Diane Dimperio and Janice Garry Guest columnist to the Gainesville Sun

During the November election, Alachua County voters will be asked to decide if we should change the way our county commissioners are elected. Ballots for Alachua County residents will include this question: “Shall the five members of the board of county commissioners of Alachua County, Florida, be elected to office from single-member districts by electors residing in each of those districts only?”

The county is divided into five districts which are established, and periodically updated, by county commissioners. Currently, board members are elected to represent residents of the district in which they live but are elected by all the voters in the county. This is referred to as an “at-large” election.

The referendum would change the process so commissioners would be elected by only the voters who live in their district. This is referred to as a “single-member” district.

At-large districts are used to elect county commissioners in 41 of Florida’s 67 counties. Alachua County School Board members are elected by at-large voting. The city of Gainesville combines methods: Four commissioners are elected from single-member districts, while two commissioners and a mayor are elected at-large.

Every community is unique, which makes comparing advantages and disadvantages of at-large to single-member districts tricky. Comparisons of the two methods are complicated by differences in population size, demographics and other issues which will also affect elections.

Use of single-member districts became more common after passage of the Federal Voting Rights Act. Single-member districts have been used successfully to provide access to political power for people of color, who had, under at-large voting, been unable to elect candidates of their choice.

National experience consistently indicates use of single-member districts increases political representation by people of color, but only when the population is geographically concentrated. For example, African Americans living in the city of Gainesville tend to be concentrated in one part of town, so the transition to single-member districts enabled them to elect a candidate of their choice.

Since the African-American population is dispersed throughout Alachua County, at-large voting promotes racial equity. For decades, Alachua County has had at least one African-American county commissioner. Since the population of Alachua County is about 20% African American, one commissioner of five is commensurate with demographics.

If you vote "yes” you will be voting for county commissioners to be elected from single-member districts. This is expected to have some disadvantages. Use of single-member districts is likely to limit the ability of African Americans to elect a candidate of their choice.

Municipalities that have converted from at-large to single-member districts have seen fewer females elected. Governing group members elected by single-member districts may become aligned with special interests which can result in more conflicts and greater difficulty making decisions. The issue of how districts are drawn can become contentious and claims of gerrymandering are not uncommon.

If you vote "no” you will be voting against electing commissioners from single-member districts, which are thought to have some advantages. Since there are fewer voters in each district, the cost of campaigning is reduced, which is thought to broaden the field of potential candidates. The number of contacts constituents make with commissioners has been shown to increase, suggesting more civic engagement.

It is thought that commissioners from single-member districts are more attentive to the needs of specific populations. Observers suggest office holders of single-member districts are more accountable so those who do not perform are voted out of office.

We describe the benefits and disadvantages of changing the method of electing our county commissioners. The decision is yours to make. Please vote!

Diane Dimperio is a member of the Voter Services Committee of the League of Women Voters of Alachua County and Janice Garry is chapter president.

As published by The Gainesville Sun, October 18, 2022

See the original article here: https://www.gainesville.com/story/opinion/2022/10/18/league-women-voters-alachua-county-commission-district-referendum/10469502002/