Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Mark Church, Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder
Subject: Highlands Recreation District's Request to Change from Odd to Even-Numbered Year Elections
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing implementation of the Highlands Recreation District Governing Board's request that future board elections be moved from odd to even-numbered years.
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BACKGROUND:
In September 2015, the Governor signed Senate Bill No. 415 ("SB 415"), also known as the California Voter Participation Rights Act. This Act requires most jurisdictions, including cities, school districts, and other districts, that currently hold elections for governing board members in odd-numbered years to move their elections to even-numbered years. SB 415's apparent goal is to increase voter turnout, given that even-numbered year elections generally have higher voter turnout rates than odd-numbered year elections. There are 70 jurisdictions in San Mateo County. As of May 16, 7 of these jurisdictions have not yet moved to even-numbered year elections. We anticipate that some of these jurisdictions will move to even-numbered year elections in the near future.
On March 14, 2017, the Board of Directors of the Highlands Recreation District (the "District") approved a Resolution pursuant to Sections 10404(b) and 10505 of the California Elections Code requesting that election dates for future District board elections be moved from odd to even-numbered years. Notice of the District's requested change was submitted to the Board of Supervisors on or around March 24, 2017. The Resolution would move the District's odd-numbered year elections to even-numbered year elections starting in 2020. The election scheduled for November 2021 would be held in November 2020. The District would hold its regularly scheduled elections in November 2017 and November 2019 and sho...
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