What is Measure D?

Measure D asks Irvine voters to add two more members to the four-member city council (for a total of six members) and adopt a map that would divide the city into six corresponding city council districts. The new council would include the mayor and the six councilmembers: The mayor would remain an at-large position chosen by all voters in Irvine and would still vote on issues that come before the city council.

If voters approve the plan, Irvine would no longer have an “at-large” city council, meaning the council members would be elected only by the voters in their own district, instead of by all voters in Irvine.

This would continue a trend underway in California for years. Voting rights groups have pressed cities to adopt district elections as a way to ensure more diversity on their city councils. The measure was put on the ballot through a vote of the Irvine city council.

Official title on the ballot: City of Irvine, Charter Amendment to Expand City Council and Establish City Council Districts

Here's what the measure says:

"Shall a City Charter amendment that (i) increases the membership of the City Council from five to seven, with the new membership comprised of a mayor and six Council members, and (ii) provides for the transition from at-large elections to by-district elections for the six Council members, with the district boundaries as described in City Council Resolution No. 23-88, be adopted?”

What your vote means

• A "yes" vote means: You want the council expanded and approve the transition to by-district elections.
• A "no" vote means: You do not want the council to expand and want the mayor and council members to continue to be elected in city-wide elections.

Understanding the measure

An “at large” election system means residents in all of Irvine can vote for as many candidates as there are open seats. For example, if there are four open council seats, residents can vote for four candidates, regardless of what neighborhood they or the council member lives in.

A “district election,” on the other hand, means residents can only vote for the council member who represents their own district, based on where they live. A council member must run in the district they live in.

The history behind the measure

Irvine, with a population of more than 309,000, is the largest California city without district elections.

The city has received legal threats alleging that the current voting system disenfranchises minority voters. Some council members disagreed, citing people of color who have served or currently serve on the council.

Despite the opposition, the city council decided last year to put a council expansion and a district map before voters.

What supporters say

Supporters of expanding the council say they believe that residents should be able to vote for a city councilmember that represents their own geographical area. They say that this change in voting method will strengthen local democracy because council candidates will be more in tune with the needs and concerns of their immediate neighbors. Backers also believe the change will encourage smaller, grassroots campaigns without relying on large amounts of money from developers and special interest groups.

Supporters also say expansion is needed to reflect the growth of Irvine from about 10,000 representatives when the charter was created, to 300,000 today, who live in new neighborhoods with changing demographics across 66 square miles. Adding new seats, they say, will ensure fair and equal representation in all neighborhoods, old and new.

The proposed district map included in the measure went through a six-month process that included public meetings, city council hearings and citizen participation. The new map, supporters say, creates six evenly dispersed council districts — each with about 50,000 residents — from neighborhoods that have “common interests and concerns.” They add that the map is free of political gerrymandering.

Irvine mayor Farrah N. Khan officially supports the measure, as well as two council members, Larry Agran and Mike Carroll.

• Read the filed arguments in support of Measure D 

What opponents say

Opponents say that district voting benefits candidates, not voters, because they only have to campaign in one small area instead of the city at large. They say that the new council districts are drawn along racial lines and would do nothing to address the dilution of minority voting power. They even argue that the creation of council districts is a form of segregation.

These opponents add that better solutions are available – like cumulative, limited or ranked-choice voting — and that the promises that the new system will protect against funding from developers and special interest groups ring hollow because none of the council members have actually pledged to stop taking campaign funds from these groups.

In previous debates, some council members voiced concern that the boundaries of the new district map would group Asian voters into two of the six districts — which they say is gerrymandering.

The official argument against Measure D in the ballot is only signed by one person — Cathy R. Schiff, who identifies herself as a “concerned citizen.”

• Read the filed arguments in opposition to Measure D

Further reading

• Irvine council moves to transition to by-district elections but voters will make the final decision (OC Register)
• Irvine Voters to Decide on Changing City’s Election System (Voice of OC)
• Irvine Becomes Latest Orange County City of Consider District Elections (Voice of OC)
• Irvine to Fight Lawsuit Compelling Voting Districts (Voice of OC)
• Full text of Measure D