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Rules committee amends supervisorial vacancy charter measure to set special election in November
Summary
The San Francisco Rules Committee on Feb. 3 amended a proposed charter change to move a special election date from June to the November 2016 ballot, clarified interim appointment rules barring appointees from running, and continued both related items to the call of the chair.
The San Francisco Rules Committee on Feb. 3 amended a proposed charter amendment so a special election to fill a Board of Supervisors vacancy would be held on the November 2016 ballot rather than a June 2016 date and clarified limits on interim appointments.
The change came after the author of the measure told the committee she had been working with Deputy City Attorney John Givner and wanted the election in November "with the higher turnout" so more voters could decide the measure. Deputy City Attorney John Givner told the committee the only substantive textual change beyond dates would be to subsection g (page 3), which governs how the amendment applies to vacancies that occur after adoption but before it takes effect. Givner said such interim appointees would vacate the office when the amendment becomes effective and “the mayor could make a new appointment, but that person could not then run for the office.”
Chair Katie Tang cited concerns about low turnout in special or off-cycle elections, noting past municipal and statewide special elections had turnout around the high 20s: "29%, for example, in November 2013," she said, and also referenced a May 2009 special election turnout of about 28%.
After brief public comment (no speakers), a committee member moved to amend Item 1 to conform its dates to the November election; Chair Tang seconded the amendment and it was adopted "without objection." The committee then continued Item 1 and Item 2 to the call of the chair for further action on the Board of Supervisors agenda. No roll-call vote was taken; the actions were carried by unanimous consent.
Item 1, as discussed, would require the Department of Elections to hold a special election when a supervisorial vacancy occurs unless a regularly scheduled election is within 180 days; it would also allow the mayor to appoint an interim supervisor who would be ineligible to run in that election. Item 2, a separate draft requiring the mayor to fill a supervisorial vacancy within 28 days, was not moved forward at this meeting and was continued to the call of the chair.
The committee took no further substantive votes at this meeting and adjourned shortly after adopting the date change and continuing the items. The measures will next appear on the Board of Supervisors agenda as scheduled by the chair.
