It’s tempting to forget that there are only six weeks left until the November 2 election, but winning candidates will influence the future of the Goleta Valley in multiple ways.

There’s plenty for voters to consider since they’ll be making decisions about candidates for Goleta City Council, Goleta Union School District’s board, Goleta Water District’s board, Goleta Sanitary District’s board, and the board of the Isla Vista Recreation and Park District. Goleta Valley residents will also vote for candidates running for the Santa Barbara Schools District board (which governs Goleta’s junior highs and high schools) and the Community College District board.

Martha Rairden Lannan

In the Goleta City Council contest, two incumbents and two challengers are in the race for three seats. The elementary school district has three open seats with two incumbents and two challengers in the running. The Water District has two challengers and two incumbents vying for two open seats, and the Goleta Sanitary (sewer) District, which also has two open seats, has one challenger and two incumbents. The secondary school district has two open seats with one incumbent and three challengers seeking election. Candidates for the board of Santa Barbara City College, which also governs the Adult Education program, include four challengers and four incumbents.

The average voter cannot know about all of the candidates hoping to be elected, but can learn a great deal by attending community forums sponsored by the League of Women Voters, where candidates are introduced and asked questions related to the positions they are seeking.

A forum featuring candidates for Goleta City Council will take place at 7 p.m. on Monday, October 4, at the Goleta Valley Community Center. Candidates for the Community College board will be highlighted at 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 2, in the Faulkner Gallery of the downtown public library. A forum for candidates for the Santa Barbara Schools District board will start at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 30, at La Cumbre Jr. High School.

There are nine statewide propositions on the November 2 ballot, and specific information about them is available at both voterguide.sos.ca.gov/propositions and ca.lwv.org. Several local presentations by the League of Women Voters detailing the pros and cons of them will take place around the community the following dates, times, and places: Friday, September 24, 6:45 p.m. at Valle Verde retirement community; Friday, October 1, 10:30 a.m. at Samarkand retirement community; Tuesday, October 5, 1:30 p.m. at Wood Glen Hall; and Tuesday, October 12, 7 p.m. at Rancho Santa Barbara.

And if you need to register to vote or change your registration, October 18 is the last day to do so. October 26 is the last day to apply for a vote-by-mail ballot; these ballots will be sent out by the county beginning October 4. Call 568-2200 or go to sbcassessor.com/Elections/Voting.aspx for more information on either registering to vote or voting by mail.

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