San Jose poll: Measure B likely to succeed with changes to the mayoral election year

With less than a month until Election Day, a newly released poll commissioned by Silicon Valley Rising shows voters are poised to pass San Jose Measure B.

The ballot initiative would align the city’s mayoral election with presidential elections starting in 2024 and elect the new mayor in November for a two-year term. There are seven contenders for the open seat, including Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez, council members Dev Davis, Matt Mahan and Raul Peralez, retired San Jose police officer Jim Spence and students Travis Hill and Marshall Woodmansee.

Between March 3 and 5, Oakland-based firm EMC Research conducted 500 interviews asking whether likely voters would support changing when San Jose holds its mayoral elections; 60 percent of respondents said they would support the change.

The results are similar to a 2019 poll commissioned by the same group in which 62 percent of respondents supported the change.

This isn’t the first time the contents of Measure B have tried to make it to the ballot. In June 2020, the then-controversial labor-backed ballot measure dubbed the Fair Elections Initiative fell 2,248 signatures short of the 69,024 needed to qualify for the November 2020 ballot.

Aside from changing the mayor election cycle to presidential election years, the initiative also called for placing a limit on certain campaign contributions — including those from individuals or entities that received city contracts of at least $25,000.

This time, the San Jose City Council voted 10-1, with Council member Dev Davis dissenting, to place the measure on the June ballot following a lengthy process by the city’s Charter Review Commission.

Proponents of Measure B say that changing the mayoral election cycle will boost voter turnout. San Jose’s currently mayoral elections are held on years when California’s governor is elected — an election that generally sees less voter turnout than presidential elections.

“By passing Measure B, we can increase the number of San José voters who turnout to elect our mayor — especially young voters, women and people of color whose voices have been most often left out,” Silicon Valley Rising Action Director Maria Noel Fernandez said in a statement. “This initiative is a significant step towards a more representative, just democracy that is by the people, for the people. As a result, we can ensure our elected leaders are responsive to us, not wealthy special interest groups.”

But not everyone is on board with the changes Measure B could make. Several well-known politicos and community members, like Davis, along with Pat Waite and Rich Crowley — the president and vice president of the group Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility, have come out against the initiative.

Waite said while he understands the “rationale behind moving it to get more voters out,” he’s concerned about the unintended consequences.

“What’s going to motivate the odd-number district voters to turn out?” he added.

San Jose’s mayoral election typically coincides with elections for five council districts: 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9. If the measure passes and the mayoral election aligns with presidential elections, it will coincide with council elections for districts 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 — potentially decreasing voter turnout for the odd-numbered districts.

Despite his opposition, Waite said he wouldn’t be surprised if Measure B passes — “and probably with a fair amount of support.”