Title
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MEMORANDUM
TO: HONORABLE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
FROM: Diane C Fridley, Registrar of Voters
DATE: April 10, 2018
SUBJECT: (a) Approve Kelseyville Fire, Lake County Fire and South Lake County Fire Protection Districts' Resolutions to change each District's Governing Body Member Election from Odd-numbered years to Even-numbered years, and direct the Registrar of Voters to send required Notification to all districts within Lake County on behalf of the Board of Supervisors; and (b) Schedule a Public Hearing for April 24, 2018 at 9:32 a.m. for Public Input
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
On September 1 2015, Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 415 into law; adding Chapter 1.7 (commencing with section 14050) to Division 14 of the Elections Code known as the "California Voter Participation Rights Act". The new law requires districts with regularly scheduled odd-year elections which have experienced "significant decrease in voter turnout" in the last regularly scheduled election to adopt a plan to transition to even-numbered year general elections no later than January 1, 2018. Significant decrease in voter turnout is described as voter turnout at least 25% less than the average turnout of previous four statewide general elections.
The County of Lake's average turnout for the previous four statewide general elections (2016, 2014, 2012, and 2010) is 65%; in comparison, the turnout for the regularly scheduled 2017 election for special districts that went to election was an average of 19.9%, the difference in turnout is 45.1%. Voter turnout for odd year elections in comparison to even year elections consistently yields a difference greater than 25%.
Currently, the Kelseyville Fire Protection District, the Lake County Fire Protection District and the South Lake County Fire Protection District ("Fire Protection Districts") elect their governing body members in November of odd-numbered years. In order to change from odd-numbered years to even-numbered years, the Board of Direc...
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