CA Appellate Court Finds No Discrimination In SM Election System

SANTA MONICA, CA — A state appellate court panel Thursday overturned a trial court ruling and found the city of Santa Monica's at-large election system was constitutional.

The three-justice panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal found that there was no violation of the state's Voting Rights Act or the state constitution as alleged by the plaintiffs, Maria Loya and the Pico Neighborhood Association.

The justices, in reversing a February 2019 ruling by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Yvette Palazuelos, found there was no infringement of the Voting Rights Act because plaintiffs failed to prove the at-large system diluted the votes of Latinos.

The justices also concluded there was no equal-protection violation because the plaintiffs did not prove the city adopted or maintained its system as a means of discriminating against minorities.

"We are very pleased with the Court of Appeal's decision," said Theodore Boutrous, the city's lead attorney. "The opinion correctly finds that Santa Monica's at-large election system has not diluted Latino voting power and so complies with the California Voting Rights Act."

Boutrous also said the justices rejected the plaintiffs' "false narrative that the city had intentionally discriminated against minority voters in enacting and maintaining its current election system."

In her ruling after a non-jury trial, Palazuelos wrote that there was a "consistent pattern of racially polarized voting over the past 24 years in City Council elections."

Election season begins next week in Santa Monica.

The candidate nomination period begins July 13 and ends on August 7. The open seats for elected office are:

• City Council: four full-term and one partial-term seats
• Rent Control Board: two seats
• Santa Monica College District Board: three seats
• Santa Monica-Malibu School District Board: three seats

Candidates are invited to join an online candidate workshop on July 13 at 10 a.m. at to learn about the nomination process, and make an appointment with the city clerk’s office to pick up forms. Forms must be completed and filed by August 7 at 5 p.m. Visit smvote.org for election information.

- City News Service and Patch Editor Nicole Charky contributed to this report.

See more:

• Police Search Santa Monica For Stolen Vehicle Pursuit Suspect
• Heat Wave Heading To Southern California
• Another Whole Foods Worker In SoCal Tests Positive For COVID-19