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	Majority Rules
	by Jay Elliott
	Disappointed that three of our city council members were elected by less than a majority of the voters? That can be remedied only if we change the way the city conducts elections. There are two options. First is the runoff election that would require a runoff of the top two vote getters. The second is rank choice voting.
	Runoff elections are very costly to both the city and the candidates. For each election cities must pay for printing of voters guides, use of voting machines, and for precinct workers. Costs are reduced if the runoff election coincides with a general election because any local government that has a candidate or issue on the ballot pays their fair share. The most cost effective way to ensure a candidate receives a majority requires that city council candidates run in the June primary so that if no candidate receives a majority there could be a runoff in November. Even a runoff with a general election is expensive for the candidates themselves. In the recent supervisorial election candidates started campaigning in the summer of 2001 to finish in November of 2002. Total cost to the candidates was in the neighborhood of $275,000.
	A second less costly option is rank choice voting. Here the voter ranks all the candidates according to preference. If no candidate receives a majority, the candidate with the least votes is dropped and the second choices of voters choosing that candidate are redistributed among the remaining candidates. This continues until a candidate emerges with 50% plus 1 of the vote.
	Proponents of rank choice voting argue that this method of choosing an elected official avoids a costly runoff election, one that costs the voters as well as the candidates. Opponents say it is confusing and difficult to explain. In addition rank choice voting prevents voters from changing their minds about a certain candidate. The runoff election allows candidates to hone their message to sway voters who didn't vote for them the first time.
	Nevertheless, rank choice voting has been adopted in several communities in California, most notably San Francisco. The method was adopted in 2002 and first used in the 2004 supervisorial race. A survey of San Francisco voters indicated 87% understood the method and 61% preferred it to a traditional runoff. Other Bay Area cities, Oakland, San Leandro, and Berkeley have adopted rank choice voting, but have yet to hold an election, while cities such as Davis and Eureka are considering it.
	Although rank choice voting allows a quick and easy way to determine the preference of a majority of voters it is limited to charter cities and counties. Charter cities are one type of city government based on the concept of home rule. The voters of the city design the charter and agree to allow the city council to have slightly more authority in dealing with contracting, employees, the size of the council, and other issues related to municipal government. Charter cities are not necessarily bound by the laws of the state of California. That is why as a charter city like San Francisco could sanction gay marriage.
	Elk Grove like most cities was incorporated as a general law city. General law cities are bound by the laws of the state and are precluded from instituting rank choice voting. That is unless SB 596 is passed by the legislature. SB 596 allows general law cities, counties, school districts and special districts to use rank choice voting.
	Senator Debra Bowen D-Redondo Beach, the bill's sponsor, says "Preference voting lets people more fully express their views on candidates, instead of requiring them to single out just one person. The ability to rank candidates and do away with spoilers should help create a more representative government that more accurately reflects the views of the voters." (Press release Senator Bowen's office 3/29/05). The bill is currently being heard in the Senate Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendment Committee. If passed it would most likely go into effect in January, 2006. That would ensure the winners of the next city council election would have the support of a majority of voters.
	Jay Elliott is a long time resident of Elk Grove who is interested in the election process.
	The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent those of the Elk Grove Insider or any other entity.
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