Article
3. District-Based Elections
14040.
District-based elections shall not be imposed or applied in a manner that impairs the ability of a protected class to elect candidates of its choice, or its ability to influence the outcome of an election, as a result of the dilution or the abridgment of the rights of voters who are members of a protected class.14041.
(a) A violation of Section 14040 is established if it is shown that racially polarized voting occurs in elections for members of the governing body of the political subdivision or in elections incorporating other electoral choices by the voters of the political subdivision. Elections conducted prior to the filing of an action pursuant to Section 14040 and this section are more probative to establish the existence of racially polarized voting than elections conducted after the filing of the action.(b) The occurrence of racially polarized voting shall be determined from examining results of elections in which at least one candidate is a member of a protected class or elections involving ballot measures,
or other electoral choices that affect the rights and privileges of members of a protected class. One circumstance that may be considered in determining a violation of Section 14040 and this section is the extent to which candidates who are members of a protected class and who are preferred by voters of the protected class, as determined by an analysis of voting behavior, have been elected to the governing body of a political subdivision that is the subject of an action based on Section 14040 and this section.
(c) The fact that members of a protected class are not geographically compact or concentrated may not preclude a finding of racially polarized voting, or a violation of Section 14040 and this section, but may be a factor in determining an appropriate remedy.
(d) Proof of an intent on the part of the voters or elected officials to discriminate against a protected class is not
required.
(e) Other factors such as the history of discrimination, the use of electoral devices or other voting practices or procedures that may enhance the dilutive effects of the election system, denial of access to those processes determining which groups of candidates will receive financial or other support in a given election, the extent to which members of a protected class bear the effects of past discrimination in areas such as education, employment, and health, which hinder their ability to participate effectively in the political process, and the use of overt or subtle racial appeals in political campaigns are probative, but not necessary factors, to establish a violation of Section 14040 and this section.
(f) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the fact that a district-based election was imposed on the political subdivision as a result of an
action filed pursuant to Article 2 shall not be a defense to an action alleging a violation of this article.
(2) (A) If a court orders a political subdivision to adopt, and subsequently approves, a district-based election system as a result of an action filed pursuant to Article 2, there shall be a rebuttable presumption in any subsequent action filed pursuant to this article that the district-based election system of that political subdivision does not violate this article. The presumption shall apply only to the exact district-based election system that was approved by the court and shall not apply if the boundaries of the districts of the political subdivision are subsequently adjusted for any reason.
(B) This paragraph shall apply only to a district-based election system that is approved by a court on or after January 1,
2015.
14042.
(a) Upon a finding of a violation of Section 14040 and Section 14041, the court shall implement appropriate remedies, as provided in this section, that are tailored to remedy the violation and that are guided in part by the views of the protected class.(b) (1) The court shall implement, as an appropriate remedy under this section, an effective district-based elections system that provides the protected class the opportunity to elect candidates of its choice from single-member districts.
(2) If no such additional effective districts under paragraph (1) are possible, the court shall implement, as an appropriate remedy
under this section, a single-member district-based election system that provides the protected class the opportunity to join in a coalition of two or more protected classes to elect candidates of their choice.
(3) In addition to implementing district-based elections under this subdivision, a court may implement additional remedies, including the remedies provided in subdivision (c).
(c) If the remedies under subdivision (b) are not legally viable, the court shall implement other appropriate remedies, including, but not limited to, increasing the size of the governing body; issuing an injunction to delay an election; or requiring an election to be held on the same day as a statewide election, as provided in Section 1001.
14043.
In any action to enforce Section 14040 and Section 14041, the court shall allow the prevailing plaintiff party, other than the state or political subdivision thereof, a reasonable attorney’s fee consistent with the standards established in Serrano v. Priest (1977) 20 Cal.3d 25, 48-49, and litigation expenses including, but not limited to, expert witness fees and expenses as part of the costs. Prevailing defendant parties shall not recover any costs, unless the court finds the action to be frivolous, unreasonable, or without foundation.14044.
Any voter who is a member of a protected class and who resides in a political subdivision where a violation of Sections 14040 and 14041 is alleged may file an action pursuant to those sections in the superior court of the county in which the political subdivision is located.14045.
If any provision of this article or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the article or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected.