City Commission approves referendum on election day move

This fall, voters in the city of Sarasota will likely have the opportunity to weigh in on whether municipal elections should move from the spring of odd-numbered years to the fall of even-number years.

In a 3-2 vote Tuesday, the City Commission approved ballot language for the November election for a referendum on moving election day. If approved, the charter amendment would reschedule city elections to coincide with state and national races.

The change would also eliminate the current run-off system, creating a single winner-takes-all election for City Commission races no matter how many candidates are vying for the seat.

Supporters of the ballot initiative said the change would help increase voter turnout in city elections. Turnout has hovered around 20% in spring elections, and topped 50% in the 2012 and 2014 November general elections.

“It’s all about maximizing voter participation,” Vice Mayor Suzanne Atwell said.

Mayor Willie Shaw and Commissioner Susan Chapman voted against the referendum. Chapman agreed that voter turnout in city races is a concern, but said the fall election date would introduce its own issues — including getting crowded out by the attention given to county, state and national races.

“If we’re asking for more expensive campaigns, more difficulty recruiting good candidates, more exhaustion, then this is a possibility,” Chapman said.

Final approval of the referendum will likely be scheduled for April, as the state legislature could consider a bill that would give the county supervisor of elections authority to set municipal election dates.