San Diego

A San Diego City Council committee Monday voted to forward to the full council a proposal to shift all city elections to even-numbered years, a move that proponents say would boost voter turnout and save the taxpayers money.

Currently, elections for all council seats are staggered and are held in odd-numbered years; elections for mayor and city attorney are held in even-numbered years.

Statistics from the city clerk’s office show that voter turnout is routinely lower in the odd-numbered years because there are no additional state or national races to stir greater interest. In November, for instance, 28% of the registered voters cast ballots, compared to 72% in city elections in 1984.

Holding council elections in even-numbered years would not only boost turnout, it would also save the city roughly $300,000 a year in election costs, its advocates argue.

Shifting the elections, however, would have some important political implications for the incumbents, who hold office for four years. Under one alternative, if elections in districts 1, 3, 5 and 7 were moved to even-numbered years so that candidates were up for election at the same time as the mayor, council members hoping to become mayor may have to resign their jobs to run. Meanwhile, their colleagues could campaign and hold onto their seats because they would face reelection two years down the road.

The full council will debate the issue next Monday..