San Luis Obispo to adopt "citywide single vote" after Voting Rights Act demand; ordinance targeted Jan. 13

San Luis Obispo officials told a public forum that the city will implement a citywide single-vote system beginning in 2026 as part of a settlement tied to a legal demand under the California Voting Rights Act.

"We would implement, what we have called citywide single vote, which is the vote for 1 to elect 2 system," City Attorney Christine Dietrich said, describing the remedy the city negotiated with the plaintiff in a November 2024 settlement. Dietrich said the city pursued court oversight as part of the settlement so a judge could evaluate whether the approach complies with voting-rights law.

The change responds to a 2022 demand letter alleging San Luis Obispo's at-large system diluted the voting power of protected classes, Dietrich said. City analysis and consultation with academic experts showed the largest minority population in the city was not concentrated in a single area, and officials concluded districting could reduce the coalition-building that has developed citywide. Dietrich said the single-vote system allows every voter to cast a ballot every two years and avoids the county-administered costs and technical barriers the city would face if it pursued ranked-choice or its own separate election system.

Dietrich acknowledged other options were considered. "Ranked choice was absolutely part of the discussion," she said, but cited equipment limits, potential voter confusion and the need for secretary-of-state approval as obstacles to implementing ranked choice while remaining consolidated with county elections.

The next formal step, Dietrich said, is for staff to bring an ordinance to the City Council for adoption on Jan. 13 that will set out the new ballot process. She said the city may need to amend the stipulated judgment to explicitly reference that ordinance so the settlement and implementation are aligned and, if necessary, the court will hold public proceedings related to any amendment.

City officials framed the chosen approach as a balance between legal risk, voter participation and preserving coalition-based representation citywide. Dietrich said the settlement was reached after roughly 18 months of negotiation with the plaintiff's counsel and that the office sought outside analysis to inform the council's decision.

What happens next: staff outreach and education about the new ballot format will begin well in advance of the 2026 change, officials said, and both county elections staff and city outreach teams will provide materials and school- and community-based engagement to explain the new ballot process to voters and prospective candidates.

The ordinance implementing the new ballot process is scheduled to be introduced at a public council meeting on Jan. 13; staff indicated they will solicit public feedback in the weeks before that date.