Across California, cities are switching from at-large to district elections, but Orange County has some holdouts. At-large elections allow anybody in the city to vote for any candidate, regardless of where someone lives. District elections only allow someone to vote for a candidate that lives in their district. Brea and Cypress, both in the northern part of OC, say they will not switch over to district elections, even after both cities were threatened with lawsuits.
‘Not city-wide representation’: Brea, Cypress reject district elections
Orange County’s city of Brea is fighting district elections. Columnist Gustavo Arellano explains their stance: “By making us into these small districts, you're carving us out into districts that maybe have a couple thousand voters.” Photo by Shutterstock.