Voting Underway for Special CVUSD Election in Imperial County

Voting is underway in a special CVUSD election in Imperial County, where six candidates compete for three board positions. Vote-by-mail ballots were distributed on February 3 for the election scheduled on March 4. The election arises from omissions in previous voting, and it features scrutiny over candidate qualifications, particularly in Trustee Area 4.

Voting has commenced in a special election for the Coachella Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) in Imperial County, which will determine the composition of the Board of Trustees for the upcoming four years. The election follows the issuance of vote-by-mail ballots to registered voters on February 3, in preparation for the March 4 voting date. This special election was necessitated by the omission of three contested trustee area races from the ballots provided to CVUSD voters during the general election held on November 5.

Currently, six candidates are competing for three positions on the seven-member CVUSD board. Each incumbent faces challengers amidst challenging circumstances for the District. The candidates seeking election to the CVUSD Board of Education are: 1) Trustee Area 1 (Coachella): Agustín Arreola against incumbent Trinidad “Trini” Arredondo, first elected in 2020; 2) Trustee Area 2 (Thermal): Altrena Santillanes challenging incumbent Jesus Gonzalez, also serving since 2020; and 3) Trustee Area 4 (Mecca and North Shore): Adrian Rodriguez going against Jocelyn Vargas, who was elected unopposed in 2020.

The teachers’ union has endorsed the candidacies of Mr. Arredondo, Ms. Santillanes, and Mr. Rodriguez. Notably, the race for Trustee Area 4 is drawing significant attention due to questions surrounding the residency of Ms. Vargas, which has led to a formal complaint being filed with the District Attorney’s office.

For those interested in campaign financing, candidates as well as political action committees are required to report contributions exceeding $1,000 within a 24-hour timeframe to the Riverside County Registrar of Voters. Detailed reports regarding these financial contributions are accessible at the following link: https://voteinfo.net/agency/ctriv.

The special CVUSD election marks a significant moment for the district, as candidates seek to fill three contested trustee positions under challenging circumstances. With ongoing scrutiny of candidate qualifications and active participation from the teachers’ union, the outcomes may heavily influence the future direction of the district. Voters are encouraged to stay informed about the campaign financing as well as the candidates’ qualifications before making their decisions in the upcoming election.

Original Source: ukenreport.com