About the Coastal Vote Chart

The Coastal Vote Chart tracks the monthly voting record of the 12 members of the California Coastal Commission. These monthly vote charts will update the annual scorecards that have been prepared for over 20 years. The chart is authored and produced by the Surfrider Foundation, WILDCOAST and Environment California, in cooperation with California’s conservation community. The chart shows how Commissioners vote. Are they following the Coastal Act? Protecting natural resources? Safeguarding our coastal legacy? Or approving harmful development and catering to lobbyists and self-serving developers? Californians have a right to know.

Criteria:

The Coastal Commission reviews up to 1,000 projects a year. Most of these votes are not included in the Coastal Vote Chart. We report only on those votes with the most impact on the coast or those that could set important statewide precedents.

These are the projects where the stakes are the highest. Where the project developer has hired lobbyists. Where the lobbyists meet in private with Commissioners before the public meetings. Where Coastal Commissioners face intense political pressure.

These votes determine the future of the coast. Your coast. These are the important votes that deserve transparency and accountability. Through the monthly vote chart and annual scorecard, ActCoastal will work to meet that challenge.

Monthly Votes and Annual Grades:

Each month, the most important votes are selected and Commissioners are rated on their votes. A description of the issues affected by each vote, as well as a record of individual Commissioners’ votes and their alternates or their absence, appears in each monthly table (see key above). An annual score will be tabulated from the Commissioner’s monthly votes. At the end of the year these votes will be compared with official records kept by Coastal Commission staff. However, any errors are the sole responsibility of the preparers.