Shirley Odou (Letters, May 16th) is incorrect on Measure A. Measure A ensures candidates are elected in proportion to the votes they receive, eliminating the voter dilution problem at the heart of the lawsuit.
To clarify several misconceptions she stated:
1. ALL residents who volunteered to the charter committee were appointed. Measure A was crafted by Santa Clarans who were willing to put in the time to develop a better system.
2. Ranked-choice single-transferable-vote (STV) system HAS been used all over the US, including current use in Cambridge, MA and historical use in many communities including New York and Cincinnati. STV was so successful in electing diverse voices that the power structures in those communities drove repeal efforts.
3. Voters maintain full control over their ballot. Your vote only goes to candidates you’ve ranked. If your first choice can’t get elected, your vote goes to your next choice, so your vote is not wasted.
Santa Clarans are smart enough to create our own solution, We do not need to defer to the judicial system to find one for us.
I urge my fellow Santa Clarans to vote YES on Measure A, a good solution by the all-volunteer Charter Committee.
