On March 7, the voters of Redondo Beach, California, voted to use ranked choice voting for elections for city office. Redondo Beach is a charter city. California law does not allow cities to make this decision, unless they are charter cities. Most California cities are not charter cities.
The city council had put the measure on the ballot. Redondo Beach is the first city in Los Angeles County to use ranked choice voting. The measure passed with 75% support. Redondo Beach has a population of 70,000.
What is the difference between a charter city and a non-chsrte4 city?
A city charter is the equivalent of its constitution. In some states, including California, a city may have home rule and be able to amend its charter.
In California, non-charter cities are known as general law cities, and their governance is based on state statute. They have a 5-member city council and no elected mayor.