Editing Greenbelt, Maryland (section)

===2009 election reform===
Of the [[Prince George's County#Cities and towns|ten incorporated cities in Prince George's County]], Greenbelt is one of three with at-large elections for council and mayor (the others are [[District Heights, MD|District Heights]] and [[New Carrollton, MD|New Carrollton]]).  The remaining seven use combinations of districts and at-large voting.  On February 28, 2008, the Maryland [[American Civil Liberties Union]] and Prince George's County [[NAACP]] sent a letter to the Greenbelt City Council claiming that Greenbelt's at-large system may violate [[Voting Rights Act#Section 2|Section 2]] of the [[Voting Rights Act|Voting Rights Act of 1965]].<ref>{{Cite news|title=ACLU Contacts City re: Reform for Fairness of Election System|work=[[Greenbelt News Review]]|pages=1, 6|date=2008-03-27|url=http://www.greenbeltnewsreview.com/issues/GNR20080327.pdf|access-date=2008-08-24|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080911102546/http://www.greenbeltnewsreview.com/issues/GNR20080327.pdf|archive-date=2008-09-11|url-status=live}}</ref> According to the letter, the 2000 Census indicated that African-Americans constituted 38% of Greenbelt's voting-age population, Asians 13%, and Latinos 6%.  At the time, however, all members of the city council were white. The letter proposed that the city switch to [[single-winner voting system|single-winner district-based voting]], [[cumulative voting]], or [[choice voting]], and indicated a lawsuit would follow if no reform were implemented.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Jeon|first=Deborah A.|title=Legal Director, American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland, Letter to the Greenbelt City Council|date=2008-02-28|url=http://www.aclu-md.org/Index%20content/Attachments/Greenbelt.pdf|access-date=2008-08-24|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113231503/http://www.aclu-md.org/Index%20content/Attachments/Greenbelt.pdf|archive-date=2016-01-13|url-status=dead}}</ref> While the city population is racially diverse, only two African Americans had run for Council in the 30 years preceding the 2009 election, one of whom had withdrawn before the election.<ref>{{Cite web|last=McLaughlin|first=Michael|title=City Manager of Greenbelt Response to Gazette editorial|date=2008-06-03|url=http://www.greenbeltmd.gov/city_government/Gazette_edit%20_2.pdf|access-date=2010-09-27|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718062642/http://www.greenbeltmd.gov/city_government/Gazette_edit%20_2.pdf|archive-date=2011-07-18|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Attebury|first1=Jordan|last2=Lyles|first2=Jeffrey K.|title=A change in complexion for Greenbelt|newspaper=[[Washington Post]]|date=2009-12-03|access-date=2010-01-12|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/02/AR2009120202181.html|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604112724/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/02/AR2009120202181.html|archive-date=2011-06-04|url-status=live}}</ref> In June 2008, the [[United States Department of Justice]] opened an investigation into the city's election system.<ref>{{Cite news|last=McGill|first=Natalie|title=Probe of election system begins|work=Maryland Gazette|date=2008-06-05|access-date=2008-07-17|url=http://www.gazette.net/stories/060508/greenew124118_32362.shtml|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522184641/http://www.gazette.net/stories/060508/greenew124118_32362.shtml|archive-date=2011-05-22|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2008, the city government hosted three public community meetings regarding election reform, in concert with the ACLU, NAACP, and [[FairVote]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Woods|first=Bay|title=NAACP and ACLU Hold Their Third Meeting in Greenbelt West|work=[[Greenbelt News Review]]|pages=1, 6|date=2008-10-09|url=http://www.greenbeltnewsreview.com/issues/GNR20081009.pdf|access-date=2009-11-07|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711124828/http://www.greenbeltnewsreview.com/issues/GNR20081009.pdf|archive-date=2011-07-11|url-status=live}}</ref> Over 100 residents attended the forums, including one of the unsuccessful African American candidates, Jeanette
Gordy, who said, "My concern is that people don't get off their royal behinds. By going to meetings I got what I wanted and found out I had power as a citizen."<ref>{{Cite news|last=White|first=Thomas X.|title=County Groups Seek to Change Manner of Voting in Greenbelt|work=[[Greenbelt News Review]]|pages=1, 12|date=2008-08-28|url=http://www.greenbeltnewsreview.com/issues/GNR20080828.pdf|access-date=2008-09-11|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081029093531/http://www.greenbeltnewsreview.com/issues/GNR20080828.pdf|archive-date=2008-10-29|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2009, the city implemented several election reforms with the goal of increasing diversity: increasing the city council from five to seven members, adding another precinct in Greenbelt East to shorten voter lines, and amending the city charter to allow early voting.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Attebury|first=Jordan|title=Nine candidates vie for city office|work=Maryland Gazette|date=2009-09-24|access-date=2009-11-04|url=http://www.gazette.net/stories/09242009/greenew173354_32522.shtml|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113135722/http://www.gazette.net/stories/09242009/greenew173354_32522.shtml|archive-date=2016-01-13|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In the election held November 3, 2009, Emmett Jordan, an African American, was chosen by 75% of voters, electing him to the Council as Mayor Pro Tem, the second-highest city official.<ref name="Giese 1, 8">{{Cite news|last=Giese|first=James|title=Jordan, Davis, City Are the Big Winners in City Council Election|work=[[Greenbelt News Review]]|pages=1, 8|date=2009-11-05|url=http://www.greenbeltnewsreview.com/issues/GNR20091105.pdf|access-date=2009-11-07|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711124921/http://www.greenbeltnewsreview.com/issues/GNR20091105.pdf|archive-date=2011-07-11|url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref>{{Cite news|last=Attebury|first=Jordan|title=Greenbelt elects first black city councilman|work=Maryland Gazette|date=2009-11-03|access-date=2009-11-04|url=http://www.gazette.net/stories/11032009/prinnew231722_32545.shtml|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113091940/http://www.gazette.net/stories/11032009/prinnew231722_32545.shtml|archive-date=2016-01-13|url-status=dead}}</ref>  Voter turnout increased from {{formatnum:1898}} to {{formatnum:2399}} voters (a 26% increase in ballots cast) from 2007 to 2009.<ref>{{Cite web|title=City of Greenbelt 2009 Election Results|date=2009-11-04|url=http://www.greenbeltmd.gov/city_government/election/results.htm|access-date=2009-11-04|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100112165904/http://www.greenbeltmd.gov/city_government/election/results.htm|archive-date=2010-01-12|language=en-US}}</ref>

In the election held November 5, 2013, Emmett Jordan was chosen by 77% of voters, and receiving highest vote count was then elected Mayor by the council.<ref name="Giese 1, 7">{{Cite news|last=Giese|first=James|title=Emmett Jordan Gets Top Vote All Incumbents Are Re-elected|work=[[Greenbelt News Review]]|pages=1, 7|date=2013-11-07|url=http://www.greenbeltnewsreview.com/issues/GNR20131107.pdf|access-date=2013-11-16|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131126130619/http://www.greenbeltnewsreview.com/issues/GNR20131107.pdf|archive-date=2013-11-26|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Oberg 1, 6">{{Cite news|last=Oberg|first=Diane|title=Full House Sees Emmett Jordan Elected and Inducted as Mayor|work=[[Greenbelt News Review]]|pages=1, 6|date=2013-11-14|url=http://www.greenbeltnewsreview.com/issues/GNR20131114.pdf|access-date=2013-11-16|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131125220750/http://www.greenbeltnewsreview.com/issues/GNR20131114.pdf|archive-date=2013-11-25|url-status=live}}</ref>