Four of the seven seats on the Santa Clara Unified School District board are up this year, but voters will decide only one of them. Three incumbents had no challengers, so their elections were canceled.
Who returns
- Trustee Area 3: Vickie Fairchild
- Trustee Area 4: Andrew Ratermann
- Trustee Area 6: Jodi Muirhead, who starts her fourth term
The board voted unanimously on Oct. 8 to certify the results for the unopposed candidates. The Silicon Valley Voice called the vote procedural. In school elections with only one candidate, California law has the county cancel the race and appoint that person, which saves the cost of an election. The Voice reported that the county could not yet say how much this saves.
The race still on the ballot
In Trustee Area 1, longtime Trustee Jim Canova faces program manager Kamal Yassin. It is Canova's first contested race in more than a decade. The district teachers union endorsed Yassin. See our guide to the Canova vs. Yassin race.
Other board business
Trustees also voted 5-2 to keep building a new home for New Valley High School on the Wilson campus, which the district expects to open in 2029. Kathy Watanabe and Muirhead voted no; they wanted to look at moving the school into Kathleen MacDonald High School instead.
How to vote
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls and vote centers close at 8 p.m., and mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and arrive within seven days. You can check your registration and ballot status at sos.ca.gov/elections. California lets you register and vote the same day at a vote center.