[EL] equal numbers of VOTERS, rather than residents

[David A. Holtzman]

**Hello [EL],

The LA Times printed an op-ed yesterday blaming the at-large election 
method used in Compton, California, for keeping Latinos off an all-black 
city council.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-0516-newton-column-compton-20110516,0,828852.column 


Compton's is a strange election method, to be sure: council members are 
elected FROM districts."FROM districts" means that each winner must live 
in a particular district, while the voting is at-large.As the op-ed 
writer (a Times editor) noted, that "means all voters can vote in all 
races."This is different from "BY" districts, which means that voters 
only vote in contests to represent the districts they live in.

This is almost as bad as a having a legislature consisting of "numbered 
seats" -- where every individual office is elected at-large.At least 
electing from districts guarantees some geographic diversity of residence.

Anyway, *I had a look at the Compton City Charter, and one thing stood 
out: the districts must be drawn to have nearly-equal numbers of VOTERS, 
rather than residents.Is that legal?*

(Districts "shall comprise as nearly as practicable equal numbers of 
voters as determined by records of the registration of voters of Los 
Angeles County on file with the Registrar of Voters of said County . . . 
."Charter of the City of Compton, Sec. 500.)

- David Holtzman, President
LWV of Los Angeles






-- 
David A. Holtzman, M.P.H., J.D.
david at holtzmanlaw.com

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