2019
6,161
Two City Council seats (Districts 1, 2). Two more seats were uncontested and candidates were appointed (Districts 3, 6) rather than put on the ballot, to save money on the election cost
Studies from the Public Policy Institute of California and other organizations have demonstrated that even-year elections and propositions can improve turnout, and Santa Barbara’s election history shows that to be true.
The city will be moving to even-year elections in 2024, like every other city in the tri-county area, which is expected to have a larger impact on voter turnout than district elections did.
Elections for the six City Council seats are split, so three people are elected every two years. The mayor’s race is aligned with the Districts 4, 5 and 6 elections, which means every city voter can cast a ballot those years.