Politics & Government
Switch From At-Large To District Elections: Hearings Get Underway
The City of Novato received a legal threat from a Malibu attorney alleging "racially polarized" voting for city council elections.
NOVATO, CA – The Novato City Council is holding public hearings through mid-May on switching from at-large to district City Council elections in response to a threatened lawsuit.
The litigation threat by Malibu attorney Kevin Shenkman, received by cities and towns statewide, alleges the at-large elections inhibit members of a "protected class" to elect candidates of its own choice in violation of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The protected class includes members of a race,
color or language minority group.
Demographers are drafting maps of five proposed districts in Novato for the City Council's consideration. Two public hearings have been held, and three are scheduled for April 23, May 14 and 21. The City Council has until June 10 to complete the district switch under terms of the proposed lawsuit.
Find out what's happening in Novatofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The seats of Mayor Eric Lucan and Councilmembers Pat Drew and Josh Fryday expire in 2019. They will finish their terms, and the future councilmembers will be elected from the specific districts.
Various towns and cities across the state threatened by the lawsuit have opted to switch to district elections to avoid costly legal fees challenging the suit.
