CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION
AGENDA
4:00 PM - Wednesday, August 28, 2024
In-Person
SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA
PARTICIPATION: Members of the public may participate by being present at the Los Altos Council Chamber at Los Altos City Hall located at 1 N. San Antonio Rd, Los Altos, CA during the meeting.
Public comment is accepted in person at the physical meeting location, or via email to [email protected].
RULES FOR CONDUCT: Pursuant to Los Altos Municipal Code, Section 2.05.010 "Interruptions and rules for conduct": Understanding that the purpose of the city council meetings is to conduct the people's business for the benefit of all the people, in the event that any meeting of the city council is willfully interrupted by a person or group of persons so as to render the orderly conduct of the meeting impossible, the mayor, mayor pro tem, or any other member of the city council acting as the chair may order the removal of the person or persons responsible for the disruption and bar them from further attendance at the council meeting, or otherwise proceed pursuant to Government Code Section 54957.0 or any applicable penal statute or city ordinance.
REMOTE MEETING OBSERVATION: Members of the public may view the meeting via the link below, but will not be permitted to provide public comment via Zoom or telephone. Public comment will be taken in-person, and members of the public may provide written public comment by following the instructions below.
https://losaltosca-gov.zoom.us/j/87159792068?pwd=UdXY5JWvZaymSafR7Ln9XspXH6540i.1 Telephone: 1-669-444-9171 / Webinar ID: 871 5979 2068 / Passcode: 678801 SUBMIT WRITTEN COMMENTS: Prior to the meeting, comments on matters listed on the agenda may be emailed to [email protected]. Emails sent to this email address are sent to/received immediately by the City Council. Emails sent directly to the City Council as a whole or individually, and not sent to [email protected] will not be included as a public comment in the Council packet.
Please note: Personal information, such as e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, home addresses, and other contact information are not required to be included with your comments. If this information is included in your written comments, they will become part of the public record. Redactions and/or edits will not be made to public comments, and the comments will be posted as they are submitted. Please do not include any information in your communication that you do not want to be made public.
1 8/28/2024 CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION AGENDA Page 2 of 2 Correspondence submitted in hard copy/paper format must be received by 2:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting to ensure distribution prior to the meeting. Comments provided in hard copy/paper format after 2:00 p.m. will be distributed the following day and included with public comment in the Council packet.
The Mayor will open public comment and will announce the length of time provided for comments during each item.
MEETING CALLED TO ORDER
CONFIRM QUORUM
DISCUSSION ITEM(S)
1. Hold Public Hearing No. 3 to receive a presentation from the City's consulting demographer, Redistricting Partners, to discuss and provide further directions as to the development of district boundaries and the presentation of the first draft district maps for the City of Los Altos; solicit public input on the maps and on the order of elections of the five new districts
2. 08-28-2024 Written Public Comment
ADJOURNMENT
SPECIAL NOTICES TO THE PUBLIC
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Altos will make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting. If you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Clerk 72 hours prior to the meeting at (650) 947-2610. 2 21097361.1
City Council Agenda Report
Meeting Date: August 28, 2024
Prepared By: Jon Maginot
Approved By: Gabriel Engeland
Subject: Hold Public Hearing No. 3 to receive a presentation from the City's consulting demographer, Redistricting Partners, to discuss and provide further directions as to the development of district boundaries and the presentation of the first draft district maps for the City of Los Altos; solicit public input on the maps and on the order of elections of the five new districts.
COUNCIL PRIORITY AREA
☐Business Communities
☐Circulation Safety and Efficiency
☐Environmental Sustainability
☐Housing
☐Neighborhood Safety Infrastructure
☒General Government
RECOMMENDATION
Receive a third presentation from the City's consulting demographer, Redistricting Partners, regarding the process and criteria for establishing City Council district boundaries for by-district elections, hold the first of two required public hearings to receive public input regarding the initial draft maps of five districts prepared by Redistricting Partners, obtain direction from the City Council regarding the development of a revised set of draft maps; and, consider the order of elections of the five new districts in the spirit of the CVRA with three (3) on the ballot in November 2026 and two (2) on the ballot in 2028.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact to hold this meeting as the City has already retained the services of outside legal counsel and a demographer to assist in the transition to district-based elections.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Not applicable
/ / /
3 Agenda Item 1.
21097361.1
PREVIOUS COUNCIL CONSIDERATION
On April 18, 2024, the City received a Notice of Violation of the California Voting Rights Act ("CVRA"). The letter asserts that the City is in violation of the CVRA because the City's councilmember elections are at-large as opposed to by district and there exist racial polarization and vote dilution. On May 28, 2024, the City Council adopted a resolution declaring its intent to transition to a district-based electoral system commencing in November of 2026.
On June 11 and July 13, 2024, the City Council held the first and second of five public hearings required for the City’s transition to by-district elections. Public hearings nos. 1 and 2 were held prior to any draft maps being drawn. Redistricting Partners, the City’s retained demographer, made presentations at both public hearings regarding the CVRA. Those presentations covered the composition and number of districts, as well as the public input process. Members of the public provided input at both hearings regarding various communities of interest in and the various attributes of the City of Los Altos. At its July 13th hearing, the City Council, with public input, provided direction to begin drawing draft maps for a by-district election system comprised of five districts and a rotational mayor.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS
Based on public input and City Council feedback at the June 11th and July 13th meetings, the City’s consulting demographer, Redistricting Partners, prepared three draft maps for review, which were posted on the City’s website on August 21, 2024. This public hearing no. 3 is to receive public and City Council feedback on this first set of draft maps and provide direction to Redistricting Partners on any proposed revisions to be considered or new maps to be drawn. Again, the maps can be revised, or new maps drawn.
In addition to the drawing and consideration of maps, the City Council also must determine the order of elections – that is, which two districts will be on the ballot in November of 2026, and which three districts will be on the ballot in November of 2028, as City Council terms are staggered under state law. The City Council’s decision on the order of elections must be made “in the spirit of the CVRA.”
An updated set of draft maps will then be discussed at public hearing no. 4 on September 24, 2024.
Any and all new draft maps will be posted on the City’s website by September 17, 2024. At the fourth hearing on September 24, the City Council again will hear public feedback on the map drafts and the order of elections. The City Council also may provide additional feedback on the draft maps, or ask for new draft maps, for the next hearing on October 8, 2024.
At the fifth hearing on October 8, 2024, the City Council may select a map and also the order of elections, that is, which two (2) districts will be on the November 2026 ballot, and which three (3) districts will be on the ballot in November of 2028. If it does, it will pass an ordinance that defines both the boundaries of the five new districts and the order of elections. Alternatively, the City Council might also decide that more work is necessary and provide additional direction for revised maps at an additional future hearing, which again will be posted at least seven (7) days prior to that next hearing.1
1 The requirement that there be five hearings is a minimum and not a maximum. 4 Agenda Item 1.
21097361.1
The City has and will continue to conduct an extensive community outreach effort to solicit feedback and input on the draft maps.
In accordance with Elections Code Section 10010, the City published on its website the draft maps prepared by Redistricting Partners seven (7) days prior to this hearing. Any updated draft maps will also be published seven (7) days in advance of any future public hearing.
Considerations in Drawing Draft Maps
Redistricting Partners has drawn and evaluated these draft maps to ensure compliance with all pertinent state and federal law map drawing criteria. The City is using the latest 2020 Census data provided by the Statewide Database with the state prison population reallocated, as required under the Fair Maps Act. These maps use the underlying Census tract geography to establish the boundaries of individual City Council districts. In drawing these maps, every care was taken to honor neighborhoods and communities of interest. Furthermore, each City Council map is below 10% total deviations between the largest to smallest district by population. Further explanation of the public input and analysis that went in to drafting each of these three draft maps will be provided by Redistricting Partners at public hearing no. 3.
Public Outreach
Throughout the process of the transition to district elections, the City is implementing a robust effort to encourage participation and inclusivity as a part of the process. After the August 28, 2024 Council meeting, the City will begin a robust community outreach effort to solicit feedback on the draft maps. Some of the outreach events already scheduled include:
September 3 – Presentation to community group Los Altos Residents September 4 – Presentation to Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs September 5 – Table at Downtown Farmers’ Market
September 6 – Presentation to Los Altos Community Coalition September 9 – Table at Woodland Library
September 10 – Table at Main Library
September 12 – Table at Downtown Farmers’ Market
September 14 – Community Workshop, 11:30 a.m. Los Altos Community Center September 16 – Community Workshop, 6:30 p.m. Grant Park Multipurpose Room September 18 – Table at Main Library
September 19 – Presentation to Los Altos Rotary
September 19 – Table at Downtown Farmers’ Market
In addition, staff is working to schedule tabling events at Lucky Supermarket, Whole Foods and the Loyola Corners Post Office.
The results of this community outreach effort will be presented to the Council on September 24, 2024 at public meeting number 4. The fifth public meeting is scheduled for October 8, 2024 and will be when the Council adopts the final map unless it decides to continue the process. 5 Agenda Item 1.
21097361.1
The City is also providing multiple ways for the public to submit feedback through in-person and online formats such as map drawing, fillable Communities of Interest forms, submission of public comment. Members of the public are encouraged to regularly visit the City’s districting webpage at:
https://www.losaltosca.gov/cityclerk/page/district-based-elections.
Members of the public can access all meeting materials as well as provide input on the districting process and draft maps via the City’s website.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Draft Map A
2. Draft Map B
3. Draft Map C
6 Agenda Item 1.
City of Los Altos
Draft A: Edited ID 246303
7 Agenda Item 1.
City of Los Altos
Draft A: Edited ID 246303
1 2 3 4 5
Population 6,141 6,371 6,291 6,669 6,196
Deviation -193 37 -43 335 -138
Deviation % -3.0% 0.6% -0.7% 5.3% -2.2%
Other 3,506 3,701 3,936 3,820 3,821
Other % 57.1% 58.1% 62.6% 57.3% 61.7%
Latino 314 312 291 335 301
Latino % 5.1% 4.9% 4.6% 5.0% 4.9%
Asian 2,284 2,323 2,038 2,466 2,036
Asian % 37.2% 36.5% 32.4% 37.0% 32.9%
Black 37 35 26 48 38
Black % 0.6% 0.5% 0.4% 0.7% 0.6%
2020 Census
1 2 3 4 5
Total CVAP 3,764 4,715 4,212 4,199 3,191
Other CVAP 2,084 3,140 3,204 2,707 2,289
Other CVAP % 55.4% 66.6% 76.1% 64.5% 71.7%
Latino CVAP 212 235 102 212 77
Latino CVAP % 5.6% 5.0% 2.4% 5.0% 2.4%
Asian CVAP 1,457 1,310 791 1,236 820
Asian CVAP % 38.7% 27.8% 18.8% 29.4% 25.7%
Black CVAP 11 30 115 44 5
Black CVAP % 0.3% 0.6% 2.7% 1.0% 0.2%
Citizen Voting Age Population (CVAP)
8 Agenda Item 1.
City of Los Altos
Draft A: Edited ID 246303
District 1
Other % Latino % Asian % Black %
2020 Census
Other % Latino % Asian % Black %
Citizen Voting Age Population
Population Deviation Deviation % Other Other % Latino Latino % Asian Asian % Black Black % 6,141 -193 -3.0% 3,506 57.1% 314 5.1% 2,284 37.2% 37 0.6% Total CVAP Other CVAP Other CVAP % Latino CVAP Latino CVAP % Asian CVAP Asian CVAP % Black CVAP Black CVAP % 3,764 2,084 55.4% 212 5.6% 1,457 38.7% 11 0.3%
9 Agenda Item 1.
City of Los Altos
Draft A: Edited ID 246303
District 2
Other % Latino % Asian % Black %
2020 Census
Other % Latino % Asian % Black %
Citizen Voting Age Population
Population Deviation Deviation % Other Other % Latino Latino % Asian Asian % Black Black % 6,371 37 0.6% 3,701 58.1% 312 4.9% 2,323 36.5% 35 0.5%
Total CVAP Other CVAP Other CVAP % Latino CVAP Latino CVAP % Asian CVAP Asian CVAP % Black CVAP Black CVAP % 4,715 3,140 66.6% 235 5.0% 1,310 27.8% 30 0.6%
10 Agenda Item 1.
City of Los Altos
Draft A: Edited ID 246303
District 3
Other % Latino % Asian % Black %
2020 Census
Other % Latino % Asian % Black %
Citizen Voting Age Population
Population Deviation Deviation % Other Other % Latino Latino % Asian Asian % Black Black % 6,291 -43 -0.7% 3,936 62.6% 291 4.6% 2,038 32.4% 26 0.4% Total CVAP Other CVAP Other CVAP % Latino CVAP Latino CVAP % Asian CVAP Asian CVAP % Black CVAP Black CVAP % 4,212 3,204 76.1% 102 2.4% 791 18.8% 115 2.7%
11 Agenda Item 1.
City of Los Altos
Draft A: Edited ID 246303
District 4
Other % Latino % Asian % Black %
2020 Census
Other % Latino % Asian % Black %
Citizen Voting Age Population
Population Deviation Deviation % Other Other % Latino Latino % Asian Asian % Black Black % 6,669 335 5.3% 3,820 57.3% 335 5.0% 2,466 37.0% 48 0.7% Total CVAP Other CVAP Other CVAP % Latino CVAP Latino CVAP % Asian CVAP Asian CVAP % Black CVAP Black CVAP % 4,199 2,707 64.5% 212 5.0% 1,236 29.4% 44 1.0%
12 Agenda Item 1.
City of Los Altos
Draft A: Edited ID 246303
District 5
Other % Latino % Asian % Black %
2020 Census
Other % Latino % Asian % Black %
Citizen Voting Age Population
Population Deviation Deviation % Other Other % Latino Latino % Asian Asian % Black Black % 6,196 -138 -2.2% 3,821 61.7% 301 4.9% 2,036 32.9% 38 0.6% Total CVAP Other CVAP Other CVAP % Latino CVAP Latino CVAP % Asian CVAP Asian CVAP % Black CVAP Black CVAP % 3,191 2,289 71.7% 77 2.4% 820 25.7% 5 0.2%
13 Agenda Item 1.
City of Los Altos
Draft B: ID 246722 Edited
14 Agenda Item 1.
City of Los Altos
Draft B: ID 246722 Edited
1 2 3 4 5
Population 6,446 6,538 6,464 6,079 6,141
Deviation 112 204 130 -255 -193
Deviation % 1.8% 3.2% 2.1% -4.0% -3.0%
Other 3,941 3,875 3,943 3,519 3,506
Other % 61.1% 59.3% 61.0% 57.9% 57.1%
Latino 340 335 257 307 314
Latino % 5.3% 5.1% 4.0% 5.1% 5.1%
Asian 2,140 2,276 2,228 2,219 2,284
Asian % 33.2% 34.8% 34.5% 36.5% 37.2%
Black 25 52 36 34 37
Black % 0.4% 0.8% 0.6% 0.6% 0.6%
2020 Census
1 2 3 4 5
Total CVAP 4,054 3,426 4,276 4,557 3,768
Other CVAP 2,759 2,426 3,116 3,035 2,088
Other CVAP % 68.1% 70.8% 72.9% 66.6% 55.4%
Latino CVAP 180 105 112 229 212
Latino CVAP % 4.4% 3.1% 2.6% 5.0% 5.6%
Asian CVAP 1,074 888 930 1,265 1,457
Asian CVAP % 26.5% 25.9% 21.7% 27.8% 38.7%
Black CVAP 41 7 118 28 11
Black CVAP % 1.0% 0.2% 2.8% 0.6% 0.3%
Citizen Voting Age Population (CVAP)
15 Agenda Item 1.
City of Los Altos
Draft B: ID 246722 Edited
District 1
Other % Latino % Asian % Black %
2020 Census
Other % Latino % Asian % Black %
Citizen Voting Age Population
Population Deviation Deviation % Other Other % Latino Latino % Asian Asian % Black Black % 6,446 112 1.8% 3,941 61.1% 340 5.3% 2,140 33.2% 25 0.4% Total CVAP Other CVAP Other CVAP % Latino CVAP Latino CVAP % Asian CVAP Asian CVAP % Black CVAP Black CVAP % 4,054 2,759 68.1% 180 4.4% 1,074 26.5% 41 1.0%
16 Agenda Item 1.
City of Los Altos
Draft B: ID 246722 Edited
District 2
Other % Latino % Asian % Black %
2020 Census
Other % Latino % Asian % Black %
Citizen Voting Age Population
Population Deviation Deviation % Other Other % Latino Latino % Asian Asian % Black Black % 6,538 204 3.2% 3,875 59.3% 335 5.1% 2,276 34.8% 52 0.8% Total CVAP Other CVAP Other CVAP % Latino CVAP Latino CVAP % Asian CVAP Asian CVAP % Black CVAP Black CVAP % 3,426 2,426 70.8% 105 3.1% 888 25.9% 7 0.2%
17 Agenda Item 1.
City of Los Altos
Draft B: ID 246722 Edited
District 3
Other % Latino % Asian % Black %
2020 Census
Other % Latino % Asian % Black %
Citizen Voting Age Population
Population Deviation Deviation % Other Other % Latino Latino % Asian Asian % Black Black % 6,464 130 2.1% 3,943 61.0% 257 4.0% 2,228 34.5% 36 0.6% Total CVAP Other CVAP Other CVAP % Latino CVAP Latino CVAP % Asian CVAP Asian CVAP % Black CVAP Black CVAP % 4,276 3,116 72.9% 112 2.6% 930 21.7% 118 2.8%
18 Agenda Item 1.
City of Los Altos
Draft B: ID 246722 Edited
District 4
Other % Latino % Asian % Black %
2020 Census
Other % Latino % Asian % Black %
Citizen Voting Age Population
Population Deviation Deviation % Other Other % Latino Latino % Asian Asian % Black Black % 6,079 -255 -4.0% 3,519 57.9% 307 5.1% 2,219 36.5% 34 0.6% Total CVAP Other CVAP Other CVAP % Latino CVAP Latino CVAP % Asian CVAP Asian CVAP % Black CVAP Black CVAP % 4,557 3,035 66.6% 229 5.0% 1,265 27.8% 28 0.6%
19 Agenda Item 1.
City of Los Altos
Draft B: ID 246722 Edited
District 5
Other % Latino % Asian % Black %
2020 Census
Other % Latino % Asian % Black %
Citizen Voting Age Population
Population Deviation Deviation % Other Other % Latino Latino % Asian Asian % Black Black % 6,141 -193 -3.0% 3,506 57.1% 314 5.1% 2,284 37.2% 37 0.6% Total CVAP Other CVAP Other CVAP % Latino CVAP Latino CVAP % Asian CVAP Asian CVAP % Black CVAP Black CVAP % 3,768 2,088 55.4% 212 5.6% 1,457 38.7% 11 0.3%
20 Agenda Item 1.
City of Los Altos
Draft C: Edited ID 246779
21 Agenda Item 1.
City of Los Altos
Draft C: Edited ID 246779
1 2 3 4 5
Population 6,402 6,566 6,252 6,222 6,226
Deviation 68 232 -82 -112 -108
Deviation % 1.1% 3.7% -1.3% -1.8% -1.7%
Other 3,690 4,058 3,878 3,588 3,570
Other % 57.6% 61.8% 62.0% 57.7% 57.3%
Latino 346 311 258 324 314
Latino % 5.4% 4.7% 4.1% 5.2% 5.0%
Asian 2,313 2,173 2,081 2,275 2,305
Asian % 36.1% 33.1% 33.3% 36.6% 37.0%
Black 53 24 35 35 37
Black % 0.8% 0.4% 0.6% 0.6% 0.6%
2020 Census
1 2 3 4 5
Total CVAP 3,668 3,821 4,143 4,625 3,824
Other CVAP 2,540 2,661 2,992 3,103 2,128
Other CVAP % 69.2% 69.6% 72.2% 67.1% 55.6%
Latino CVAP 176 106 114 224 218
Latino CVAP % 4.8% 2.8% 2.8% 4.8% 5.7%
Asian CVAP 928 1,039 910 1,271 1,466
Asian CVAP % 25.3% 27.2% 22.0% 27.5% 38.3%
Black CVAP 24 15 127 27 12
Black CVAP % 0.7% 0.4% 3.1% 0.6% 0.3%
Citizen Voting Age Population (CVAP)
22 Agenda Item 1.
City of Los Altos
Draft C: Edited ID 246779
District 1
Other % Latino % Asian % Black %
2020 Census
Other % Latino % Asian % Black %
Citizen Voting Age Population
Population Deviation Deviation % Other Other % Latino Latino % Asian Asian % Black Black % 6,402 68 1.1% 3,690 57.6% 346 5.4% 2,313 36.1% 53 0.8%
Total CVAP Other CVAP Other CVAP % Latino CVAP Latino CVAP % Asian CVAP Asian CVAP % Black CVAP Black CVAP % 3,668 2,540 69.2% 176 4.8% 928 25.3% 24 0.7%
23 Agenda Item 1.
City of Los Altos
Draft C: Edited ID 246779
District 2
Other % Latino % Asian % Black %
2020 Census
Other % Latino % Asian % Black %
Citizen Voting Age Population
Population Deviation Deviation % Other Other % Latino Latino % Asian Asian % Black Black % 6,566 232 3.7% 4,058 61.8% 311 4.7% 2,173 33.1% 24 0.4% Total CVAP Other CVAP Other CVAP % Latino CVAP Latino CVAP % Asian CVAP Asian CVAP % Black CVAP Black CVAP % 3,821 2,661 69.6% 106 2.8% 1,039 27.2% 15 0.4%
24 Agenda Item 1.
City of Los Altos
Draft C: Edited ID 246779
District 3
Other % Latino % Asian % Black %
2020 Census
Other % Latino % Asian % Black %
Citizen Voting Age Population
Population Deviation Deviation % Other Other % Latino Latino % Asian Asian % Black Black % 6,252 -82 -1.3% 3,878 62.0% 258 4.1% 2,081 33.3% 35 0.6% Total CVAP Other CVAP Other CVAP % Latino CVAP Latino CVAP % Asian CVAP Asian CVAP % Black CVAP Black CVAP % 4,143 2,992 72.2% 114 2.8% 910 22.0% 127 3.1%
25 Agenda Item 1.
City of Los Altos
Draft C: Edited ID 246779
District 4
Other % Latino % Asian % Black %
2020 Census
Other % Latino % Asian % Black %
Citizen Voting Age Population
Population Deviation Deviation % Other Other % Latino Latino % Asian Asian % Black Black % 6,222 -112 -1.8% 3,588 57.7% 324 5.2% 2,275 36.6% 35 0.6% Total CVAP Other CVAP Other CVAP % Latino CVAP Latino CVAP % Asian CVAP Asian CVAP % Black CVAP Black CVAP % 4,625 3,103 67.1% 224 4.8% 1,271 27.5% 27 0.6%
26 Agenda Item 1.
City of Los Altos
Draft C: Edited ID 246779
District 5
Other % Latino % Asian % Black %
2020 Census
Other % Latino % Asian % Black %
Citizen Voting Age Population
Population Deviation Deviation % Other Other % Latino Latino % Asian Asian % Black Black % 6,226 -108 -1.7% 3,570 57.3% 314 5.0% 2,305 37.0% 37 0.6% Total CVAP Other CVAP Other CVAP % Latino CVAP Latino CVAP % Asian CVAP Asian CVAP % Black CVAP Black CVAP % 3,824 2,128 55.6% 218 5.7% 1,466 38.3% 12 0.3%
27 Agenda Item 1.
1 Melissa Thurman
From: Steve Chessin <[email protected]> on behalf of Steve Chessin <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, August 28, 2024 1:44 PM
To: Public Comment
Subject: Public Comment for Public Hearing No. 3 on Los Altos district maps Attachments: Los Altos election thresholds.pdf; Los Altos uncontested seat rate.pdf Hello Mayor Weinberg, Vice Mayor Dailey, and Councilmembers Fligor, Meadows, and Eng.
My name is Steve Chessin. I'm President of Californians for Electoral Reform. I did an analysis of the maps to see how well they remedy the alleged CVRA violation, as compared to a proportional solution.
The best map for Asian Americans, map A, gives a district with a 38.7% Asian-American Citizen Voting Age Population (CVAP). (Since CVAP represents the pool of eligible voters, it is recognized as indicating the ability of a protected group to elect a candidate of choice, or to influence the outcome of an election.) Since it takes at least 50% of the vote to guarantee winning a seat, a CVAP of 38.7% is 77.4% of the ability to elect a candidate of choice. That is what is called an influence district. The second best district on that map has an Asian American CVAP of 29.4%, or 58.8% of the ability to elect a candidate of choice.
Compare that with a proportional remedy. Proportional ranked choice voting (PRCV) lowers the threshold of election to
33.3% when two seats are up, and to 25% when three seats are up. The city-wide Asian American CVAP is 28%. This is 84% of the ability to elect a candidate of choice when two seats are up, and 112% of the ability to elect a candidate of choice when three seats are up. That is, under city-wide PRCV, if Asian Americans voted as a block, they would be guaranteed to elect a candidate of choice when three seats are up and have a lot more influence when two seats are up than the best district in the best map for them does. (Of course, there is no requirement that Los Altos adopt the best map for Asian Americans. It could adopt the worst map and still be in the CVRA "safe harbor".) The attachment "Los Altos election thresholds.pdf" illustrates that graphically.
PRCV also eliminates the vote splitting problem that plurality-based district elections have when "too many" similar candidates run for office. If that were to happen, Asian Americans would not be able to influence the election of a candidate of choice no matter which district map is adopted.
The second attachment, "Los Altos uncontested seat rate.pdf", shows the rate of uncontested seats (that is, only one candidate) in elections since 2000 for both Menlo Park and Campbell, cities similar in size to Los Altos, both before and after they switched to district elections. It is likely that Los Altos will suffer a similar fate after it adopt district elections, with 40% to 60% of the seats being uncontested.
As for how to get to PRCV, putting a two article charter on the November 2026 ballot will get you there in 2028. But there are also two possible paths to use PRCV in November 2026. The first is a stipulated judgement, but that is risky. It requires the agreement of Mr. Shenkman's client, it assumes the Secretary of State won't object, and it assumes that the judgement can bind the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters to conduct that election for you.
The second path, and I want to thank Mr. Steinle for making me think of it, is a district bill that explicitly gives Los Altos the authority to conduct a PRCV election in 2026. That would eliminate any possible objection by the Secretary of State or the Registrar of Voters. It would be more likely to pass if Mr. Shenkman's client supported it as well. I could even draft 28 Agenda Item 2.
2 such a bill for you, as I did for Santa Clara County when it decided it needed a district bill to give it the authority to implement ranked choice voting for County offices. That bill was AB 1227 and was signed into law last year.
So my recommendation is to adopt a map, any map, so as to be immune from a CVRA lawsuit, run my numbers by Mr.
Shenkman to see if he is agreeable, and in December ask either the Assembly member or the State Senator representing Los Altos to carry a district bill that would give you the authority to use PRCV in 2026, even as you put a charter on the 2026 ballot to let you use PRCV in 2028 and beyond.
I intend to give a version of this testimony orally at today's public hearing. If possible, I would like to show the "Los Altos election thresholds.pdf" slide during my testimony.
Sincerely,
--Steve Chessin
President, Californians for Electoral Reform
29 Agenda Item 2.
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 1 2
5 districts (Map A) PRCV
Asian Citizen Voting Age Share of Election Thresholds
30 Agenda Item 2.
None
1 of 14
1 of 6
2 of 5
?
3 of 5
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Menlo Park Los Altos Campbell
Share of Seats Uncontested
While at large
After switch to districts
31 Agenda Item 2.