Branda Lin Irvine

💜 Thank you to Councilmembers Kathleen K Treseder, Betty Martinez Franco, Melinda Liu, and William Go, for moving Irvine one step closer to implementing ranked choice voting! 🙌 And thank you to all those in our community who submitted public comments online or in-person to support! 👏

Great to work alongside California RCV Coalition and Democrats of Greater Irvine on this issue! 🎉 Let’s continue to work to make our elections one where majority rules, not a plurality. 🗳️

📣 𝐓𝐨 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐕𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: Councilmembers Treseder, Martinez Franco, and Liu have agendized Ranked Choice Voting and it's on today’s City Council meeting agenda!

𝐓𝐨 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐕𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: Watch this short video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq7N2hmX9FI

Now is the time to reach out to the City Council and show them the community’s overwhelming support. Let’s keep the momentum going so we can get it on the November 2026 ballot!

How?

𝟏. 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞-𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐍𝐨𝐰!
Please submit an e-Comment at the link below, even if you plan on attending the meeting tomorrow and making a public comment in person!

https://irvine.granicusideas.com/meetings/2815-city-council-adjourned-regular-meeting-and-special-joint-meeting-with-the-great-park-board/agenda_items/69e81356f395e71e5f000c4d-5-dot-2-ranked-choice-voting-adoption-discussion

𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞? 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐛𝐬:

---Sample 1---
I am writing as an Irvine resident to urge the City Council to support Ranked Choice Voting. RCV empowers voters by giving them more choices and eliminates the 'spoiler effect' that often discourages new candidates from running. It is a proven, common-sense reform that makes our local democracy more resilient and inclusive. Please vote 'Yes' on this item to ensure that Irvine’s elections are decided by a true majority of its citizens.

--- Sample---
Irvine has always been a leader in innovation and good governance. By adopting Ranked Choice Voting, we can lead the way in Orange County toward more civil and representative elections. RCV rewards candidates who reach out beyond their base to build a broader consensus, which is exactly what our city needs. I am asking the Council to support this measure tonight and move Irvine toward a more democratic future.

𝟐. 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭! - 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐱 𝟔:𝟑𝟎𝐏𝐌
If you plan on attending tonight's City Council meeting in-person, please wear purple 💜 and plan to arrive around 6:30PM. Please prepare a 90 second comment.

𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐙𝐨𝐨𝐦, log in here. Be sure to raise your hand on Zoom when Item 5.2 comes up (and not before).

Join Zoom Meeting:
https://zoom.us/join
Meeting ID: 160 043 4844
Passcode: 272906

City Council Agenda (RCV is Item 5.2 on the agenda):
https://irvine.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_id=68&event_id=2815

FairVote 756 likes, 134 comments. "Ranked Choice Voting Facts"

Back in 2015, the State Auditor advised Irvine of a need for a city auditor. Fast forward to today, and Irvine is facing the largest deficit in it's history. The need for an independent state auditor is long overdue. Do we have the leadership on the City Council to get a charter amendment on this November's ballot for a city auditor? And let's make sure we have an independent fraud hotline like Long Beach.

Great article Doug Elliott!

Should Irvine Have an Independent City Auditor? - Irvine Watchdog City of Irvine

When the New York Times reached out to me after discovering the articles Doug Elliott and I wrote for Irvine Watchdog, I was beyond excited and grateful. Covering the multi-million dollar Live Nation deal was an undertaking, but this recognition proves that local reporting is vital and that our hard work has a real impact. A massive thank you to the volunteers who help us shine a light on local government—it matters! 🕯️🏛️

Irvine Wanted a New Concert Venue. But Not on Live Nation’s Terms. (Gift Article) As the company’s antitrust trial continues, one incident involving an amphitheater shows how it clashed not with another industry titan, but a small city.

I’m thankful to have had the opportunity to present on 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐕𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 (RCV) to the Democrats of Greater Irvine last week, and thrilled to share that the club voted overwhelmingly to support RCV for our local municipal elections! 🎉🚀

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐞:

𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Winners are backed by a true majority of voters.

𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬: Candidates are encouraged to build bridges rather than burn them.

𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐕𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: You can vote for your favorite candidate without the fear of "spoiling" the election.

This is a step toward making our local democracy more inclusive, fair, and functional. Next steps? Getting it agendized on an upcoming City Council meeting!

Here's a related Irvine Watchdog article with more info: https://irvinewatchdog.org/city-hall/ranked-choice-voting-gains-overwhelming-support-from-local-democratic-club/

Tonight's Planning Commission meeting at 5:30PM, includes Item 4: 𝐙𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄 𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐍 𝐒𝐏𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐀𝐂𝐇 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐀 𝟏𝟐 (𝐎𝐀𝐊 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐊)

Irvine Company has filed a zone change application to amend Section 9-12-7 of the Irvine Zoning Ordinance to allow consideration of an alternative approach to implementing open
space within Planning Area 12 (Oak Creek), which includes the Oak Creek Golf Course. The amendment would provide an alternative to existing Zoning Ordinance special development requirements that require the subject site to be retained and operated as a public golf course. Adoption of the amendment would not approve a development project or change the underlying General Plan land use or zoning designations of the subject site.

𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚: https://irvine.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_id=81&event_id=2794

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐟𝐟 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭: https://irvine.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=81&event_id=2794&meta_id=182028

𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐓𝐮𝐛𝐞: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txU-uvy2pmU

𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨 𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞: https://cityofirvine.org/community-development/planning-commission-agendas-minutes-0

The 2026 Planning Commissioner Academy, hosted by the League of California Cities, is officially in the books! 📚🏛️ So thankful for all they do to advocate, educate, and collaborate for our communities. 👏

Thank you to Councilmember Betty Martinez Franco for supporting continued education! ✨ This investment helps us all make the most informed decisions for our city’s future and growth. 📈🌱

It was also a highlight to see fellow Emerge California alums leading the way in the State Senate! 🌟 So proud to see Senator Sasha Renée Pérez championing SB 995 and Senator Aisha Wahab advancing SB 722. 🗳️💪

I wrote this article to shed light on how a multi-million dollar contract was about to be awarded in our local government. As one of the most educated cities in the nation, you’d expect a certain caliber of decision-making—but the reality tells a different story.

We need more eyes on our local government.

Read:

Ranked Last, Chosen First: Carroll and Go's Controversial Push to Grant PSQ Contract For the Permanent Amphitheater - Irvine Watchdog City of Irvine

Congratulations Councilmember Betty Martinez Franco! 🎉 Our city is lucky to have your voice on the dias. Looking forward to all the good you bring to our Irvine community!