Gov. Jerry Brown has signed legislation authored by San Diego lawmakers Shirley Weber and Todd Gloria that paves the way for general election runoffs in all San Diego County elections.
Assembly Bill 901 permits the county charter to be amended by ballot proposition to require candidates for countywide offices be elected in November.
“For too long, the County of San Diego has employed a fast track to county-elected office by allowing candidates to be elected in June with only a fraction of eligible voters participating. We now have an opportunity to close that fast track,” said Gloria.
Voter turnout is typically higher during a general election than a primary.
If a subsequent ballot proposition to change the charter is successful, the two candidates who receive the highest number of votes during the primary would move on to the general election. If only two candidates file, their names would only appear on the general election.
A local ballot measure in the City of San Diego requiring runoffs in the general election was approved by voters in November.
