although it does not delve into the governance and political representation implications of this change. It was collaboratively authored by Claremont McKenna College students Pieter van Wingerden '24 and Aria Fafat '27, with assistance from several other researchers.

For those interested in examining the full details of the study, the complete report is available at www.roseinstitute.org.

About the Rose Institute

Founded in 1973, the Rose Institute of State and Local Government at Claremont McKenna College serves as a key resource for research on California's state and local governance. The Institute focuses on elections, government institutions, public opinion, and policymaking while maintaining comprehensive databases on demographic, economic, and political information. With over 50 years of dedicated commitment, they contribute to higher education, quality research, and public awareness regarding governmental issues—especially within California.

About Claremont McKenna College

Claremont McKenna College, established in 1946, is a private liberal arts institution located in Southern California, known for preparing students for societal leadership roles in business, government, and other professions. The college emphasizes freedom of expression, viewpoint diversity, and rigorous scholarly research. Students benefit from unique opportunities, including extensive access to faculty-led research and engagements with prominent figures across various disciplines. For more details about Claremont McKenna College, please visit www.cmc.edu.