May 26, 2026 Demographic Study at Ojai City Council meeting
- ovdems
- Jul 1
- 3 min read
It's Time to Talk About Ojai's District Elections
Six years ago, under leadership of Mayor Johnny Johnston, Ojai switched from citywide ("at-large") City Council elections to voting by district. The change wasn't really a choice — it was a response to a legal threat. Four council members voted yes, one voted no. Now, new evidence suggests that threat may no longer hold up, and the City is taking a fresh look at whether it's time to go back to what worked for many years.
How We Got Here
In 2018, attorney Kevin Shenkman sent Ojai a letter alleging that its at-large election system violated the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA). Shenkman has a well-documented track record of successfully pressuring cities across the state into these lawsuits, and Ojai — like dozens of other small cities — chose to settle rather than fight. The City brought in a demographer, who found that Ojai's minority population isn't clustered in any one part of town — it's spread throughout the city. Despite that finding, the City moved forward and adopted by-district elections in 2020 under Ordinance No. 889.
The New Evidence
On May 26, 2026 the City brought in a demographer for a second look — and the findings echoed the first. Voters of color in Ojai still aren't concentrated in any single neighborhood. And beyond that, the fresh analysis found something more pointed: district elections haven't improved minority representation in Ojai. If anything, they've diluted minority voting power by splitting those voters across four separate districts instead of letting them weigh in on every council race.
The presentation to the City Council reached four key conclusions:
The numbers don't support the district system. Even in Ojai's most-Latino district, non-Hispanic white voters outnumber Latino voters five to one among those actually casting ballots.
District voting hasn't helped Latino voters elect their preferred candidates. The switch made in 2020 hasn't delivered on its stated purpose.
District voting shrinks everyone's voice. Under this system, no Ojai voter — Latino or otherwise — gets to vote for all four City Council seats. At-large elections let every resident weigh in on every seat.
The legal ground has shifted. On April 29, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Louisiana v. Callais, a landmark ruling that raises the bar for proving vote-dilution claims under Section 2 of the federal Voting Rights Act. It doesn't repeal the CVRA — that's a state law, and it remains in effect — but it changes the legal landscape these cases are decided in, and the City Attorney's separate report addresses what that shift means for Ojai.
What Happens Next
The City Council decided on May 26, with a vote of 3-2 to remain with district elections. Their options include repealing or amending Ordinance 889 outright, or putting the question to Ojai voters on a future ballot. They chose to do nothing.
The agenda item: Consideration of the City's Ability to Shift to At-Large Voting (Gilman/Rule)
Staff recommendation asks the Council to:
Review the information on shifting back to at-large elections.
Direct the City Attorney's Office on whether to bring back an ordinance repealing or amending Ordinance 889 — or an ordinance placing the question before voters.
Or provide alternate direction.
This is exactly the kind of moment where community input matters. If you believe every Ojai voter should have a voice in electing the entire City Council, now is the time to pay attention and speak up.
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