District-Based Elections: Dublin Prepares To Transition

DUBLIN, CA — The City of Dublin is preparing for a shift in the way city councilmembers are elected and the next step is asking for public input.

The Dublin City Council adopted a resolution February 15 that said the city intends to transition from an at-large election system to a district-based system for electing members to city council. This came after the city said it received a notification ‘threatening litigation’ under the California Voting Rights Act if they did not convert to the new system.

“The City of Dublin received a letter on January 4, 2022, challenging the City's current election method. The letter asserts that the City’s at-large election system violates the CVRA and demands that the City change its at-large voting system to a district-based election system,” the city said.

Currently, city councilmembers and the mayor are elected at large. Moving to district-based elections would divide the city into separate districts of equal population; voters would vote for one councilmember who lives in their district to represent it as a whole. Voting for the mayor would continue with an at-large election system.

The cost of not switching was estimated by the city to reach several million dollars due to the possibility of defending a potential lawsuit and paying attorney fees.

Voters are encouraged to attend a series of public meetings regarding the suggested change and give their feedback, including how the districts should be drawn.

“The City encourages the public to provide input to ensure "communities of interest" are taken into account during the district drawing process. A "community of interest" is a neighborhood or community that would benefit from being in the same district because of shared interests, views, or characteristics,” the city said.

The first two public hearings are for this feedback then, the city says, there will be at least two more meetings to go over drafts of the maps.

The first public hearing regarding district-based elections is during the Dublin City Councils’s regular meeting April 19 at 7:00 p.m. Other public hearings and workshops are:

• Thursday, April 28, at 6:00 p.m. (workshop) on Zoom (meeting information to come)
• Wednesday, May 4, at 6:00 p.m. (workshop) on Zoom (meeting information to come)
• Tuesday, May 17, at 7:00 p.m. (public hearing #2)
• Tuesday, June 21, at 7:00 p.m. (public hearing #3)
• Tuesday, July 19, at 7:00 p.m. (public hearing #4)
• Tuesday, August 16, at 7:00 p.m. (public hearing #5)

Dublin intends to transition to district-based elections in 2024.