District Elections | City of Santa Clara

Redistricting 2021

The Redistricting process is currently underway in Santa Clara. Redistricting occurs every 10 years after each U.S. Census. Santa Clara is required to update the boundaries of its six districts based on the new 2020 U. S. Census data. The City must adopt its Council District map no later than April 17, 2022 (per Election Code §21622).

Visit the 2021 Redistricting webpage to learn more about the Independent Redistricting Commission and how to participate in the public process.

Measure C - March 2020

March 2020 Ballot Measure C - District Elections

Election Results: Measure C did not pass.

Background

Santa Clara held a Special Election on March 3, 2020, which was the election for the California Presidential Primary. Measure C appeared on the ballot asking Santa Clara voters to decide whether to amend the City Charter to elect councilmembers by district. The City Council placed Measure C on the ballot following the recommendation of a Charter Review Committee composed of seven Santa Clara residents from across the city.

Measure C read as follows:

DISTRICT COUNCIL ELECTIONS:Shall the City Charter be amended to elect city council members by district, excepting the mayor, as follows: for the 2020 election to establish six districts for the election of one council member to represent each district; and, beginning in 2022 to establish three districts for the election of two council members to represent each district; and to require an independent redistricting committee?	YES
	NO

If Measure C was approved by the voters, Santa Clarans would:

Elect City councilmembers by district (except the mayor who will be elected citywide);
For the 2020 election, establish six districts in which each councilmember represents each district;
- Only Council Districts 1, 4, 5 and 6 will be on the November 2020 ballot.
Beginning with the 2022 election, establish three districts in which two councilmembers represent each district;
Require Council candidates to be residents of the district they represent for a minimum of 30 days prior to the filing deadline to run for office;
Require the mayor, chief of police and city clerk to be a Santa Clara resident for a minimum of 30 days prior to the filing deadline to run for office; and
Require an independent redistricting committee that would set the boundary lines of the three Council districts.

Background

The City held its first district-based election in November 2018 as required by a ruling of the Santa Clara Superior Court following a lawsuit under the California Voting Rights Act. The court ruling did not amend the City Charter which still states that councilmembers are elected “at-large, by seat”. The City Charter can only be amended by the voters.

In November 2018, Measure N asked voters if they wanted to engage in a public process to draft City Charter amendment language. Voters passed Measure N with 70.4% approval. Measure C is the result of the public process conducted by the Charter Review Committee.

Resolution 19-8783 (Resolution Submitting the Ballot Measure to March 3, 2020 Special Election)

City Attorney’s Impartial Analysis of Measure

Argument Against Measure

Argument in Favor of Measure

Rebuttal to the Argument Against Measure C

Rebuttal to the Argument in Favor of Measure C

2019 Charter Review Committee Process

Educational Information on Measure C

Measure C Mailer 1 (English)

Measure C Mailer 1 (Chinese)

Measure C Mailer 1 (Hindi)

Measure C Mailer 1 (Japanese)

Measure C Mailer 1 (Korean)

Measure C Mailer 1 (Portuguese)

Measure C Mailer 1 (Spanish)

Measure C Mailer 1 (Tagalog)

Measure C Mailer 1 (Vietnamese)

Measure C Mailer 2 (English)

Measure C Mailer 2 (Chinese Simplified)

Measure C Mailer 2 (Hindi)

Measure C Mailer 2 (Japanese)

Measure C Mailer 2 (Korean)

Measure C Mailer 2 (Portuguese)

Measure C Mailer 2 (Spanish)

Measure C Mailer 2 (Tagalog)

Measure C Mailer 2 (Vietnamese)

2019 Charter Review Committee

Background

In November 2018, the City of Santa Clara (City) held its first district-based elections as required by a ruling of the Santa Clara Superior Court (Court). The Court ruling implemented district-based elections with six Council districts, but did not amend the City Charter. Under the state constitution, the City Charter can only be amended by a vote of the City electorate. Currently, the City Charter still states that City Councilmembers are to be elected “at-large.”

The City Council placed an advisory measure on the November 2018 ballot to determine if the voters wanted to engage in a public process to draft charter amendment language. The advisory ballot measure (known as “Measure N”) read as follows:

“Shall the City of Santa Clara engage the voters in a public process to draft a Charter Amendment ballot measure to elect its Council Members, other than the Mayor, by district?”

Santa Clara voters approved Measure N, with more than 70% of the vote, on Nov. 6, 2018.

View the City Council District Map

View more information about past Charter Review Committees

Charter Review Committee – Implementation of Measure N

At the May 7, 2019 meeting, the City Council approved the creation of a Charter Review Committee to implement voter-approved Measure N. The Charter Review Committee acts in an advisory capacity to the City Council in matters pertaining specifically to soliciting public input on draft language to amend the City of Santa Clara Charter with respect to council district elections. The committee members are volunteers and are appointed by the City Council. The City Council appointed Charter Review Committee members at a special meeting on July 10, 2019. The committee is made up of six Council district representatives and one at-large member.

The committee members are:

District 1 - Benjamin Cooley
District 2 - Steven Silva
District 3 - Christine Koltermann
District 4 - Katherine Almazol
District 5 - Sudhanshu Jain
District 6 - Stephen Ricossa
At-Large - Richard Bonito

Frequently Asked Questions

For a list of frequently asked questions, please download the FAQ.

Public Input Process

The recommendations from the Charter Review Committee (Committee) were presented to City Council on November 5, 2019. Over four months the Committee held five public input sessions throughout the city and five informal public listening sessions. A total of 242 online survey responses and 17 paper survey responses were received.

Charter Review Committee Public Input Session Materials

Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019, 7 p.m., Northside Branch Library

Agenda Packet

Minutes

Thursday, Sept. 26, 2019, 7 p.m., Mission Branch Library

Agenda Packet

Minutes

Post Meeting Material: Presentation

Post Meeting Material: 19-1233

Post Meeting Material: 19-1102

Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019, 1 p.m., Northside Branch Library

Agenda Packet

Minutes

Thursday, Aug. 15, 6:30 p.m., Central Park Library

Agenda Packet

Minutes

Post Meeting Material

Thursday, July 18, 6 p.m., City Hall Council Chambers, 1500 Warburton Ave., Santa Clara.

Agenda Packet

Minutes

Council Report Approving Measure N

2018 Ad-Hoc Redistricting Committee - Measure N

Ad-hoc Advisory Districting Committee (2018)

A recommended Ad-hoc Advisory Districting Committee will be holding four public hearings; consider input from the public; review recommendations from the demographer; and, based on public input and professional recommendations, provide a recommendation to the City Council on one draft map providing two districts of equal population. The Committee will also consider input on the sequencing.

Ad-hoc Advisory Districting Committee Members

Barbara "Bobbi" A. Estrada
Yuki Ikezi (Chair)
Stephen Ricossa

Public Meetings

Ad hoc Advisory Districting Committee Meeting

February 8, 5:00 p.m.
City Hall - Staff Conference Room
1500 Warburton Avenue, Santa Clara

Four public hearings have been scheduled in order to hear input from the public.

Two public hearings will be held before the draft district boundary line option(s) is drawn:
(Dates subject to change)

February 12, 6: 00 p.m.
Northside Branch Library
695 Moreland Way, Santa Clara
AGENDA
AGENDA REPORT
POWERPOINT PRESENTATION

March 8, 6:00 p.m.
City Hall Council Chambers
1500 Warburton Avenue, Santa Clara
AGENDA
AGENDA REPORT
POWERPOINT PRESENTATION

Two hearings will then be held after the draft district boundary line option(s) is drawn:
(Dates subject to change)

March 26, 6:00 p.m.
Northside Branch Library
695 Moreland Way, Santa Clara
AGENDA
AGENDA PACKET
POWERPOINT PRESENTATION

April 12, 6:00 p.m.
Central Park Library, Redwood Room
2635 Homestead Ave., Santa Clara
AGENDA
AGENDA PACKET
POWERPOINT PRESENTATION
TABLE OF VOTER REGISTRATION TURNOUT SHARES NOV. 2016
ADDITIONAL CORRESPONDENCE

It is expected that the Council will consider the recommendations of the Ad-hoc committee at a public hearing during the Council meeting of May 8, 2018.

Measure A - June 2018

Measure A on the June 2018 Ballot

Election Results: Measure A did not pass

Background

On March 6, 2018 the Santa Clara City Council voted unanimously to place the Santa Clara District Election and Voting Method Measure, known as Measure A, on the June 5, 2018 ballot. The Santa Clara City Council placed Measure A on the ballot following its review of the Charter Review Committee’s unanimous recommendations on how to update the manner in which local elections are conducted, and approval of the City Attorney’s proposed ballot language.

If approved by voters, Measure A would update the way Santa Clara voters elect local officeholders as follows:

Establishes two voting districts, with registered voters electing three Council Members per district

A district boundary map will be recommended in the coming weeks following public hearings held by the Ad-hoc Advisory Districting Committee.
Candidates seeking election to the Santa Clara City Council are required to reside within the district they are running in and only voters residing in the district can vote on Candidates from the district.

The Mayor, City Clerk and Police Chief would remain elected Citywide

Establishes a voting process known as “ranked choice voting” for all city candidates for office.

The single transferable method of ranked choice voting would be implemented by ordinance.

The election by the most votes cast would continue to be used to determine the winner until the Registrar of Voters can implement the new voting method.

2017 Charter Review Committee

Charter Review Committee & District Elections

At the City Council Meeting of April 11, 2017, City Council directed the creation of a Charter Review Committee. The direction from the Council included review of the City’s election method with a focus on district and other methods of electing members to the City Council in time for the June 2018 primary election.

The Committee presented its recommendation to implement by-district elections to Council on July 18, 2017. The ballot language was approved by the Committee and presented to Council on December 5, 2017. The Council approved moving forward with the proposed charter amendment and directed the City Manager and City Attorney to initiate the process of drawing districts with public outreach. If approved by voters, Council Members would be elected by two districts with three Council Members representing each district using Ranked Choice Voting.

The Proposed District Election & Charter Amendment includes the following:

Elect City Council Members by two districts with three members representing each district (e.g. District 1 and District 2).
Elect the three members at the same time alternating district elections between gubernatorial and presidential election years.
Transition to include:
- In 2018, elect two members to four-year terms in District 1
- In 2020, elect one member to a two-year term in District 1 and three members to four-year terms in District 2.
Utilize Single Transferrable Vote form of Ranked Choice Voting for election of Council Members when Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters can support it in 2020.
Change the voting method for Mayor, City Clerk, and Chief of Police to match the voting method of Council Members beginning in 2020 with the election of City Clerk and Chief of Police, and then with subsequent elections thereafter.

The Charter Review Committee met 10 time and has completed its assignment from the City Council. All meetings were live-streamed on the City’s Facebook and Youtube channels.

Relevant Documents:

December 5, 2017 Staff Agenda Report
December 5, 2017 Staff Presentation to Council
July 18, 2017 Staff Agenda Report
July 18, 2017 Charter Review Committee Presentation to Council

Handbook Documents, Agenda Packets, Minutes, and Videos of all meetings are available for download below. To view Agenda Packets and Videos, click on the link “All” and then the link “Charter Review Committee Meeting” corresponding to the date of interest. For more information, please contact the City Manager’s Office at 408-615-2210.

Charter Review Committee Members
Tino Silva,Chair	Hosam Haggag
Keith Stattenfield,Vice Chair	Chris Horton
Hazel Alabado	Steve Lodge
Markus Bracamonte	Jodi Muirhead
Saskia Feain	Beverly Silva
Mary Hanna-Weir	Teresa Sulcer