By Dr. John E. Warren, Publisher, The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint
As we rapidly approach the August 15, 2023 Special Election for the San Diego County’s Board of Supervisors Fourth District seat, early projections say less than 5 percent of the 700,000 residents of that district are expected to vote. This is in spite of the fact that every registered voter in the district received a ballot by mail, with instructions for voting and return mail of said ballot to the County’s Registrar of Voters.
While some just see four candidates seeking a vacant seat, there is much more at stake. Currently, the Board is evenly divided between two Republicans and two Democrats. Nathan Fletcher was a Democrat and therefore created a 3 to 2 majority on the Board. The new Board will have to select a new Chief Administrative Officer for the County and will play a key role in shaping county policy on public health, homelessness, housing and much more. The new Board member will serve until the year 2027 and have tremendous impact on the County’s multi-billion dollar budgets.
Those seeking this vacant position must remember that they will be serving 12 communities within this district, inclusive of Clairemont, Bay Park, Linda Vista, Mission Valley, Hillcrest, City Heights, Lemon Grove, La Mesa, Spring Valley, Rancho San Diego, Encanto and the College Area. This means no one community can assume that their vote will be enough to control the outcome of this election. It is also estimated that no one candidate will get 51 percent of the vote and that the election will go to a November 7th General Election.
What does this mean for you who might or might not bother to vote? It means that if you don’t vote – and the system will know whether you didn’t – you should not have an opinion on what the government does or how you are impacted.
Your vote is your ticket to participation in what the local government does. Will you get your ticket or just wait to see what happens? Let’s get involved and make a difference.
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