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San Luis Obispo Council adopts citywide single‑vote election method as part of settlement with voting‑rights group
Summary
After multi‑year negotiations, the City Council unanimously introduced an ordinance to move from a 'vote for two' system to a citywide single‑vote method starting in November 2026 as part of a settlement with SVREP; council committed to a phased bilingual voter education effort and limits on future consultant payments.
The San Luis Obispo City Council voted unanimously to introduce an ordinance implementing a citywide single‑vote method for council elections, a change negotiated in settlement with the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project (SVREP).
City Attorney Christine Dietrich framed the move as a negotiated alternative to district elections and said the method ‘‘is essentially the transition from the current vote for two to a single‑vote, vote for one to elect two system.’’ The ordinance formalizes ballot instructions and gives the county elections official clear guidance to administer the measure in November 2026 and subsequent elections unless the council later decides to pursue districts.
The change follows…
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