By Doug Porter

Measures K and L are changes to the City Charter submitted through the efforts of the Alliance San Diego Mobilization Fund and the Independent Voter Project. Both groups have local experience in encouraging voter turnout.

These measures were championed by City Council President Sherri Lightner and placed on the November 2016 ballot by a vote of the City Council.

What they do in a nutshell is to shift the final decision making in elections to November. Measure K says the top two candidates as determined by primary voters for Mayor, City Council seats, and City Attorney advance to the general election. Measure L says citizen-sponsored initiatives and referendums belong on the November ballot.

Having worked in voter turnout efforts, I can say from personal experience that persuading people who are not normally engaged in politics to vote in primaries is a daunting task.

Read the full story here. 

^{Sandra and her newborn baby Nova Vitoria (New Victory) hope to be reunited with Volcy, who was separated from them at the US-Mexico border after a sudden end to the U.S. humanitarian policy towards displaced Haitians that left Sandra and Nova Vitoria on one side of the border and Volcy on the other.}

^{Volcy awaits his turn at the Mexicali port of entry, where he faces indefinite detention and possible deportation to Haiti, as well as a lifetime separation from his fiancé and newborn child.}

Read their story and sign the petition here

By Andrew Bowen

Measures K and L on the November ballot would represent the most fundamental change to San Diego election rules since the establishment of aninth City Council district in 2010.

Both measures are an attempt to shift power from the low-turnout June elections, which coincide with the California primaries, to the November general elections. Measure K would require November runoffs between the top two candidates in races for City Council, city attorney and mayor. Currently those candidates can win outright in June if they get more than 50 percent of the vote.

Measure L would require all citizens' initiatives and referenda to be voted on in November, unless the City Council takes special action to vote on them earlier.

Read the full story here. 

Join us and hundreds of people this Saturday, October 15th, as we walk the streets of San Diego. We will be talking to voters about Measures K&L in the city of San Diego! These measures ensure that big decisions are made when the most people vote, which is in November. Democracy works best when the most people participate and that is in November. We are looking for volunteers to help us create a more inclusive democracy in San Diego, so let’s go for a walk and talk to our friends and neighbors! If you’d like to volunteer, please contact Diamond Wallace at[email protected] or 619-269-1823.