Bill would move county board of education elections to general election to boost turnout

Sen. Tom Umberg introduced SB 249 to the Assembly Education Committee, proposing that elections for county boards of education be held at the statewide general election rather than during the primary. “Primary elections have a turnout that is significantly smaller than the general election,” Umberg told the committee, citing turnout differences in Riverside and Alameda counties as examples.

The League of Women Voters’ Savannah Jorgensen told the committee the measure would produce more representative outcomes. “Turnout in the 2024 primary was 35% of registered voters compared with 71% during the 2024 general election,” she said, adding that primary electorates “disproportionately exclude younger voters, Latinos, Asian Americans, and black voters.” Dozens of teachers’ unions and education groups — including the California School Employees Association and the California Teachers Association — registered support during the hearing.

Representatives of the Orange County Board of Education — including Board President Mary Barkey and board liaison Brandon Guevara — testified in opposition. Barkey said the change would be confusing for voters and would reduce the ability of county trustees to “differentiate” their role from local district trustees. She also argued the bill would be costly if the state required local election administration changes. Tom Sheehy, speaking for the board and identifying himself as a former chief deputy director at the California Department of Finance, said Legislative Counsel labeled the bill a mandate and predicted counties would file test claims that could lead to statewide costs for adding ballot lines and IT processing.

Committee members questioned costs and the tradeoffs between turnout and voter attention in a crowded general election ballot. Umberg argued that moving the contests would enfranchise a broader and more diverse electorate; Sheehy and Orange County witnesses argued the contests could be further buried down-ballot and that local jurisdictions should be allowed to adopt changes voluntarily. The chair took the bill under submission because the committee did not yet have a quorum.

When the committee later voted with a quorum present, SB 249 was approved for referral to the Appropriations Committee (motion recorded on the floor; committee recorded the measure as passed to Appropriations). The committee’s public roll calls and remarks are reflected in the transcript.