How many of us have, in the past, gone to vote for council members only to find the polls empty and the poll election officials having too much time on their hands? Contrast this with voting during the November even-year elections when the polls are filled with eager voters happily participating in our democracy.
The statistics bear this out — approximately 25 percent more of the electorate votes during November even-year elections than in April municipal elections.
Over the past few years, Malibu Community Alliance has worked tirelessly to consolidate Malibu’s municipal elections with even-year November elections to address the lack of public participation in municipal elections. With the help of Skylar Peak and Common Cause, the City Council thankfully unanimously agreed to the proposed consolidation in May 2015. Then, on Sept. 29, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved putting Malibu’s elections on the county’s November even year ballots.
This will not only result in greater voter participation in our local elections, but also significantly reduce Malibu’s election costs. Malibu Community Alliance is proud to have been part of this win-win for the City of Malibu and its citizens.
Cynthia Kesselman