Voice for Democracy Spring 2003
Newsletter of Californians for Electoral Reform

IN THIS ISSUE:
Save the Date
Presidents Letter
Call for Nominations
Help Lobby For AB 1039
Bill Number AB 1039 Introduced
H.R. 415 Introduced in Congress
Local Chapters & Contacts

-------------
Save the Date
-------------

Mark your calendars now for the CfER Annual General Meeting from 1:30pm
to 4:30pm Saturday May 31st (with party to follow).  Also, the CfER
Annual Leadership Retreat will be all day Sunday, June 1st.

More details will be mailed to members in early May.

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President's Letter
------------------

This is going to be a short note, as we need the space in the
newsletter to tell you about AB 1039.  Suffice it to say that we have a
bill in the state legislature that will give to general law cities the
same freedom to choose their election method as do charter law cities.
(We intend to amend it to apply to general law counties, as well as
school districts, special districts, etc.)

Please read about the bill and do as many of the lobbying activities as
you can.  Let us know what you can accomplish.  We are a grassroots
organization and we rely on you, the grass roots, to do the heavy
lifting at times like this.

Also, please consider running for the Board.  Information on how to do
this appears elsewhere in the Newsletter.

Finally, please plan on attending the Annual General Meeting May 31st
from 1:30pm to 4:30pm, with a party afterwards.  The location is still
being pinned down as I write this but it will probably be in Berkeley.
Full information will be in the election mailing that will go out in
early May.

Thanks!

--Steve Chessin
President, Californians for Electoral Reform

--------------------
Call for Nominations
--------------------

We will be electing our nine-member Board of Directors at our Annual
General membership meeting in May.  While I expect that many of the
current Directors will run for re-election, I know that at least one is
stepping down.  This means we will have at least one open seat so this
is a good opportunity for someone who wants to increase their level of
activity with CfER.  Also, we elect our Board using proportional
representation (we practice what we preach!) and PR only works if the
election is contested.

The Board itself meets in person every three months, and by conference
call in the in-between months.  Board members are encouraged (but not
required) to get involved with some area of interest, such as
membership development, outreach, communication, chapter coordination,
finance, lobbying, or education.

Candidates may be self-nominated.  To nominate yourself, send your name
and a statement of up to 250 words to CfER Elections, c/o Steve
Willett, 6422 Irwin Court, Oakland, CA  94609.  You may also send your
name and statement via email to stevew @ initcomp .com.

Nominations and statements must be received by April 19th, 2003, in
order to guarantee appearance in the ballots that will be mailed to all
members prior to the AGM.  (If you use US mail, we recommend you mail
your statement by April 12th, 2003, to guarantee timely delivery.)
[Note: this is two weeks earlier than the dates in the Winter 2003
newsletter.]

So consider running for the Board.  It's fun, and you get to help set
the direction of the Electoral Reform movement!  Members from Southern
California and newly active members are especially encouraged to run.

--Steve Chessin
President,
Californians for Electoral Reform

----------------------
Help Lobby For AB 1039
----------------------

Assemblywoman Loni Hancock (D-14; Berkeley) has introduced AB 1039 on
Municipal Election Voting Methods.  This is a "home rule" bill that
will allow general law cities the same freedom that charter law cities
have to choose their own method for electing their local government.

A hearing on AB 1039 has been scheduled in the Assembly Committee on
Elections, Reapportionment, and Constitutional Amendments (ERCA) for
Tuesday, April 22nd, 2003.  The committee meets in Room 444 at 1:30pm
in the Capitol in Sacramento.

We need all CfER members to help lobby in favor of AB 1039.  Here are
the things we need you to do, preferably before April 22nd:

1. Contact your local Assemblymember and ask her or him to become a
co-author of AB 1039.  You can locate your Assemblymember by going to
http://www.assembly.ca.gov/defaulttext.asp
and clicking on "Find my District".  (If it gives you more than one,
you can call their district offices to find out which one is yours.)

The best approach is to write a letter; fax it or mail it to the
Assemblymember's Sacramento office.  Next best is to make a phone
call.  Third best is to send email.

Your letter can be short.  It can be as simple as:

The Hon. ___________
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA  95814

Dear ____________

I am writing to ask you to become a co-author of AB 1039 on Municipal
Election Voting Methods.  It is a "home rule" bill that will allow
general law cities the same freedom that charter law cities have to
choose their own method for electing their local government.

Please let me know if you will co-author this bill.

Sincerely,



If you don't get a response within a week, follow up with a phone call.
(You can call their district office if you don't want to call their
Sacramento office.)

2.  If you live in a general law city yourself, ask your city council
to pass a resolution expressing support for AB 1039.

If you're not sure if you live in a general law city, you can find a
list of chartered cities at
http://www.fairvoteca.org/campaign/chartercountycity.htm
If your city isn't listed, then it's a general law city.

Such a resolution can be as simple as:

Whereas, the City of  is a general law city, and is restricted in
its choice of voting methods by the laws of the State of California;
and

Whereas, chartered cities have the freedom to choose their own voting
method; and

Whereas, AB 1039 (Hancock) is a "home rule" bill that would would give
to general law cities the same freedom of choice in voting method as do
chartered cities;

Therefore, Be It Resolved That the City of  supports and endorses
AB 1039; and

Be It Further Resolved That the City of  asks its state
representatives to co-sponsor AB 1039; and

Be It Further Resolved That the City of  asks the League of
California Cities to endorse AB 1039; and

Be It Further Resolved That the City of  respectfully requests
that the County Registrar ensure that any new voting equipment used in
the county be compatible with all of the voting options included in AB
1039; and

Be It Further Resolved That the City of  will send a copy of this
resolution to its state representatives; the author of AB 1039
(Assemblymember Loni Hancock); the Assembly Committee on Elections,
Reapportionment, and Constitutional Amendments; the League of
California Cities; and the Registrar of Voters.


3. Whether or not your City Council passes the above resolution, find
out if any of the Councilmembers are interested in the bill.  If so,
ask them to send an individual letter asking their Assemblymember to
become a co-author, and to send an individual letter of support to
Assemblywoman Loni Hancock in Sacramento.  They should also send a copy
to the Chair of the ERCA committee, and to each of the committee's
members, and to the League of California Cities.  (Addresses appear
below.)


4. If you belong to an organization, get your organization to endorse AB
1039, and have them send a letter of support to Loni Hancock and to the
members of the ERCA committee.  A resolution from an organization could
look like this:

Whereas, general law cities are restricted in their choice of voting
methods by the laws of the State of California; and

Whereas, chartered cities have the freedom to choose their own voting
method; and

Whereas, AB 1039 (Hancock) is a "home rule" bill that would would give
to general law cities the same freedom of choice in voting method as do
chartered cities;

Therefore, Be It Resolved That  supports and endorses AB
1039; and

Be It Further Resolved That  asks its state
representatives to co-sponsor AB 1039; and

Be It Further Resolved That  asks the League of
California Cities to endorse AB 1039; and

Be It Further Resolved That  requests that the County
Registrar ensure that any new voting equipment used in the county be
compatible with all of the voting options included in AB 1039; and

Be It Further Resolved That  will send a copy of this
resolution to its state representatives; the author of AB 1039
(Assemblymember Loni Hancock); the Assembly Committee on Elections,
Reapportionment, and Constitutional Amendments; the League of
California Cities; and the Registrar of Voters.


Here are the relevant addresses:

Hon. Loni Hancock
State Capitol, Room 4139
Sacramento,  CA 95814
Phone: (916) 319-2014
Fax: (916) 319-2114

Hon. John Longville, Chair, Assembly Committee on Elections,
Reapportionment, and Constitutional Amendments
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0001
Phone: (916) 319-2062
Fax: (916) 319-2162

Hon. Steven N. Samuelian, Vice Chair, Assembly Committee on Elections,
Reapportionment, and Constitutional Amendments
State Capitol, Room 4153
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 319-2029
Fax: (916) 319-2129 

Hon. Jerome Horton, Member, Assembly Committee on Elections,
Reapportionment, and Constitutional Amendments
State Capitol, Room 2163
Sacramento, CA 94249-0001
Phone: (916) 319-2051
Fax: (916) 319-2151

Hon. Lloyd E. Levin, Member, Assembly Committee on Elections,
Reapportionment, and Constitutional Amendments
State Capitol, Room 6011
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 319-2040
Fax: (916) 319-2140

Hon. Fabian Nunez, Member, Assembly Committee on Elections,
Reapportionment, and Constitutional Amendments
State Capitol, Room 2117
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 319-2046
Fax: (916) 319-2146

Tony Strickland, Member, Assembly Committee on Elections,
Reapportionment, and Constitutional Amendments
State Capitol, Room 4098
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-319-2037
Fax: 916-319-2137

League of California Cities
1400 K Street, Suite 400
Sacramento, CA  95814
Phone: (916) 658-8200
Fax: (916) 658-8240

------------------------------
Bill Number AB 1039 Introduced
------------------------------

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Hancock

                        FEBRUARY 20, 2003

   An act to add Section 10105 to the Elections Code, relating to
municipal elections.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1039, as introduced, Hancock.  Municipal elections:  voting
methods.
   Existing law  provides procedures for the nomination of candidates
for elective offices in general law cities.  It specifies the
procedures for the conduct of the election, the canvass of ballots,
and certification of persons elected to office.  Related provisions
require the holding of a runoff election if no candidate has been
elected at the municipal election.  It provides that a vacancy in an
elective office may be filled by appointment, at a special election,
or at the next regular municipal election, as specified.
   This bill would provide that, notwithstanding any provision of
law, a city may elect officers or fill vacancies in elective offices
by means of a method of cumulative voting, limited voting, choice
voting, or instant runoff voting. It would require the Secretary of
State to adopt regulations for the conduct of elections and the
counting of ballots by each of these voting methods.  It would permit
a voting method authorized by this bill to be enacted by ordinance
enacted by any of three specified ways.
   Vote:  majority.  Appropriation:  no.  Fiscal committee:  yes.
State-mandated local program:  no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  Section 10105 is added to the Elections Code, to read:

   10105.  Notwithstanding any provision of law, a city may elect
officers or fill vacancies in elective offices by means of a method
of cumulative voting, limited voting, choice voting, or instant
runoff voting.  The Secretary of State shall adopt regulations for
the conduct of elections and the counting of ballots by each of these
voting methods.  A voting method authorized by this section may be
enacted by any of the following ways:
   (a) By ordinance enacted by the legislative body of the city.
   (b) By approval of a proposition submitted to the voters at any
general or special election, without a petition therefor, by the
legislative body of the city.
   (c) By initiative ordinance adopted pursuant to Chapter 3
(commencing with Section 9200) of Division 9.

-------------------------------
H.R. 415 Introduced in Congress
-------------------------------

H.R. 415, the "Congress 2006 Commission Act", was introduced into the
108th Congress on January 28th, 2003, by Representative Alcee Hastings
of Florida (D-23).  It would establish a commission to study both the
size of Congress and the method by which it is elected, and consider
alternatives, "including cumulative voting and proportional
representation," to determine if such alternatives would make the House
of Representatives a more representative body.  It is currently in the
House Judiciary Committee, whose California members include Elton
Gallegy (R-24), Howard Berman (D-28), Zoe Lofgren (D-16), Maxine Waters
(D-35), Adam Schiff (D-29), and Linda Sanchez (D-39).

Please call or write your Representative and ask them to become a
co-sponsor of H.R. 415.  You can find the contact information for
your respresentative by looking in the Government pages of your phone
book, or by visiting http://www.house.gov/writerep/ .

Such a letter can be as simple as:

The Hon. ___________
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC  20515

Dear ____________

I am writing to ask you to become a co-sponsor of H.R. 415, the Congress
2006 Comission Act.  It would establish a commission to study both the
size of Congress and the method by which it is elected, and consider
alternatives including cumulative voting and proportional
representation.

The size of Congress hasn't changed since 1913, and our plurality
election system doesn't produce a representative body.  It is important
that these issues be addressed.

Please let me know if you will co-sponsor this bill.

Sincerely,


-------------------------
Local Chapters & Contacts
-------------------------

East Bay		David Greene	(510) 526-5852 dmgreene @ igc . org
El Dorado County	Paula Lee	(530) 644-8760 paulalee @ softcom . net
Los Angeles Area	Casey Peters	(213) 385-2786 democracy @ mail2world . com
Monterey County		Nat Lerner	(831) 442-1238 natscottl @ yahoo . com
North Bay		Wayne Shepard	(707) 552-5317 pauldebits @ juno . com
Sacramento County	Pete Martineau	(916) 967-0300 petemrtno @ bigfoot . com
San Diego Area		Ed Teyssier	(858) 546-1774 edward @ k-online . com
SF County		Betty Traynor	(415) 558-8133 btraynor @ energy-net . org
Santa Clara County	Jim Stauffer	(408) 432-9148 jimstauffer @ sbcglobal . net

Voice for Democracy is published by Californians for Electoral Reform.
Copyright (c) 2003.
All rights reserved.

P.O. Box 128
Sacramento, CA 95812
Phone: 916-967-0300
E-Mail: info @ fairvoteca . org
Web: www.fairvoteca.org

Our Mission Statement...

	The primary purpose of this organization is to promote the
	implementation of election methods such as instant runoff
	voting and forms of proportional representation.