San Mateo County Measure B passed with 56.5 percent of voters within the country approving of the move. This means that the San Mateo County Charter has been amended so that no longer will San Mateo supervisors be elected through “at-large” but “by-district.”

The approval of Measure B means racial groups within the county will have a better chance of selecting or making their voices heard when they are choosing candidates for supervisors. Thus supervisors will be more diverse and so more accurately reflecting the county’s population and the racial groups which made it up.

Measure B is a good move because, in addition to the above, it allows the voice of minority groups to be better heard, especially when electing members of the board of supervisors, who are responsible for looking after the county and everyone who lives within it, to quote the supervisors website “San Mateo County government protects and enhances the health, safety, welfare and natural resources of the community; and provides quality services that benefit and enrich the lives of the people of this community. We are committed to: the highest standards of public service; a common vision of responsiveness; the highest standards of ethical conduct; treating people with respect and dignity.”
Voters, within San Mateo, should care that Measure B allows minority groups who are spread out throughout San Mateo County to express their own voice and this was shown clearly with the results from the elections.

According to http://quickfacts.census.gov, 64.4 percent of voters are white, in San Mateo, which is interesting because the two next largest racial groups are Asians with 25.8 percent and Hispanic or Latinos with 25.6 percent.

Yes, it’s true that Measure B doesn’t change anything and it’s clearly illustrated in the wording of the measure, for example it doesn’t change the four year term for supervisor or the requirement for candidates who wish to run for a position on the board, for example supervisors are still elected for four years, however the key wording of Measure B is the switch from “at-large” to “by-district.”

“By-district” means only candidates who reside in that district can run to represent that district on the board of supervisors of San Mateo. This is important because it means that the candidates who are interested in running, not only reside in that district, but are more than likely to know the district and the who people live in it.

So while Measure B may not change a lot, the change from “at-large” to “by-district” will mean that minority groups within San Mateo County will now be more likely to choose candidates that not only they know but who has their interest at heart and will be willing to put it forward for consideration, especially when you consider the quote above from the county website.