Sentinel staff report–
Voters in Citrus Heights receiving their ballots in the mail this week may have noticed something missing.
For the first time in the city’s history, the majority of voters in Citrus Heights will not see the names of City Council candidates on their November ballot. The reason is due to a lawsuit threat in late-2018 that forced the city to shift away from at-large voting, to avoid costly litigation over the California Voting Rights Act.
From 2019: Demand letter says Citrus Heights elections must change
The City Council last year adopted a new district map, which created five distinct council districts in the city — with one council member elected to represent each district. Only voters residing within a district’s boundaries are able to vote for the council member running for that district’s seat.
Previously, council elections were held at-large, with voters able to vote for each council seat — regardless of which area of the city they resided in.
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This year, only two council seats are up for election: District 1 and District 3. Voters who reside in the other three districts will not see the City Council race on their ballots this year, but will have a chance to vote for candidates in their district in the 2022 election.
District 1 is located in the western side of Citrus Heights, while District 3 is located in the southwest. To learn more about who is running, see article: Election 2020: Who’s running for Citrus Heights City Council?
