Whittier is shifting much of its municipal election administration to Los Angeles County. Early results reported Monday showed voters overwhelmingly approving two measures that will move the city's elections to November of even-numbered years and impose a 12-year term limit on local elected officials, with the county Registrar-Recorder taking over most election administration going forward.
Wide Margins for Both Measures
As of 4:02 p.m. on Monday, Measure EV, which shifts general municipal elections from April to the same day as the November statewide general election, had 79.5% support, according to Whittier Daily News. Measure EL, which sets the 12-year term cap, had 77% of the vote as of that same report. City documents cited 79.55% support for the election-date shift.
Both measures amend the Whittier City Charter and needed only a majority to pass, per the same report. The city council is expected to certify results in early December, according to the City of Whittier.
From April Ballots to November's Bigger Stage
Whittier's charter called for general municipal elections on the second Tuesday of April in even-numbered years, per the city. If Measure EV's passage holds, the next general municipal election — originally set for April 11, 2028 — will instead fall on Nov. 7, 2028, aligning with the statewide general election. The city's ordinance recitals state that voter turnout in Whittier runs higher in statewide general elections than in municipal ones.
Research cited in the city's own materials backs that logic. A 2002 Public Policy Institute of California report found that California municipal elections held alongside presidential elections saw turnout among registered voters run 36% higher than in off-cycle elections, and concluded that election timing alone explained roughly half the turnout differences among California cities. A more recent MIT Election Lab analysis found that consolidating local elections with statewide contests pushed registered-voter turnout up by about three percentage points more than expected in recent California elections — though the lab describes those findings as preliminary and says more research is needed to determine whether the effect holds outside California.
Whittier's own April turnout data tells a similar story in miniature: the city's most recent local election drew a 28% turnout rate, which Whittier Daily News described as a 107% jump over 2024 votes cast.
What Happens to Current Officeholders
Because the election calendar is shifting, current terms are being stretched to bridge the gap. Mayor James Becerra's current term will be extended until the person elected mayor at the 2028 general municipal election takes office, per the city's proposed ordinance; he may then seek reelection for what would be a two-year term. Council members Aida Macedo and Vicky Santana, each elected to four-year terms, will serve until their successors elected in November 2030 take office.
District 1's Mary Ann Pacheco and District 3's Cathy Warner hold seats up for election in 2028. Under Measure EL's rules, only terms elected or appointed after Nov. 3, 2026 count toward the new 12-year cap, meaning Warner could still serve up to 12 additional years under the new limit.
County Takes Over Day-to-Day Election Work
Los Angeles County will assume primary responsibility for many election administrative and operational functions, including ballot distribution, vote center operations, ballot tabulation and the official canvass.
The clerk's office handles candidate nomination procedures, campaign finance filings, required election notices and voter education and outreach. It also handles records management, preparation of city council agendas and minutes, and facilitating public access to government records.
The policy shift also follows a statewide trend. California's Senate Bill 415 generally prohibits political subdivisions from holding elections on non-statewide dates when doing so has previously led to significant decreases in voter turnout, according to the bill's chaptered text from the California Legislative Information portal. The Los Angeles County Registrar of Voters remains the custodian of Whittier's voter records; the city has said it does not maintain, add, edit or delete those records itself.
Whittier voters will next head to the polls under the new system in 2028, the first test of whether the switch to November delivers the turnout bump that research and city officials have anticipated.
