Tomorrow, November 7, is the final opportunity to cast ballots on Tuesday’s special election day.
The Special Election includes three items limited to eligible voters in distinct areas of San Diego County: Fourth Supervisorial District, the City of Chula Vista, Fallbrook Public Utility District or Rainbow Municipal Water District.
District 4 seat on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors
A special runoff election will take place to replace the vacant seat on the Board of Supervisors previously held by Nathan Fletcher for the rest of the current term ending in January 2027. This vote comes after the controversial exit of former Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, who was accused of sexual misconduct during his incumbency as chairman of the MTS board.
Earlier this year, registered voters in District 4 had the opportunity to select who would replace the vacant seat in a primary election. Out of the four candidates in the primary race, none received over the 50% majority needed to be declared the outright winner. The results then forced the special election to be carried over to a runoff scenario between the top two candidates in the August primary. Montgomery Steppe received about 41% of the vote, while Amy Reichert(Republican) earned nearly 29%.
The winner between Steppe and Reichert will serve out the remainder of Nathan Feltcher’s term, which concludes in January 2027.
Chula Vista City Attorney
Additionally, a special election will be held to appoint a new Chula Vista city attorney. The new appointee will fill this position for the remainder of the ongoing term, which ends at the end of this year.
Who are the candidates?
Dan Smith Diaz: The long-time Chula Vista resident is a federal criminal defense lawyer who previously ran against Simon Silva for this particular seat back in 2022, where he lost by over 670 votes. Diaz attended California Western School of Law in San Diego County.
Bart Meisfield: Having served as city attorney from 2008 to 2010, Meisfield is an experienced official in this particular role. Meisfield first joined the City Attorney’s Office in the late 1990s and eventually rose through the ranks over the following two decades.
Marco Verdugo: The life-long Chula Vista resident was once an intern for the Chula Vista City Attorney’s Office. And now, he’s one of the candidates for the City Attorney role in this particular election. Verdugo has previously served as a deputy city attorney with the City of San Diego.
Water district divorce
Another special election will present a ballot measure to seek approval for the proposed separation of the Fallbrook Public Utilities and Rainbow Municipal Districts. The agency wants to part ways to purchase water elsewhere at a cheaper cost. San Diego officials argue that their departure would cause a spike rate of up to 5% for agencies who remain with the San Diego County Water Authority. Earlier this year, Assemblymember Tasha Boerner introduced AB 399 to prevent a future where water districts easily depart from the Water Authority.
“AB 399 provides a necessary safeguard moving forward for utility customers in the region struggling to make ends meet,” Assemblymember Boerner stated in September. “I ask for your ‘aye’ vote on this district bill to ensure that all water ratepayers in San Diego County have a voice when changes in governance have a direct impact on them.”
Voting hours
Tomorrow, November 7th, all voting centers in the county will have the same opening hours of 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
For all registered voters with questions regarding an official ballot drop box or the nearest voting centers, the Registrar of Voters’ website has all the information needed. Residents can also contact the Registrar of Voters by calling 858-565-5800 or toll-free at 800-696-0136.