Acceleration & Deferral: How 2-1=3

Two legitimate words (acceleration and deferral) that do not by design go together. However when it comes to legislative representation, they are joined at the proverbial hip. 

The concepts of ‘acceleration’ and ‘deferral’ are used in this case to refer to State Senate districts… and it’s something that happens only once a decade after the decennial redistricting.

State Senate districts are up every four years, with 20 up each even-numbered year. Inevitably, at each redistricting, some lines will be drawn that switch voters from even-numbered districts to odd-numbered districts and vice versa. Thus, since voters in even-numbered districts elected a state senator in 2010, they ordinarily would not have voted for a state senator in 2012.

However, if they were moved by redistricting from an even-numbered district to an odd-numbered district, they found a State Senate race on their ballot on November 6.

This is of particular import to San Mateo County. A new district was created in this cycle and the San Francisco/Peninsula region went from two senate districts to one. Combined were the two districts represented by Mark Leno and Leland Yee that stretched north into Marin and south into San Mateo County respectively to only one district entirely in San Francisco and Daly City.

Leland Yee is termed out in 2014 and has the right to serve in office until then. However, his old district number (SD08) was moved to the Foothills/Sierras region and Yee (as appropriate) stayed with the voters who elected him, rather than follow a district number. However, his old (longevity not age) voters all voted for a new State Senator in this cycle, either Mark Leno if they live in west San Francisco or Jerry Hill if they live in San Mateo County.

These voters were "accelerated," meaning they voted in two sequential elections for a State Senator and now have two senators. That's what happened in 2012 if you were moved from an even-numbered district to an odd-numbered one.

(On the other hand, if you were moved from an odd-numbered district to an even numbered district, the electorate will go six years in between votes for State Senator. They have been “deferred.” That happened in the City of West Sacramento relatively to SD03 and SD06. Interestingly, they will be technically without a State Senator until they cast ballots in their new district (SD06) in 2014.

For San Mateo County constituents, we have a wealth of solons. Leland Yee, will likely double up and support Jerry Hill and Mark Leno in serving his former district. (FYI: For the “deferred” folk, the Senate Committee on Rules will soon assign a State Senator to serve their constituent needs through 2014.)

So in San Mateo County we have two districts minus one district = three Senators. Clear as mud? As they say, just be thankful you don't get all the government you pay for...