LATimes.com: Measures to bolster voter turnout sail toward passage
Measures to bolster voter turnout sail toward passage; incumbents fend off challenges
By DAVID ZAHNISER, EMILY ALPERT REYES AND CATHERINE SAILLANT / March 4th 2015
Two L.A. measures that would shift city election dates forged a big lead in Tuesday's election
In a campaign where the issue of voter participation was front and center, two measures to bolster turnout by combining Los Angeles elections with state and federal contests sailed toward passage Tuesday, early results showed.
A handful of City Hall incumbents — council members Jose Huizar, Paul Krekorian, Nury Martinez and Herb Wesson — were easily fending off reelection challenges, according to partial returns. Councilman Mitchell Englander, who was unopposed, also won reelection.
Charter Amendments 1 and 2, billed as ways to boost turnout in city and school board races, were well ahead of the more than 50% approval required to win passage, the results showed. They were being decided on a day when turnout in the city was expected to stay below the much-lamented 21% mark recorded two years ago, when there were open races for mayor and six council offices.
"This is a great win for the people of Los Angeles," said campaign co-chairman Dan Schnur, a former chairman of the California Fair Political Practices Commission, in a written statement. "Tonight they won back their elections from the special interests who have controlled local politics for far too long."...
Full article:
http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-council-election-20150304-story.html
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