HomeMy WebLinkAboutDiamond Bar SB 1164 (Cervantes) - Oppose Unless Amended Letter 8/6/2026
City of Diamond Bar
21810 Copley Drive | Diamond Bar, CA 91765-4178
909-839 -7000 | Fax 909-861-3117
www.DiamondBarCA.gov
Steve Tye
Mayor
District 1
Ruth M. Low
Mayor Pro Tem
District 2
Andrew Chou
Council Member
District 3
Stan Liu
Council Member
District 5
Chia Yu Teng
Council Member
District 4
August 06, 2026
The Honorable Buffy Wicks
Chair, Assembly Committee on Appropriations
1021 O Street, Suite 8220
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: Oppose Unless Amended - SB 1164 (Cervantes) Elections
Dear Chair Wicks,
As Mayor of the City of Diamond Bar, I am writing to respectfully oppose SB 1164
(Cervantes) unless it is amended.
The City of Diamond Bar strives to protect and ensure fair and equitable participation in
the voting process. SB 1164 (Cervantes), as currently drafted, creates significant
uncertainty and liability for cities by broadening standards within the California Voting
Rights Act (“CVRA”) framework.
Specifically, SB 1164 (Cervantes):
• Broadens the types of election practices that may be legally challenged,
significantly increasing litigation risks for cities like Diamond Bar that have
transitioned to district-based elections in compliance with the CVRA.
• Replaces the existing CVRA framework with broad and subjective standards that
lack clear definitions or objective benchmarks, making it difficult for cities to
determine what compliance requires.
• Weakens cities' ability to address alleged violations before litigation when working
in good faith.
• Imposes significant financial and administrative burdens due to expanded litigation
expenses and ongoing compliance obligations, creating substantial uncertainty
for local election administration.
In 2022, Diamond Bar transitioned from at-large to district-based elections, recognizing the
costly, time-intensive efforts required to comply with the CVRA. SB 1164 would subject
cities to more of these processes at a time when many cities throughout California are
already expected to do more with fewer financial and administrative resources.
Chair Buffy Wicks
August 06, 2026
Page 2
For these reasons, the City of Diamond Bar respectfully opposes SB 1164 unless amended
and urges the Legislature to provide clear compliance standards and reduce
unnecessary litigation risk for cities working in good faith to ensure equitable access to the
electoral process.
Sincerely,
Steve Tye
Mayor, City of Diamond Bar
cc: Diamond Bar City Council
Senator Sabrina Cervantes, 31st District
Senator Bob J. Archuleta, 30th District
Assembly Member Lisa Calderon, 56th District
Jennifer Quan, Regional Public Affairs Manager, League of California Cities
League of California Cities, cityletters@cacities.org