This report discusses flaws of the current system Austin uses to elect its city council, and the use of alternative systems that may allow a more accurate representation of the increased diversity of the city. First, it provides some historical and theoretical background, tracing Austinıs three phases of governmental history and discussing the role of representation and the major voting systems in use today in the worldıs democracies. Then, the report discusses problems of the current election system in Austin, with respect to minority representation, geographic representation, and voter turnout. Lastly, the report recommends that the current system be replaced with a mixed system that combines at-large and single member district elections, and discusses the advantages of a mixed system over both the current system and the single-member district election method recently proposed by the Charter Revision Committee.
