VOTE411 Voter Guide

The following nonpartisan report was prepared by the League of Women Voters of Lane CountyMeasure 20-349 Amends Charter, changes method for electing mayor and city councilors. (City of Eugene)Official Title: Amends Charter, changes method for electing mayor and city councilorsFinancial impact:The most current estimate for the cost to the city of recoding and re-certifying the voting machines is $75,000. This is a one-time cost; there will be recurring savings from eliminating a primary election each year. There will also be costs for voter education. This measure does not include a tax increase.Probable Results of a “Yes” vote: If approved, the charter for the City of Eugene will be amended to replace the current voting method with STAR voting for electing city officials -- including mayor, city councilors, and Eugene Water and Electricity Board commissioners. It would be implemented in the general election of 2026.It would eliminate the need for primary elections.Probable Results of a “No” vote: If the measure is not approved, there will be no changes to the current method of voting for nonpartisan city officials and the city would not incur costs for changing the method.Background: Concern about the method of electing officials is increasing. The current electoral method, plurality voting, in which the candidate with the most votes wins, accurately reflects the electorate if there are only two candidates. However, if there are more than two candidates, those candidates split the vote, with the potential result that the candidate with the most votes does not necessarily reflect the views of the majority of the electorate, or if no candidate receives more than 50% of the votes, it would mean a runoff election. This can lead to strategic voting -- voting for the candidate most likely to win -- rather than voting one’s preference, or to other approaches to avoid vote splitting. In STAR voting (Score Then Automatic Runoff) voters score each candidate on a scale of zero to five; multiple candidates can have the same score (no score equals zero). The scores are totaled for each candidate; the are the two candidates with the highest total scores. In an immediate automatic runoff, voter preference between the two finalists establishes to which of the two finalists a ballot goes. Voter preference is determined by how many ballots ranked one of the two candidates higher than the other. The finalist preferred by the most voters is the winner.Proposal: If adopted, the charter of the City of Eugene will be amended to change the method of electing municipal officials (mayor, city councilors, EWEB commissioners). The STAR voting method would be implemented for the general election in 2026. It would eliminate the need for primary elections.