In April 2019, in a 6-5 vote, the San Jose City Council defeated a proposal to move the timing of the city’s mayoral elections from their current gubernatorial cycle to presidential years, which have historically generated higher levels of voter participation.
Indeed, political science research demonstrates clear evidence that the simplest and most effective solution for increasing voter participation in mayoral elections is to move them to presidential years. Supporters of last spring’s proposal are now working to qualify the Fair Elections Initiative for the November 2020 ballot. If approved by voters, the measure would shift San Jose’s mayoral elections to presidential years beginning in 2024.
Why does this matter? Elections serve as pillars of our representative democracy. Through elections people choose representatives who make decisions on behalf of the public and elections help to hold these elected representatives accountable. Low voter turnout weakens representative democracy and can contribute to the adoption of policies unrepresentative of the interests found in a racially and ethnically diverse community like San Jose.
Do you have a news tip you would like to share? Would you like to contribute to The Left Hook? Email us at LeftHookBlog@gmail.com
No Comments