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City of Laguna Niguel to Begin District Formation Process
At the Wednesday, July 26, 2023, Special City Council Meeting, the
Laguna Niguel City Council adopted a Resolution declaring its intention to transition from at large
to district-based municipal elections.
Currently, all Laguna Niguel registered voters vote for all five City Council Members.
Upon completion of the districting process, the City will have separate voting districts. Beginning in
2024, voters will then vote for one City Council Member to represent the district they live in.
While transitioning to a district-based election system was not an existing goal for the City,
on June 16, 2023, the City received a letter challenging its current election system and
asserting that the City’s at-large election system violates the California Voting Rights Act
(CVRA).
Laguna Niguel is not unique in this situation as dozens of agencies throughout the
State have received similar demand letters prompting a transition from at-large to district based elections.
Residents are encouraged to get involved in the district formation process by attending public
hearings, sharing their thoughts on neighborhoods that should be kept together in a single
district, submitting a map of proposed district lines, and eventually providing feedback on
other draft maps drawn by the community and the City’s professional demographer.
As required by law, the City of Laguna Niguel will hold four public hearings:
• September 5, 2023, at 7 p.m. – First Public Hearing, Laguna Niguel Council Chamber
• September 19, 2023, at 7 p.m. – Second Public Hearing, Laguna Niguel Council Chamber
• November 7, 2023, at 7 p.m. – Third Public Hearing, Laguna Niguel Council Chamber
• December 5, 2023, at 7 p.m. – Fourth Public Hearing, Laguna Niguel Council Chamber
To help share information about the district formation process, public mapping tools, maps
drawn by the public, and to collect public feedback, the City of Laguna Niguel has launched
a dedicated district formation webpage: www.cityoflagunaniguel.org/districting.
The webpage
includes background information about district formation, a schedule outlining public hearings
and deadlines, frequently asked questions, and details on how to get directly involved in the
district formation process.
As the process moves forward in the coming months, the City of
Laguna Niguel will continue to update the dedicated district formation webpage to include
additional information on upcoming meetings, hearings, and outcomes.
