Judge Ruled Santa Monica Elections Unfair. Nothing’s Changed.
4/24/2025 | 2mVideo has Closed Captions
Six years after a court ruling, Santa Monica still uses a disputed election system.
A judge ruled Santa Monica’s at-large election system discriminates against Latino voters — but years later, the city hasn’t changed its process. A new bill could stop cities from delaying court-ordered voting reforms during appeals. Advocates say it's about equity for all Californians. Mia Henry reports for CalMatters.
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SoCal Matters is a local public television program presented by PBS SoCal
Judge Ruled Santa Monica Elections Unfair. Nothing’s Changed.
4/24/2025 | 2mVideo has Closed Captions
A judge ruled Santa Monica’s at-large election system discriminates against Latino voters — but years later, the city hasn’t changed its process. A new bill could stop cities from delaying court-ordered voting reforms during appeals. Advocates say it's about equity for all Californians. Mia Henry reports for CalMatters.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship-It's been six years since a judge ruled that Santa Monica's election system discriminates against Latino voters.
In that time, there have been at least three more elections, but the city hasn't had to change the way it runs them.
That's because the coastal Los Angeles County city appealed, and under current law, it's not required to change the process until after all appeals are heard.
Assemblymember Anamarie Ávila Farías thinks that needs to change.
-Even after the court determined an at-large election system is unlawful and radically discriminatory, the local body can hold even more elections utilizing their unlawful system by filing an appeal and paying attorneys to delay this process, during which time justice for communities of color is delayed and voters are disenfranchised.
-Under "at-large election systems" like Santa Monica's, everyone who lives in a city votes on the same set of candidates.
In a district-based election system, a city is divided into two districts, and voters choose from candidates vying to represent just their neighborhood.
Farías' proposal would mean courts would no longer automatically keep the current election process in place in cases related to states' Voting Rights Act.
Sylvia Shaw, a lobbyist representing Santa Monica, said the proposal could force cities to repeatedly change their election systems as courts weigh the final outcome of the case.
That could include booting elected officials off the council for forcing those who want to run to quickly raise money.
Kevin Shenkman, an attorney who has fought dozens of cases to force more jurisdictions to switch from at-large to district-based voting, said the issue is not unique to Santa Monica, which is why a change in the law is necessary.
The legislation is not just about Santa Monica's 92,000 voters, he said, but about all 39 million California voters.
For CalMatters, I'm Mia Henry with reporting by Sameea Kamal.
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SoCal Matters is a local public television program presented by PBS SoCal