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8.A. - Page 1 <br /> REPORT <br /> To the Honorable Mayor and City Council <br /> From the City Manager <br /> October 17, 2016 <br /> SUBJECT <br /> Ordinance Amending Municipal Code Section 2.27.6 for an Adjustment to City of <br /> Redwood City Elections to Adhere to the California Voter Participation Rights Act <br /> (California State Senate Bill 415) <br /> RECOMMENDATION <br /> Waive first reading and introduce an Ordinance amending Section 2.27.6 of the <br /> Redwood City Municipal Code regarding General Municipal Elections <br /> The SB 415 Council Ad Hoc Committee (Council Members Aguirre, Gee, and Masur) <br /> recommend that the City Council introduce an ordinance to extend the terms of each <br /> existing Council member by an additional 12 months, and move the November 2017 <br /> election to November 2018, and the November 2019 election to November 2020, to <br /> adhere to the requirements of SB 415 <br /> BACKGROUND <br /> On September 1 , 2015, Governor Brown signed Senate Bill 415 (SB 415), "The <br /> California Voter Participation Rights Act." SB 415 was adopted to address waning civic <br /> engagement due to declining voter turnout in federal, state, and local elections. <br /> According to legislative analysis, one major contributing factor to low voter turnout is the <br /> timing of elections which could be addressed by changing local elections to even year <br /> statewide elections. This new legislation prohibits a local government from holding an <br /> election on any date other than a statewide election date (June or November of even- <br /> numbered years) if doing so in the past has resulted in a significant decrease in voter <br /> turnout. This legislation directly impacts the City of Redwood City as the City holds its <br /> regularly scheduled election on a non-statewide election date, November of odd- <br /> numbered years. <br /> Per SB 415, "A significant decrease in voter turnout" means the voter turnout for a <br /> regularly scheduled non-statewide election (odd-numbered years) is at least 25 percent <br /> less than the average voter turnout within the City for the previous four statewide <br /> general elections (November of even-numbered years). <br /> SB 415- Percent Turnout per Election* <br /> Elections(All November) 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 <br /> Redwood City 30.5% 45.2% 23.0% 81.0% 25.4% 65.6% 23.6% 80.0% <br /> *Voter turnout was verified by the San Mateo County Elections Official <br /> 1 <br />