S.F. ballot measure would change election dates
The amendment would move back the next mayor’s race from 2023 to 2024, coinciding with the next presidential election.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed’s current term could be extended by one year if a newly proposed ballot measure that would shake up the city’s local election schedule succeeds this fall.
Supervisor Dean Preston is hoping to put a City Charter amendment before voters in November that aims to move the elections for several local offices from odd-numbered years to even-numbered ones, when turnout is typically higher.
The amendment would move back the next San Francisco mayor’s race from 2023 to 2024, coinciding with the next presidential election and adding a full year to Breed’s term that began in 2020. Additionally, the sheriff, district attorney, city attorney and treasurer would be on the ballot in 2024 and every four years thereafter.
Breed could end up serving about 10 and a half consecutive years as mayor because of the charter amendment. She first took the office in July 2018 after the special election held due to the death of former Mayor Ed Lee, before being elected to a full four-year term in 2019. If the charter amendment passes and Breed is re-elected in 2024, her second term would end in early 2029.
Preston’s stated goal for the charter amendment is broader: He wants to maximize voter participation.
“It is good for our local democracy when we’re choosing public officials in high-turnout elections,” Preston said when he announced the proposal at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting.
He pointed to San Francisco’s recent turnout figures as evidence that too few voters are participating in elections for some of the most important local offices.
In November 2019 — when Breed was elected to her first full term and District Attorney Chesa Boudin won his job — San Francisco’s turnout was 41.64% of about 495,000 voters, according to city data. Preston was first elected to the board that year, narrowly defeating Breed’s District Five appointee Vallie Brown.
One year later, in the November 2020 presidential election, the city’s turnout was 86.33% of about 521,000 voters. Preston defeated Brown again that year, that time by a more comfortable margin.
Preston pointed out that Los Angeles voters in 2015 chose to move their city elections from odd- to even-numbered years, hoping to improve dismal turnout figures. The measure passed with 77% and appears to have been a success.
“I hope that our efforts in San Francisco will draw similar widespread support,” Preston said.
His charter amendment would also adjust the requirement for placing local initiative ordinances on the ballot. Currently, proponents must get signatures equal to 5% of the votes cast in the previous mayor’s race. Preston’s proposal would change the threshold to 2% of all registered voters in San Francisco.
If at least six of the 11 supervisors agree to put Preston’s charter amendment on the November ballot, it would need approval from a simple majority of voters to become law.