The Measure D Charter Amendment to transition to district election was passed during the primary elections on March 5.
Measure D will expand the Irvine City Council from five to seven members by adjusting the election process charter to elect one council member, not including the Irvine mayor, from each new district outlined in the proposed Irvine District Map.
Each intracity district encompassing approximately 50,000 residents will be required to hold its own elections, which is intended to cultivate a more personal relationship between residents and candidates.
“Irvine has now grown to more than 300,000 residents, with new neighborhoods [that] spread over 66 square miles,” mayor Farrah Khan and council members Larry Agran and Mike Carroll wrote in the official argument supporting Measure D. “By adding two new seats to the City Council and creating six Council districts, Measure D ensures fair and equal representation for all.”
Currently, Irvine follows an at-large election process where all residents of the City of Irvine vote to elect four city council members. Proponents of Measure D’s implementation hope that candidates will be encouraged to develop more intimate relationships by going door-to-door in their respective districts instead of spending a majority of funds to develop a city-wide campaign.
However, some residents have raised concerns that the creation of multiple districts could result in racial gerrymandering, which is the practice of drawing the boundaries of electoral districts in a way that dilutes the voting power of minority groups, and that the proposed map does not comply with federal and state voting rights.
“The creation of voting districts likely will enlarge divisions,” retired business lawyer Cathy Schiff said on Voice of OC Community Opinion. “Various racial, ethnic, religious and other groups will migrate to districts where they will be surrounded by people of like backgrounds, beliefs and cultures.”
Before the upcoming general municipal election cycle in November, Irvine residents are encouraged to reference the Irvine District Map and learn who their district candidates are.
For information about Measure D and the upcoming election, call the City of Irvine Election Hotline at 949-724-6159, available Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.