San Leandro is Violating the Voting Rights Act
(Art by HEBSTREITS) The city of San Leandro is in violation of the California Voting Rights Act . Our rejection of district-based local elections and continued use of the at-large system prevents us from having a truly representative city council that advocates for everyone in our city. To understand why, we need to take a short trip to LA County and the case of the Pico Neighborhood Association v. The City of Santa Monica . A recent decision from the California State Supreme Court determined that Black and Latino voters in the area were being systemically disenfranchised and BIPOC candidates were unable to afford to run for office. The court further found that the local government, as well as some courts, "misconstrued" what the CVRA requires, sending the case back for review and equitable resolution in favor of the plaintiff's civil rights. San Leandro's at-large elections weaken the power of the different communities and neighborhoods that make up our city to choo...