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SAN DIEGO — The deadline to vote in the three ongoing special elections is less than a week away for voters across San Diego County.
Registered voters in Chula Vista, the Fourth Supervisorial District, and two North County water districts will have the opportunity to cast ballots in the following elections until Nov. 7:
- Special runoff to fill the seat on the Board of Supervisors vacated by Nathan Fletcher for the remainder of the current term ending in January 2027.
- Special election to vote in a new Chula Vista city attorney for the remainder of the current term ending in December 2026.
- Special election with a ballot measure to approve the proposed separation of the Fallbrook Public Utilities and Rainbow Municipal Water Districts from the San Diego County Water Authority.
More information on each election, including what to know about the candidates vying for the two positions and what the ballot measure would to do can be found below:
How do I vote if I live in one of the districts where an election is happening?
Official ballots began arriving in the mail for registered voters at the beginning of October for early voting, according to the county.
On Oct. 28, vote centers opened for residents looking to participate in the elections at 12 locations throughout the county. At these sites, residents can:
- Vote in-person or drop off a mail-in ballot.
- Vote using an accessible ballot marking device.
- Receive assistance and voting materials in multiple languages.
- Register to vote or update your voter registration to vote on the same day.
The centers will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Monday, Nov. 6., according to the Registrar of Voters office.
Official drop boxes will also be available for voters across the county until Nov. 7 for those that have a completed ballot. Voters can also mail their ballot through the U.S. Postal Service up until Nov. 7. Ballots postmarked Nov. 8 or after will not be counted, according to election officials.
The county encourages voters to take advantage of these early voting opportunities ahead of election day. Early voters can track the status of their ballot through the U.S. Postal Service’s “Where’s My Ballot?” program.
On election day, the hours at all vote centers will change to 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. County officials will also open 10 more of these sites on Nov. 7, bringing the total number of locations up to 22.
To find an official ballot drop box or vote center nearby, voters can go to the Registrar of Voters’ website. Residents can also contact the Registrar of Voters at 858-565-5800 or toll free at 800-696-0136.
What will happen after the elections?
Both of the positions on the ballot are at different stages in their respective races.
In August, District 4 voters took to the ballot box to select between four candidates in a primary election for the seat on the County Board of Supervisors.
However, none received more than the 50% majority that was needed to win outright, prompting next week’s runoff between the top two vote-getters: San Diego City Councilmember Monica Montgomery Steppe and founder of “Reopen San Diego” Amy Reichert.
Whoever wins the majority of votes in the Nov. 7 election will assume the seat through the end of the term in January 2027.
Meanwhile, next week’s election will be the first time voters in Chula Vista will be able to select their next city attorney after residents voted in a candidate who had unexpectedly passed before his name could be removed from the November 2022 ballots.
Three candidates are currently vying to fill the vacant position. Similarly with the first election in the Fourth Supervisorial District, a candidate will need to garner more than 50% support to win in the first round of voting.
If none of the candidates meet the threshold, the top two vote-getters will move to a runoff election on Mar. 5 next year. Whoever is elected will serve out the remainder of the term, which runs through December 2026.
As far as the ballot measure goes, it is unclear when the water separation will go into effect if voters approve the step, given that county officials will need to certify the results before any changes are made.
FOX 5 will be following all three races on election night. Check back on Nov. 7 for real-time results.
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