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Bill would move county board of education elections from primaries to general elections to increase turnout
Summary
Sen. Tom Umberg on Tuesday presented Senate Bill 249 to move county boards of education elections to the statewide general election, arguing that the step would raise turnout and make boards more representative.
Sen. Tom Umberg on Tuesday presented Senate Bill 249 to the California State Assembly Education Committee, saying the bill would move elections for county boards of education from primary ballots into the statewide general election to increase voter turnout and broaden the electorate.
Umberg told the committee that primary turnout is “significantly smaller” than general election turnout and gave county examples—Riverside (about 409,000 primary vs. 959,000 general in the last election) and Alameda (about 330,000 primary vs. 683,000 general)—to argue that consolidating the contests would produce more representative results.
The bill’s chief supporter, Savannah Jorgensen of the League of Women Voters of California, said SB 249 would “strengthen our democracy” by ensuring more Californians, especially historically underrepresented groups, have a meaningful voice in choosing county board members.…
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