Hunter
12/06/23
Calling the way city councilors are elected in Iowa City “broken,” a councilor-elect wants to enact change to simplify the process.
The Daily Iowan reports that Andrew Dunn wrote an op-ed to the paper last month.
Currently, there are three district seats — A, B, and C — and four at-large seats. Candidates running for a district seat must live within its boundaries, but a candidate running for an at-large seat can live anywhere within city limits.
In general elections, voters, no matter which district they reside in, can vote for all candidates on the ballot running for a district or at-large seat. However, for primary elections, only voters who live within the primary district can vote for the candidates in that election.
To provide more equity in the election process, Dunn suggests three potential changes to the system. They include keeping the same number of at-large members on the council, and the district seats can only be voted upon by those who live in the same district; abolishing at-large seats and use only district seats that can then be voted on by their district’s respective voters; or making all seats at-large and no longer use district seats.
Dunn, a former at-large councilor, will be sworn in as District C councilor after the first of the year.