On August 12, 2021, the City of Victorville received a certified letter from attorney Scott J. Rafferty, on behalf of his client, Neighborhood Elections Now, alleging that the City’s at-large electoral system may violate the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA) (Elections Code 14025-14032) and stated that the City should change to a district-based election system for electing City Council Members. Upon receipt of this letter, the City could agree to transition to district-based elections or be forced to defend against a lawsuit asserting a CVRA violation.
At that time the City of Victorville employed an at-large election system, which means voters of the entire City elect the five Council Members. An election by district is one in which the City is divided into five separate districts, with one Council Member being elected by only the voters who reside in that district.