About CityVotes

Learn how to use this transparency tool

What is CityVotes?

CityVotes is a civic transparency tool that makes it easy to track and understand how your Santa Ana City Council members vote on issues that affect your community.

We compile voting records from official city council meeting minutes and present them in a searchable, user-friendly format so you can:

  • See how individual council members voted on specific issues
  • Track voting patterns and trends over time
  • Search for votes on topics you care about
  • Compare how different council members align on issues

How to Use CityVotes

Council Members

View profiles of current and former council members, including their voting statistics, participation rates, and complete voting history.

Meetings

Browse past city council meetings to see what was discussed and voted on. Each meeting shows all agenda items and their outcomes.

Votes

Search and filter all recorded votes by year, outcome, or keyword. See the full breakdown of who voted yes, no, or abstained.

Alignment

Discover which council members vote together most often and which tend to disagree, helping you understand voting blocs and coalitions.

Glossary of Voting Terms

Aye / Yes
A vote in favor of the motion or item being considered.
Nay / No
A vote against the motion or item being considered.
Abstain
A council member chooses not to vote either way, often due to a potential conflict of interest or insufficient information.
Absent
The council member was not present for the vote.
Recusal
A council member formally removes themselves from voting due to a conflict of interest.
Passed
The motion received enough "Aye" votes to be approved.
Failed
The motion did not receive enough "Aye" votes and was rejected.
Consent Calendar
Routine items grouped together for a single vote, typically non-controversial matters.
Public Hearing
An agenda item where community members can provide input before the council votes.
Quorum
The minimum number of council members who must be present for official business to be conducted (typically a majority).
Unanimous
When all voting members vote the same way (all Aye or all Nay).

Frequently Asked Questions

All voting data is sourced from official Santa Ana City Council meeting minutes and agendas, which are public records. We compile this information to make it more accessible and searchable.

Currently, the database includes voting records from 2022-2024. Updates are made periodically as new meeting minutes become available. The City Council typically meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month.

The participation rate shows the percentage of votes where a council member was present and voted (Aye, Nay, or Abstain). It excludes times when they were absent or recused. A high participation rate indicates consistent attendance and engagement.

Voting alignment measures how often two council members vote the same way. A high alignment percentage (e.g., 95%) means they usually agree, while a low percentage means they often vote differently. This can help identify voting blocs or coalitions on the council.

Some items pass by "unanimous consent" or "voice vote" where individual votes aren't recorded. In these cases, the tally may show 0-0-0 even though the item passed. This is common for non-controversial consent calendar items.

Yes! Santa Ana City Council meetings are open to the public. They typically meet at City Hall on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 5:00 PM. You can also watch meetings live or recorded on the city's website.

Contact information for Santa Ana City Council members is available on the official City of Santa Ana website. You can reach out to them about issues you care about or to share your feedback on upcoming votes.

Data Sources

Official Sources

Data Coverage

  • Date Range: January 2022 - December 2024
  • Total Votes: 1,244 recorded votes
  • Total Meetings: 75 city council meetings
  • Council Members: 11 current and former members
Back to Home Contact Us