LOS ANGELES — Vote-by-mail ballots have begun to be sent out to all registered voters in the Sixth City Council District for the June 27 special election runoff to fill Nury Martinez’s vacant seat, the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk announced Friday.
Community relations manager Imelda Padilla and council aide Marisa Alcaraz took the two top spots in a seven-candidate field in the April 4 special election. With no candidate claiming a majority, next month’s runoff between the top two vote-getters became necessary.
Padilla garnered 3,424 votes, or 25.65%, while Alcaraz took 2,821 votes, or 21.13%.
A total of 13,510 ballots were cast in the April 4 election, representing 11.40% of the district’s eligible voters.
Voters can track their ballots using “Where’s My Ballot,” a free subscription service that sends automatic notifications by text, email or voicemail on the status of a ballot. When a voter completes his or her ballot, they can return it in one of three ways: by mail; in a ballot drop box; or at vote centers that will begin operations June 17.
The Sixth District consists of Van Nuys, Arleta, Lake Balboa, Panorama City, Sun Valley and the eastern portions of North Hills and North Hollywood.
Martinez represented the district until October, when she resigned first her council presidency and then, two days later, her seat altogether after she was caught making racist comments in a meeting that was secretly taped and leaked to the news media.
The Sixth District is being overseen by a non-voting caretaker, the city’s chief legislative analyst, Sharon Tso. A caretaker does not hold a seat on the council, but oversees the council office to make sure the district provides constituent services and other basic functions.
The winner of the June 27 runoff will finish Martinez’s term, which ends in December 2024.
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