AB 1121, by Assembly Member Mike Davis (D-48), gives a limited number of local governments (i.e. cities and counties) the option to use instant runoff voting (IRV) and choice voting to elect their representatives. Charter jurisdictions already have the opportunity to use these improved electoral systems, but three-fourths of all California cities and counties are "general law" jurisdictions and are not able to use these systems. AB 1121 would begin to address this by allowing up to a maximum of 10 general law cities or counties to use ranked voting. This bill would not affect charter jurisdictons.

Please act now to help pass AB 1121. Click on the link below for details.

Last revised May 15, 2009

Take Action Today: Support Key Electoral Reform Legislation in California

AB 1121 -- Davis -- Local Option for Ranked Voting

In February, Assembly Member Mike Davis introduced AB 1121, legislation to give a limited number of local governments (i.e. cities and counties) the option to use instant runoff voting (IRV) and choice voting to elect their representatives. Choice voting is a similar ranked system as instant runoff voting, only designed to work when electing multiple winners, such as for a city council. Charter jurisdictions already have the opportunity to use these improved electoral systems, but three-fourths of all California cities and counties are "general law" jurisdictions and are not able to use these systems. AB 1121 would begin to address this by allowing up to a maximum of 10 general law cities or counties to use ranked voting. This bill would not affect charter jurisdictions.

Please contact members of the California Assembly Elections Committee to urge support for AB 1121

We need your help now to move this key electoral reform legislation in the California Assembly.

The authors will speak at the annual membership meeting of Californians for Electoral Reform on May 30. See here for details.

My Mark Paul and Micah Weinberg

November 19, 2008--California is a state of many distinct regions. To give citizens a voice on regional issues and to reinvigorate California's Legislature, the state's central institution of self-government, we propose Personalized Full Representation for the 21st Century (PFR21), a system of representation by means of regionally based legislative elections that will allow the state'scitizens to set the agenda for their regions and for the state as a whole. By reshaping the stage on which legislative politics is played out, California can make state government more attentive to regional issues and give its citizens a means of holding elected officials accountable for addressing regional problems. PFR21would break the partisan stranglehold on California's legislative outcomes and put the state at the forefront of political and policy innovation.

CfER-sponsored AB 1662 would help overcome the frequent disenfranchisement of overseas absentee voters by providing them with a special ranked ballot whenever a runoff election might have to be conducted within 90 days of the preliminary round.

AB 1662 must pass the Senate Appropriations Committee by August 15 at the latest, and may be heard by the committee sooner than that. Please take action to support the bill immediately after reviewing this action page.

AB 1662 Action Page Index and Links

• Introduction - what the bill would do (and why it matters)
• Call to action - contact your state senator now
• Talking points
• Downloadable fact sheet - everything on one page
• Downloadable co-author letter - please ask your state senator to sign
• Bill text and legislative staff analyses on the Legislature's website
• Correcting some misunderstandings - letter to California Association of Clerks and Election Officials
• Chronology
• AB 1662 Wins Broad Support in the Legislature - Voice for Democracy, Summer 2007
• Meanwhile, Back at CfER's Military Overseas Voting Bill - Voice for Democracy, Spring 2008
• More details
• Timing of California Runoff Elections

Call To Action

Urge your state Senator to support and co-author AB 1662

AB 1662 is CfER's bill to use ranked ballots to improve access to the ballot box for overseas absentee voters. It would apply to general elections held within 90 days of the primary. These include all special elections to fill vacancies in the Legislature and Congress and elections in at least 10 charter cities. Overseas absentee voters would be able to return a special ballot ranking all of the candidates on the first-round ballot. If they are unable to return their second-round ballot in time, this ranked ballot would be used to determine their second-round vote.

As detailed in this chronology , AB 1662 passed the Assembly last year and has been approved by the Senate Elections Committee. It is now in the Senate Appropriations Committee, which must approve it by August 15 at the latest. We estimate that the cost of implementation would be at most $100,000, but this year the annual summer budget crisis is more severe than usual. We need to keep the momentum going and build additional support for the bill if it is to be enacted.

We will need your help to get AB 1662 through the Senate and signed by the Governor. We need you to make two contacts today in the state Senate.

(1) Please contact Senator Tom Torlakson, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and urge him to support the bill when it is heard in committee soon. The hearing must be held by August 15 at the absolute latest.

Senator Tom Torlakson
Chair, Senate Appropriations Committee
Postal: State Capitol, Room 5050, Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 651-4007
Fax: (916) 445-2527
Email: Senator.Torlakson@senate.ca.gov

(2) Please contact your state Senator today and urge their support for the bill. In particular, please ask that they co-author the bill and send them

You can call, fax, email, or send a postal letter to them. Written comments, especially handwritten letters, have the greatest impact, but do whatever works for you. For contact information for your Senator, please view the Senate roster available here. You can also find out who your Senator is using your address or a map here.

If your senator is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee -- Senators Torlakson (Chair), Cox (Vice Chair), Aanestad, Ashburn, Cedillo, Corbett, Dutton, Florez, Kuehl, Oropeza, Ridley-Thomas, Runner, Simitian, Wyland, and Yee -- be sure to ask them to support the bill when it is heard in committee.

CONDENSED TALKING POINTS

1. About 20 percent of overseas voters who attempt to vote don't have their votes counted, and the tight deadlines for runoff elections make this problem worse.
2. The federal government urges states to mail overseas ballots by 45 days before election, a deadline that cannot be met in some California runoff elections.
3. Ranked ballots offer a very low cost way for voters who cannot return their runoff ballots in time to participate in runoff elections.
4. The special ranked ballot will be counted only if a regular runoff ballot is not received from the same voter.
5. This process already has a track record and enthusiastic support in Louisiana, Arkansas, South Carolinia and Illinois.

For more detailed talking points, see here.

Page last revised July 30, 2008

AB 1294 will allow all cities and counties to use ranked voting systems, incluing instant runoff voting and choice voting. It passed the Legislature on September 12 and is now on Governor Schwarzenegger’s desk.

Please contact the Governor today and urge him to sign AB 1294. You can call, email, fax, or send a postal note. The most important thing is to do it immediately.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Fax: 916-445-4633
Phone: 916-445-2841
Email: visit gov.ca.gov/interact

A sample letter appears below. For more information, see our AB 1294 Fact Sheet and the abbreviated talking points below. For additional background, detailed talking points, and the list of organizations and public officials supporting AB 1294, please visit CfER's AB 1294 action page.

As a rule of thumb, legible handwritten letters are better than typed or computer printed ones. Letters (as long as they’re legible) are better than faxes. Faxes are better than emails. Emails are better than phone messages. Phone messages are better than illegible handwritten letters. And all of these options are much better than doing nothing and then regretting it later. The most important thing is to take action immediately.

Ballot Access News has these useful tips on surviving your encounter with the Governor's telephone system.

Brevity is the soul of wit, and also the heart of an effective constituent letter.

Brief Talking Points on AB 1294

• AB 1294 is about local control. It provides an option, not a mandate. It makes it possible for general law municipalities and counties to consider election reforms that can increase voter participation and save our municipalities money. Currently, charter cities and counties can adopt electoral systems that best meet their unique needs. The same opportunity should be extended to all cities and counties. The bill requires voter approval in order to adopt a change to ranked voting, so it will only be implemented where there is strong public support for the change.
• Cost savings for local government. There is no fiscal impact on the state, while it gives local governments an opportunity to save money, in some cases a considerable amount. San Francisco alone saves about $1.6 million per election. Los Angeles recently spent $5 million on a runoff election for local offices, which only had 6% voter turnout.
• Instant runoff voting has worked extremely well for voters where it has been implemented. Research in San Francisco shows that 87% of voters understand ranked voting; voters prefer it, three-to-one, to their old system; and think it is more fair by a margin of two-to-one. Voter approval of IRV holds up across every demographic: neighborhood, race, age, sex, party and political philosophy.
• AB 1294 contains uniform election code support for ranked voting, which will help both charter and general law jurisdictions that want to use them. City and county officials and/or local Registrars are not put in the difficult positions of having to make up such procedures themselves
• AB 1294 has broad support. Endorsements include the League of California Cities, the California League of Women Voters, California Common Cause, and the City Clerks Association of California.

Sample Letter to the Governor

Letters to public officials are always more effective when they are in your own words. The example below is best used as exactly that -- an example. Please see the talking points above for other useful ideas.

[Date]

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814

Dear Governor Schwarzenegger,

I urge you to sign AB 1294, giving all cities and counties the option to use Instant Runoff Voting and Choice Voting. These ranked voting systems have proven themselves to be both good for local governments and good for voters.

Local governments can save a lot of money by being able to elect their representatives in a single election, without the need for a costly runoff election. San Francisco alone saves over $1.6 million per election. Los Angeles just recently held a set of runoff elections that cost around $5 million and only had a 6% voter turnout. That money could be better spent elsewhere, and democracy would be better served by involving more citizens in the process.

Instant Runoff Voting works well, and voters understand it, use it effectively, and like it. Voters in San Francisco preferred IRV by a three to one margin over their previous system, and two to one thought it more fair.

This bill would give general law cities and counties the same opportunity to use ranked voting methods that charter cities and counties have now. These methods can be advantageous in many situations and cities and counties should have the right to make the decision to implement them based on their own specific circumstances and the will of their electorates, rather than being constrained as under current law.

Sincerely,

[YourNameHere]

Last revised September 27, 2007

Update September 12, 2007 -- Late last night the Assembly concurred in minor amendments made in the Senate, and sent AB 1294 to the Governor for his signature.

Please watch CfER's action page for updates on how you can help pass AB 1294.