LA City Council seeking to change election years as way to boost voter turnout

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Los Angeles City election is less than two weeks away and voter turnout is predicted to be even lower than it was in 2013.

The council is asking for passage of two charter amendments, which would change city elections to even numbers years.

In 2013, when Eric Garcetti went out and cast a vote for himself as mayor, only 23 percent of Los Angeles voters joined him.

As a way to change that, the city hopes voters will choose to move elections.

The new process would start in 2020, including council and schoolboard races to the presidential ballot. In 2022, the mayor and citywide races will be added to the governor's race ballot.

The reasoning for the change is because those major elections usually have higher turnout.

Fernando Guerra from the Yes Campaign said consolidating elections simplifies the process.

"People believe in democracy. People believe in voting, especially those that come out...they are really dedicated to voting and they will see that this is good for the city and good for democracy," he said.

Opponents said there is no proof that the changes will have any effect, and voters may not pay as much attention to local races during high profile elections.

Councilman Bernard Parks is one of the leading voices against the amendments.

"Historically, about 80 percent of local elections in the city are won in the primary. We also know that our odd year primaries have more people that vote than the state and national elections in even number years. So it's a false pretense," he said.

For the past two years, the city has been wrestling with the issue of dismal voter turnout, even considering and then discarding the idea of cash prizes.

The irony is not lost on either side that these amendments could win or lose by the smallest of margins because of low voter turnout.

Parks said his colleagues are asking the wrong group for answers.

"I think we ask the wrong people on how to make the voting better. We keep asking people who vote, we never ask people who don't vote," he said.

Both amendments have to pass by a simple majority in order to take effect. If they pass, candidates elected in 2015 and 2017 will serve for five and a half years to catch up to the revised election cycle.