Why are we having another election?
The April 4 election is what’s called a “special election” — it’s an election held outside the usual two-year schedule due to a unique circumstance. In this case, it’s to fill an empty City Council seat for L.A.’s Council District 6.
Last fall, an anonymous source leaked a secret recording of a private conversation capturing racist and homophobic exchanges between three city councilmembers and the president of the L.A. County Federation of Labor. One of those councilmembers was Nury Martinez, who represented District 6 and also served as city council president. Martinez resigned a few days later under intense public pressure. Since then, District 6 has had a temporary caretaker with non-voting powers.
Voters will choose a new councilmember to officially replace Martinez for the remainder of her term, which ends in 2024. Under L.A. election laws, any candidate who wins more than 50% of the vote can win this race outright, but with seven candidates on the ballot and three write-in candidates, those chances are slim. If no candidate gets a majority of the votes, there will be a runoff election in June.
Do I live in District 6?
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Council District 6 in the San Fernando Valley stretches from Sun Valley on the eastern edge of San Fernando Valley to Lake Balboa, west of the 405. It includes Arleta, Panorama City, Van Nuys, Sun Valley, Lake Balboa, and parts of North Hollywood and North Hills. Input your address here to find out whether you live in this district.
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Like previous elections, all registered voters will get a ballot in the mail. They should start arriving on or around March 6. If you live in the district and don’t get a ballot in the mail within a week or two of this date, double check your voter registration or get in…
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