In Support of District Voting in the City of Indio

0Whereas, the City of Indio has historically held at-large elections where every voter votes for all candidates on the ballot, and

Whereas, since the enactment of the Voting Rights Act in 1965 numerous at-large systems have been struck down and new elections codes have been enacted, and

Whereas, district voting gives residents in the area better, more representative representation.

Therefore be it resolved, that the Riverside County Democratic Party applauds the Indio City Council as it moves to District Voting pursuant to Elections Code Section 10010 after adopting a resolution stating the following criteria requiring that:

1) Each council district contain nearly equal population

2) Each district be drawn to comply with Federal Voting Rights Act

3) No council district shall be drawn with race as predominant factor

4) Each council district shall be contiguous & as compact as possible

5) Each council district shall respect communities of interest as much as possible

6) Each council district border shall follow visible natural & man-made geographical & topographical features as much as possible and

7) Each council district boundaries shall respect the previous choices of the voters by avoiding the pairing of incumbents in the same electoral district, insofar as this does not conflict with federal or state law, and

Be it further resolved, a copy of this resolution be sent to the Indio City Council asking them to hold firm with first districts holding elections under this method November 2018.

Passed unanimously 6/12/17