Ever since 1987, Peoria, Illinois, has elected 5 at-large members to its city council, along with 5 members elected from districts. For the at-large seats, the city uses cumulative voting. Each voter is free to distribute five votes however he or she wishes. This means a voter can give all five votes to just one candidate, if the voter really wants that one particular candidate elected. Or a voter can give two votes to one candidate, and one vote to each of three other candidates, or any other combination.

According to this story, the city council may vote on November 15 to eliminate the system, although that might require approval from the Voting Rights Section. Peoria is 27% black and has one black city council member. Cumulative voting started in 1987 when blacks complained that no blacks had ever been elected.

On November 10, the city of Aspen, Colorado, asked the State Supreme Court to reverse the ruling of the State Court of Appeals, that said after an election is over, ballots can be shown to members of the public on request, as long as nothing reveals which voter cast which ballot. See this story.

On November 10, the Illinois League of Women Voters submitted this 6-page request for reconsideration in the League’s lawsuit against the legislative redistricting plan. As noted in an earlier post, a U.S. District Court on October 28 had rejected the League’s argument that the First Amendment prohibits partisan gerrymanders.