Petition signatures were submitted and verified. What is happening now?

On February 6, 2025, we presented arguments before the Washington State Supreme Court to establish when the initiative will appear on the ballot. The State Supreme Court decided the initiative will appear on the November, General Election ballot. However, if the intitiative is successful, there will be a new election for Richland City Council in January 2026 where all seven seats will be up for election utilizing the district and at-large hybrid model.

What is this petition about?

This petition is to amend the Richland City Charter to change how the city council is elected from a system which is currently at-large (everyone in Richland votes for all of the council members) to a hybrid system where five of the seats will be assigned to districts (that the candidates will have to live in and that only residents within those districts can vote for) and two seats will continue to remain at-large.

By signing the petition, you are creating an opportunity for Richland residents to vote on what kind of city council they would like to have serving us going foward.

Do you have to live in your district to run in your district?

Yes. This amendment stipulates a candidate who files to run in a specific district must have been a resident of the district for at least 180 days prior to filing. If a candidate files to run for an at-large seat, they can live anywhere within the city.

When will this change take place?

If successful, the first election cycle under the new system would take place in January 2026. Upon completion and certification of each national census, district boundaries will be redrawn by an independent commission to ensure there is parity of population between the districts.

Where will the districts be?

Boundaries for the proposed districts have been made based on data from the 2020 census and have been tentatively drawn to ensure communities within Richland that have shared concerns and interests get at least one member to advocate for their needs on the city council.

Why are you trying to change the election system?

Very simply because representation matters. There are entire communities within Richland with no representation on council and this lack of representation is reflected in the decisions Richland City Council makes. Having at least one member on council from your neighborhood who you know is accountable to you creates a more responsive and transparent governing body.

The creation of districts also makes running for city council a more attainable goal for more residents who may not the time or financial means needed to campaign across the entire city.

How will this work?

In 2026 all seven council seats would be up for election. The members from the three districts and the one at-large winner with the highest number of votes would retain their seats until 2029. The two members from the districts and remaining at-large member with the lowest number of votes would run for reelection in 2027. After that, all seats will serve regular, four-year terms.

For more information, there is link to a complete text of the charter amendment on a separate page.

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