By Jondi Gumz
Editor’s Note: Times Publishing Group is asking voters in our community “What do you want the candidates to be discussing as they compete for votes?” Email your answer to info@cyber-times.com. We will use your input to guide our campaign coverage.
An asterisk denotes an incumbent.
When there is no competition for a seat, there is no election and the candidate or candidates are simply sworn into office.
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Cabrillo College Board
Trustee Area 3: Christina Cuevas*
Trustee Area 5: Leticia Mendoza* and Felipe Hernandez
Trustee Area 7: Edward Banks* and Steven Laird Trujillo
Watsonville City Council
District 1: Eduardo Montesino
District 2: Aurelio Gonzalez* and Vanessa Quiroz-Carter
District 6: Jimmy Dutra and Tony Gomez
Soquel Creek Water District Board (2 seats): Tom LaHue,* Bruce Daniels,* Corrie Kates and Maria Marsilio.
Central Water District Board (2 seats): John Benich* and Robert Postle*
Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency Board (1 seat): John Kegebein and Stephen Rider
Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board
Trustee Area 2: Georgia Acosta* and Ruth Cruddas
Trustee Area 3: Oscar Soto and Amanda Hernandez
Trustee Area 6: Maria Orozco* and Adam Bolanos Scow
Aptos La Selva Fire Protection District Board (3 seats): George Lucchesi*
Pajaro Valley Fire Protection District Board (3 seats): Robert Erbe,* Dave Martone* and Aerin Murphy Broaddus
Santa Cruz County Office of Education Board
Trustee Area 3: Sandra Nichols* and Mike Kubo
Trustee Area 5: Alyssa Wall and Barbara Chamberlain
Trustee Area 6: Dana Sales* and Ed Acosta
La Selva Beach Recreation District (3 seats): James Rhodes,* Anthony Young* and Mary Flores.
La Selva Beach Recreation District (2 years, short term): Ashley Winn
Pajaro Dunes Geologic Hazard Abatement District Board (2 seats): Jack Feinstein, Raphael Shannon Kraw and David Ferrari
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New Voting Process
This year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the traditional polling places will not be operating.
Instead, Santa Cruz County Clerk Gail Pellerin will set up 17 voting locations where voters can obtain a ballot, turn in a ballot, register and vote on the same day, or vote an accessible or Spanish ballot on the tablet. Any voter can go to any location.
Pellerin said that consolidating voting locations improves the county’s ability to protect health and safety, including implementing physical distancing and wearing masks, disinfecting surfaces and voting equipment, providing hand sanitizer and more, including screening poll workers for symptoms.
Voters will be asked to follow these guidelines to protect themselves and to protect others.
Again due to the pandemic, there is a huge push for mail ballots.
Gov. Newsom has issued an executive order requiring elections officials in California to mail ballots to all active registered voters by Oct. 5.
In Santa Cruz County, of the 166,000 registered voters, 120,000 have already signed up to receive their ballot in the mail, according to Pellerin.
There will be 15 ballot drop boxes installed throughout the county for voters to return their voted ballots.
Voters may drop their ballot off in person on Election Day Nov. 3.
Or voters can mail their ballots — as long as they are postmarked on or before Election Day, Pellerin said.
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View the pictured Cabrillo College trustee area map full size at www.boarddocs.com/ca/cabrillo/Board.nsf/files/APZSRM73F3BB/$file/Cabrillo%20College%20Trustee%20Areas%20Map.pdf
