Choices Not Districts

NOTE - GSBA has not taken a stance on Charter Amendment 19. The opinions below are solely those of their author(s).

Authors: Choices Not Districts campaign

 
Politicians get to serve at large regardless of whether they are elected at large or by district.  It is only We the People who have our jurisdiction restricted by districting.

  
In comparing the city and county councils: the King County Council is also comprised of nine members, and all nine have jurisdiction over you as a resident of this county; yet you are prohibited from participating in eight of their nine elections because the King County Council is elected by districts.  BUT CURRENTLY, NO ONE CAN RUN FOR CITY COUNCIL WHO IS BEYOND YOUR REACH AS A VOTER.  Let’s keep it that way!

 
Districting also causes elections in which incumbents run for reelection unopposed: e.g. in 2009, 4 of the 5 districts electing someone to the King County Council had no challenger: only the incumbent's name on the ballot.

So why do the districting advocates keep trying to put this over on us?  Because their argument is that geography trumps political ideology and freedom of choice – that you are better off to have to vote for someone you may not like who lives in your part of town than to have the freedom of choice to vote for the candidates of your choice regardless of where they live in town.

 
City council members are under oath to represent the entire city and therefore should be accountable to all of us.  Council members should work for the common good and not pit the interests of one geographic area against another.  We don’t need councilors with tunnel vision.  They need to address issues that are citywide, such as public safety and utilities. Retaining only two at-large councilors will not ensure that citywide needs are met; it takes five for a majority.

For neighborhood politics get involved with your neighborhood councils.  This is why we have neighborhood councils.

And even with good intentions, districting makes gerrymandering possible and unavoidable.  Gerrymandering cannot exist without districts and vice versa.

Districts will also require decennial redistricting, with taxpayers incurring the costs.  

Redistricting will bump many people into different districts. 

If Charter Amendment 19 passes, in the future most city council candidates will be off limits to you: beyond your reach as a voter.  In 1975, 1995 and 2003 Seattleites rejected districts.  Let’s do it again.  Protect your choices: Vote NO on Charter Amendment 19.

Choices Not Districts
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Seattle Districts Nows

NOTE - GSBA has not taken a stance on Charter Amendment 19. The opinions below are solely those of their author(s).

Authors: Julius Caesar Robinson, Glenn Avery, Donna Hartmann-Miller for Seattle Districts Now

Charter Amendment No. 19 changes the way we elect City Councilmembers from citywide election of nine Councilmembers to seven Councilmembers elected by geographic district and two elected by all Seattle voters.

By voting YES, you will have a Councilmember living in, elected by, and responsible for representing your area of Seattle. Currently, no one on the City Council represents your specific neighborhood or community and each Councilmember has to represent 630,000 people.

Charter Amendment 19 is important for Seattle because: 

• Under Charter Amendment 19, there will always be at least one member of the Council ensuring your neighborhood gets a fair share of resources such as parks, community centers, libraries, public safety, human services, pedestrian improvements, and road maintenance. A YES vote on Charter Amendment 19 means you will finally have a Councilmember advocating for the specific needs of your community.
• By retaining two “at-large” Councilmembers and the Mayor representing the whole city, Charter Amendment 19 ensures regional and citywide needs will have a voice.
• Each district under Charter Amendment 19 will have about 88,000 residents, meaning a grassroots candidate can win against an incumbent using good old fashioned legwork and people power. Under the existing system, candidates must use expensive mailers and television ads to reach hundreds of thousands of voters. A YES vote on Charter Amendment 19 opens the door for qualified younger or less well-connected candidates. 
• Of the 50 largest U.S. cities, Seattle is one of only three still electing all its Councilmembers citywide. When San Francisco adopted district elections in 2000, the cost of an average Council campaign fell from $188,000 to about $74,000.
• NO NEW TAXES are needed for Charter Amendment 19.

Join 45,000 of your friends and neighbors who helped place this measure on the ballot.   Vote YES on Charter Amendment 19 to ensure elected Councilmembers and future candidates are more closely engaged with you, your neighbors, and your community.

Charter Amendment 19 is a good-government proposal with strong bipartisan support, including the Speaker of the House Frank Chopp, the King County Republicans, 46th District Democrats, Senator Adam Kline, Senator Jeanne Kohl-Wells, Senator David Frockt, Senator Sharon Nelson, Senator Maralyn Chase, Representative Gael Tarleton, Representative Mary Lou Dickerson (ret.), Representative Jessyn Farrell, Representative Gerry Pollett, King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski, and thousands of voters just like you.

Learn more about Charter Amendment 19 at SeattleDistrictsNow.org