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REQUEST FOR <br />COUNCIL ACTION <br />CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: <br />DECEMBER 2, 2013 <br />TITLE: <br />DISCUSSION OF POTENTIAL <br />CHARTER AMENDMENT FOR PRIMARY <br />ELECTIONS AND RELATED ELECTION <br />ISSUES <br />� III <br />RECOMMENDED ACTION <br />CLERK OF COUNCIL USE ONLY: <br />APPROVED <br />❑ As Recommended <br />❑ As Amended <br />❑ Ordinance on 1" Reading <br />❑ Ordinance on 2nd Reading <br />❑ Implementing Resolution <br />❑ Set Public Hearing For <br />CONTINUED TO <br />FILE NUMBER <br />Staff recommends that the City Council discuss the election related items and provide direction. <br />DISCUSSION <br />At the City Council meeting on November 4, 2013 the City Council considered an 85A item <br />proposing a City Charter amendment to create a primary election for the office of Mayor. The <br />Council discussed the item and related issues such as whether to include a primary election for <br />Mayor and Council, whether Council Members should be elected from wards and not by wards, <br />and consideration of appointing, rather than electing a Mayor. The Council directed staff to <br />prepare information on the issues described below and requested that staff bring the item back <br />for Council consideration in at least 30 days. <br />The Council asked staff to address the following issues: <br />1. The operation of primary elections; <br />2. The prevalence of appointed vs. elected Mayors; and <br />3. The costs associated with holding elections. <br />Primary Elections: <br />Larger cities by population, such as San Jose, San Diego, Long Beach and Los Angeles hold <br />primary elections for elected officials. The first election, sometimes referred to as a Primary <br />Nominating Election (PNE) in Long Beach, is the first of two possible elections. Candidates are <br />nominated by the voters and appear on the PNE ballot. If any one candidate receives 50% + 1 of <br />the votes cast for that office, that candidate has received a majority vote and is declared elected <br />to that office. If any candidate does not receive a majority of the votes cast for that office in the <br />PNE, then a second election is held, the General Municipal Election (GME or runoff), at which the <br />top two vote getters from the PNE are placed on the ballot and the candidate that receives the <br />most votes in the GME /runoff is declared the winner. <br />65A -1 <br />