The city of Roseville may soon change how it elects council members, following a trend of Sacramento suburbs switching to “by-district” voting in the face of expensive litigation threats that claim “at-large” elections disenfranchise minority voters.
The Roseville City Council will hear a presentation Wednesday from city staff on district-based elections, which would divide the city into five districts and allow only residents from those areas to elect a council member who also resides in the area. Currently, residents across Roseville can vote among all candidates running for an open position via at-large voting.
Over the last few years, dozens of cities across California with “at-large” elections have been hit with demand letters under the California Voting Rights Act. The letters allege these elections discriminate against minority groups by limiting their ability to elect representation and influence election results.