Bid to Change Tustin Elections Date Rebuffed

TUSTIN —  A bid by Councilman Jeffrey Thomas to move City Council elections from April to June met with a chilly response on Monday.

Mayor Leslie Anne Pontious and Councilman Charles E. Puckett said they would vote against the measure. “I am going to have to stand in favor of April elections just like I did 2 1/2 years ago,” Puckett said.

Tustin became the first Orange County city to hold April elections in 1989 when the council voted for the change amid a tumultuous battle.

But Thomas said he is seeking to change elections from April to June primarily because of low voter turnout. “I want to get more people out to vote. I noticed in the last election it came down to simple numbers.”

According to the city clerk, only 19% of Tustin’s 19,700 registered voters participated in the April council election. During the June elections, that number jumped to 42%.

Thomas said that holding the elections in April disfranchises many of the city’s registered voters. “April elections deny people access. It puts the power of the city in the hands of a select few people.”

He added that the most recent elections, held April 14, were an especially poor time to hold municipal elections. Not only is it the day before a tax deadline, but the date also falls during the Easter vacation.

Tustin resident Carl Kasalek disagreed with Thomas, saying that April elections ensure that the best people are voted onto the council.

He said that when municipal elections are held in conjunction with larger elections “people who are voting are perhaps not as informed on Tustin issues as they should be.”

Thomas said the cost of holding independent elections was also an impetus for his push to change the election date. He said it costs the city more money to hold elections in April because the city has to rent vote-counting equipment, print its own ballots and hire poll personnel.

The last election cost Tustin $22,000, according to the city clerk. The cost of the last November election, which was held in 1988, was not available.

City Manager William A. Huston said that the cost of holding April elections is only slightly higher than for June or November.

However, council candidates would have to spend more money on their campaigns if elections were held later in the year. Mayor Pontious said a longer campaign would likely exclude her from the race because of the extra cost.