Residents of San Diego's Uptown neighborhoods have until 8 p.m. on Tuesday to vote in a new community planning group. The elections are online, and all residents — even noncitizens — are eligible to vote.
Community planning groups advise the mayor and City Council on land use and infrastructure matters. Last May the council voted to recognize a new planning group for Uptown with bylaws and election rules that they said would make participation more accessible.
Uptown is the city-designated planning area that encompasses Bankers Hill, Hillcrest, Mission Hills, Middletown, Medical Center and part of University Heights.
Voting in the Uptown Community Planning Group elections has been underway since early August. Thirty-two candidates are running for 18 elected seats, with each of the six neighborhoods having one seat for a renter and one for a property owner. Five seats are reserved for businesses and one is reserved for a nonprofit. Two non-voting seats set aside for major employers in Uptown will be appointed by the newly elected board.
Michael Donovan is chair of the planning group's elections committee. He said residents can register to vote online by entering their information and submitting a photo of proof of residency, such as a driver's license or utility bill. Businesses in Uptown are also eligible to vote.
"We'll take a look at those, we'll validate that you're a valid voter, we'll enter you into the voter roll, and then after any challenges to the election are over, we'll delete all of that information, other than the fact that you voted," Donovan said.
Two hours of in-person voting will also be taking place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday at First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego, located at 4190 Front St. There are no paper ballots, and people voting in person will use the same digital voting platform as online voters.
The previous community planning group, Uptown Planners, has been a hotbed of debates over issues like increasing housing density limits and redesigning streets for better bike, pedestrian and transit access.
Donovan said the new planning group will oversee implementation of the recently approved Hillcrest Focused Plan Amendment.
"If you want a voice in that process, this is the way to get there," Donovan said. "I'd encourage people to get out and vote."
