Clovis residents have a new opportunity to shape the future of elections and elected leadership in Clovis. After over 100 years of at-large elections, the City of Clovis is transitioning to districts, and members of the community are invited to attend a series of public hearings and a community workshop to learn more and participate in the process as the city’s first district map is drawn.
Over the last several years, cities, school districts, and community college districts throughout the State have been changing from at-large to by-district elections to comply with the California Voting Rights Act of 2001 (CVRA) and/or to avoid litigation. The CVRA expands the federal Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965 by eliminating key requirements including geographical compactness of a minority group and the group’s ability to form a majority in a district. By eliminating these important elements in the federal law, State law made it easier for plaintiffs to sue and prevail. Not a single jurisdiction has prevailed in litigation under the CVRA; several jurisdictions have paid millions in out-of-court settlements and all challenged jurisdictions have transitioned from at-large elections.
On August 26, 2024, the City of Clovis received a demand letter from the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project alleging that the City of Clovis is in violation of the CVRA and must convert to by-district elections. Based on this threat of litigation, the City Council, by virtue of passing Resolution No. 24-110 on October 7, 2024, commenced the transition from at-large to by-district elections to mitigate costs associated with potential legal challenges under the CVRA.
The City Council of the City of Clovis is currently elected under an at-large election system, where Council members are elected by voters of the entire city. In a district-based election system, each Council member must reside within the designated election district boundary and is elected only by the voters in that district. On November 18, 2024, the City Council held the first of five public hearings to gather input on the composition of potential election districts in accordance with Elections Code section 10010. The second of these hearings will be held on Monday, December 16, 2024, at 6:00 PM in the Clovis City Council Chambers, and the public is encouraged to attend to learn more about how they can participate in the map drawing process. The city will also be holding a community workshop on Thursday, January 9, 2025, at 6:00 PM at the Clovis Transit Center (785 Third Street). The three remaining hearings will be held between January and early March. In addition, the city has created a new district elections transition webpage which is regularly updated with relevant information, documents, and the complete meeting schedule. For more information, visit cityofclovis.com/districts.
