A Statistical Study of Alternative Representational Systems for the LA City Council

Music City Center 

The 2022 Los Angeles City Council scandal heightened public demand for governance reform, prompting the formation of the Ad Hoc Committee on City Governance and proposals from civic and academic organizations. Key recommendations included establishing an Independent Redistricting Commission, expanding the City Council, and adopting alternative electoral systems such as multimember districts and ranked-choice voting.

In this project, we provide a rigorous, data-driven approach to evaluate these proposals, focusing on their effects on proportionality, racial representation, and electoral responsiveness. We draw on techniques from both Statistics and Computer Science, including Bayesian ethnicity imputation, ecological inference, and modern graph sampling algorithms for exploring the space of district boundaries. Our hybrid approach enables deeper insights into the political geography of Los Angeles, and the challenges in establishing a fair and representative City Council. By providing empirical evidence on the strengths and weaknesses of various districting systems, our work aims to inform policymaking and advance democratic representation in Los Angeles.