OC School Board Members May Face Bigger, Freer Elections – Orange County Register

The proposal to complete Orange County Board of Education seats in the November general election, not the primary, could soon be introduced by the California legislature.

If passed, SB-286, backed by State Senator Dave Min, D-Irvine, would force the five-member council to face a larger and more liberal constituency than it currently has to keep your chair.

In recent years, the board — which does not oversee any school districts but carries the symbolic power of the name “Orange County” — has waged legal battles and held hearings. publicity to promote conservative views on issues such as pandemics and serious race. theory. In a district where voter registration data shows Democrats outnumber Republicans by about 4 percentage points, conservatives hold a 4-1 advantage on the Board of Education.

Min, a law professor at UC Irvine who was elected in 2020, said on Thursday that clarity, not board conservatism, is why he supports the idea of ​​a transition. elections to November. The bill has already passed two Senate committees this week and could soon be passed by Conformity before moving to the full state Senate and perhaps the whole legislative body. France.

“When I was campaigning, I heard from a number of people throughout the county who said they were always confused by our elections.”

While most federal, state and local offices are selected in two stages, with primaries held in the primary and smaller field finals held. In November, several seats in multiple California counties were completed in the primaries. In Orange County, those seats include the county-based Board of Education and the Superintendent of Schools, whose office doesn’t even appear on a ballot in November. Several other elected positions, such as Orange County, were elected. such as the Orange County Sheriff, can be resolved in a primary if the top candidate gets 50% of the vote.

“It was a confusing situation,” Min said. “I heard voters ask which (resolved) in the primary and which (resolved) in general?”

To remedy that, Min said last year he proposed a bill that would bolster most California elections in November, but when that idea ran into opposition from lawmakers in other parts of the country. other parts of the state, he admitted it only applies to the Orange County Board of Education. Technical issues, he added, had prevented him from including the school superintendent job in this year’s bill.

“There’s no reason why the final vote shouldn’t take place in November,” Min said. “The primaries are supposed to shape your choices in general, but the general election is seen as the election that matters.”

The November district is almost always larger and tends to be more liberal than the primary election. For example, in 2020, nearly 1.6 million people voted in the Orange County general election, nearly double the voter turnout of that March primary election.

Min notes that voters in November, but not in the primaries, tend to be younger, less Caucasian, and less affluent than those who vote in both the primary and general elections. shouted.

It is unclear whether a changed election cycle would change the composition of the Board of Education. Trustee Mari Barke, who represents the second area, said on Thursday that the proposal surprised her.

“I was wondering what was the motive behind the bill, and wondering why there was only one county in the state that was removed,” Barke said.

But Barke added that running in November will not change her campaign strategy or her message to voters.

“I think you walk to win,” says Barke. “When you meet people, tell them who you are and you care about children, that’s what wins elections.”