Politics, Ranked Voter Choice & Redistricting in Santa Cruz County
Talk of the Bay with Chris Krohn, Tuesday, August 9th, 5-6 PM
Rob Richie, Executive Director of FairVote
Why is Santa Cruz going forward in implementing major election changes without also considering Ranked Choice Voting (RCV)? The City of Santa Cruz has recently gone from 7 at-large city council seats to six districts and the direct election of a mayor. These changes are dramatic in terms of changing the voting method in electing city officials. As a result, only two candidates have come forward to run for mayor. Ranked choice voting has yielded many more candidates and resulted in more competitive elections in cities as varied as Cleveland, Oakland, and New York City. Smaller cities too, like Berkeley, Cambridge, and Takoma Park have successfully put into place an RCV system. Rob Richie is Executive Director of Fair Vote, and his organization has been a major consultant to many cities that have embraced RCV. Richie will be this week’s guest on the first part of Talk of the Bay with your host, Chris Krohn.
Former SC County Supervisor John Leopold
State Senator John Laird
On Part II of Talk of the Bay, state senator John Laird and former Santa Cruz county supervisor John Leopold discuss our state, county, and city’s redrawing of our political voting lines, which take place every 10 years. There have been some significant changes that have resulted in the county given these shifting geographical political lines. Join us this week on Talk of the Bay for lively and informed discussion!
