Model City Charter Revision Project - Eighth Edition
Option Memo
Issue: Hybrid Elections (Mixture of At-Large and District)
Seventh Edition: The Model presents five alternatives for conducting
elections including at-large, at-large with district residency requirement,
hybrid, district, and proportional representation. It implies that at-large
elections are the most desirable for good government, while district
elections arise out of necessity. The Commentary says "the Model
continues to stress the value of the at-large principle in designing
the composition of a city council, while recognizing the necessity of
providing for representation of geographical areas under certain circumstances.
The at-large system has generally allowed citizens to choose council
members best qualified to represent the interests of the city as a whole.
In larger cities, citizens may feel isolated from and unconnected with
their government without some geographical basis of representation."
Pros of Preferring Hybrid: Hybrid elections are a sound compromise
between the need to make all regions of a city represented in government,
and the goal of choosing public officials who will serve the interests
of the city as a whole rather than any one constituency. Hybrid elections,
because of their use of districts, help avert challenges under the Voting
Rights Act.
Cons of Preferring Hybrid: The choice of a particular alternative
may depend on factors such as size, diversity, and complexity of the
city. The at-large election is a fundamental component of a simple government.
It is ideal for communities not polarized by region.
Two Options: The Committee should adopt one of the following
positions by the end of the December 7th meeting:
- The Model should express a preference for hybrid elections.
- The Model should continue to present alternative election methods.
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