He added that general elections “often result in vote dilution or impairment of the ability of minority groups to elect their preferred candidates or influence the outcome of elections”.

Shenkman sent the letter, dated Sept. 26, on behalf of his clients, the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project and its members who live within the district boundaries.

The Keppel school board voted 4-0, in the absence of clerk Dominique Ballante, at a special meeting Wednesday night to pass a resolution to begin the transition to an election-by-trustee system.

“Although the District received a letter of request from Mr. Shenkman, the Board has been and remains committed to ensuring a fair and legal voice for the entire District community in who their elected officials are,” wrote Keppel Superintendent Jacqueline Cardenas. E-mail. “Therefore, the board looks forward to this process and invites media and district voters to participate in the November 15, 2022 board meeting regarding the transition process. The legal counsel and district demographer will discuss the timing and requirements of the transition process. We will also hold a public hearing to gather input from our constituents on how the maps should be drawn to better serve and represent the district constituency. »

The new system will be in place for the November 2024 elections when the seats for Ballante and council chairwoman Waunette Cullors are up for election.

The law allows Shenkman to collect $30,000 for every letter he sends. He sent a similar letter, dated Sept. 15, to the Palmdale School District. This district is in the process of implementing change. A second public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.