Cambridge City

MA

Policy Order POR 2016 #127 Order Adopted

That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to coordinate with the appropriate City departments to publish a Cambridge voter guide to be distributed to each household in Cambridge a month before the 2017 municipal election. Information Department: City Clerk's Office, NM Sponsors: Councillor Nadeem A. Mazen, Councillor E. Denise Simmons, Vice Mayor Jan Devereux, Councillor Marc C. McGovern Category: Policy Order Attachments Version History Printout Body WHEREAS: Candidate participation in municipal elections is high, with an average of 22 candidates for City Council and 10 candidates for School Committee during the each of the last 3 election cycles; and WHEREAS: Despite the high candidate participation, voter participation in the City’s municipal elections has been low, with less than 28% of Cambridge’s estimated 65,791 registered voters casting their vote for their civic leaders; and WHEREAS: A major barrier to voter engagement in municipal elections is lack of easily accessible information about candidates and their platforms; and WHEREAS: Lack of information disproportionately affects citizens who are unable to attend in-person events, citizens who are not computer literate, and citizens who do not speak English as their primary language; and WHEREAS: Residents who are new to Cambridge are not likely to be targeted by political campaigns and would be more likely to participate in elections with a mailed introduction to candidates and an explanation of the basics of our proportional representation voting system, which is not widely used; and WHEREAS: A City published voter guide would be a cost effective lever for Cambridge to reach and to inform every voter during election season; and WHEREAS: New York City, New York, Lawrence, Kansas, and other cities publish voter guides, which include candidate submitted biographical information, top priorities, and other relevant information, and include appropriately prescriptive guidelines to preserve the city’s impartiality; now therefore be it ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to coordinate with the appropriate City departments to publish a Cambridge voter guide, to be distributed to each household in Cambridge a month before the 2017 municipal election; and be it further ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to ensure that the voter guide will contain space for candidate-submitted summaries of their platforms and qualifications; will also include a list of additional resources voters can use to inform themselves of the candidates, such as links to candidate websites and questionnaires organized by community groups; and will include any other information deemed appropriate to engage and educate voters including an explanation of proportional representation and polling locations; and be it further ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to ensure that the guide will be translated into all languages commonly spoken in Cambridge upon request, and that this option will be well publicized through the distribution of the printed guide to households with a pdf available online; and be it further ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to coordinate with the appropriate City departments to report back with a timeline for roll out and implementation for the 2017 election within the next six months. Meeting History City Council Regular Meeting Draft Draft RESULT: ORDER ADOPTED