From left: Al Clark, Gregg Carty, and Patrick O'Connor | Credit: Ryan P. Cruz; Courtesy
For the first time in its history, Carpinteria voters will cast their ballots for City Council candidates who live within their districts, not for at-large nominees who live anywhere in the city, as they have in previous years.
Sparked by civil lawsuits in cities up and down the California coast, the move to district elections is intended as a move toward equality and representation, the idea being that in many cities, “communities of interest” — or groups whose voting power is unfairly diluted in at-large elections — would be better off if their collective voting power is kept within their respective district(s).