The City of Encinitas has transitioned to a system where City Council members are elected by district instead of serving "at large."

Why District Elections?

The city received a certified letter from the law firm of Shenkman & Hughes on July 20, 2017 claiming the city is violating the California Voting Rights Act (Elec. Code §§ 14025-14032) because Council members were elected at-large rather than by districts. Dozens of local government agencies in California have faced similar challenges in recent years, including our neighboring cities of Carlsbad, Oceanside, Vista and San Marcos.

The Encinitas City Council adopted Resolution 2017-82 on August 30, 2017 to evaluate moving to district elections, taking advantage of a legal protection that enables cities to have a say in district boundaries and avoid costly litigation.

This protection applies only to cities that pass a resolution within 45 days of receiving a demand letter alleging a violation of the California Voting Rights Act. The resolution must indicate the city’s intent to move to district elections. Please review the staff report for the meeting where the City Council voted to move to district elections.