Santa Ana Unified School District, California, Measure I, School Improvements Bond Measure (November 2024)

Santa Ana Unified School District Measure I
Election date November 5, 2024
Topic Local school bonds
Status Approved
Type Referral

Santa Ana Unified School District Measure I was on the ballot as a referral in Santa Ana Unified School District on November 5, 2024. It was approved.

A “yes” vote supported authorizing the Santa Ana Unified School District to issue $355,000,000 in bonds with bond revenue going to fund school improvements and requiring an estimated property tax levy of $30 per $100,000 in assessed value.

A “no” vote opposed authorizing the Santa Ana Unified School District to issue $355,000,000 in bonds with bond revenue going to fund school improvements and requiring an estimated property tax levy of $30 per $100,000 in assessed value.

A 55% majority vote was required for the ballot measure.

Election results

Santa Ana Unified School District Measure I
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		40,336	68.90%
No		18,203	31.10%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Measure I was as follows:

“

To repair/ upgrade classrooms, science labs, school facilities, and instructional technology for college/ career readiness in math, science, technology, engineering, arts, and skilled trades; make health/ safety upgrades; remove asbestos/ lead; and fix roofs, plumbing, and electrical systems, shall Santa Ana Unified School District’s measure be adopted authorizing $355,000,000 in bonds at legal rates, levying 3¢ per $100 assessed value ($23,000,000 annually) while bonds are outstanding, with independent oversight, audits, and all money locally controlled?

”

Full Text

The full text of this measure is available here.

Support

Arguments

• Santa Ana Unified School District Board of Education President Carolyn Torres, Santa Ana Mayor Pro Tem Thai Viet Phan, 28-year Santa Ana Unified School District Educator Caran Holland, Santa Ana Unified School District Parent Elizabeth De La Torre, and Los Angeles/Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council Executive Secretary Ernesto Medrano: "Each day tens of thousands of Santa Ana students attend class in facilities that were built over 70 years ago and need repairs and upgrades for student safety, security, and to support quality education. Many schools don’t meet modern building safety codes and have hazardous materials like asbestos and lead. Deteriorating pipes and failing infrastructure cause gas leaks, water leaks, and sewage backups. Voting Yes on I provides locally controlled funding to upgrade local schools so Santa Ana students have the same educational opportunities as other students in Orange County."

Opposition

Arguments

• Public School Teacher/Santa Ana Unified School District Resident and Taxpayer Tamiko Anderson: "If passed, Measure I‘s $355,000,000 would be the largest school district bond ever approved in Orange County history! The cost is even higher than that due to high interest rates. Measure I‘s bonds will cost $676,852,843, according to the official Tax Rate Statement from the Santa Ana Unified School District Superintendent! Measure I‘s bond debt is bigger than the City of Santa Ana’s entire General Fund budget! Santa Ana working families are already stretched to the limit with rising prices and taxes, including already paying Orange County’s highest sales tax. Santa Ana residents can’t afford a $676 million dollar tax hike!"

Path to the ballot

This measure was put on the ballot through a vote of the governing body of Santa Ana Unified School District, California.

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in California

See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in California.

How to vote in California

Poll times

All polls in California are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.

Registration

Check your voter registration status here.

To vote in California, an individual must be a U.S. citizen and California resident. A voter must be at least 18 years of age on Election Day. Pre-registration is available at 16 years of age. Pre-registered voters are automatically registered to vote when they turn 18.

Automatic registration

California automatically registers eligible individuals to vote when they complete a driver's license, identification (ID) card, or change of address transaction through the Department of Motor Vehicles. Learn more by visiting this website.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

California has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

California allows same-day voter registration.

Californians must be registered to vote at least 15 days before Election Day. If the registration deadline has passed for an upcoming election, voters may visit a location designated by their county elections official during the 14 days prior to, and including Election Day to conditionally register to vote and vote a provisional ballot, which are counted once county election officials have completed the voter registration verification process. The state refers to this process as Same Day Voter Registration.

Residency requirements

To register to vote in California, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

California's constitution requires that voters be U.S. citizens. When registering to vote, proof of citizenship is not required. Individuals who become U.S. citizens less than 15 days before an election must bring proof of citizenship to their county elections office to register to vote in that election. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.

As of November 2024, two jurisdictions in California had authorized noncitizen residents to vote for local board of education positions through local ballot measures. Only one of those jurisdictions, San Francisco, had implemented that law. Noncitizens voting for board of education positions must register to vote using a separate application from the state voter registration application.

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The secretary of state's My Voter Status website allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

California does not require voters to present identification before casting a ballot in most cases. However, some voters may be asked to show a form of identification when voting if they are voting for the first time after registering to vote by mail and did not provide a driver license number, California identification number, or the last four digits of their social security number. On September 29, 2024, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed SB 1174 into law prohibiting any jurisdiction in the state from adopting a local law that requires voters to present ID before voting.

The following list of accepted ID was current as of October 2024. Click here for the California Secretary of State page to ensure you have the most current information.

“

Current and valid photo identification provided by a third party in the ordinary course of business that includes the name and photograph of the individual presenting it. Examples of photo identification include, but are not limited to, the following documents: driver's license or identification card of any state; passport; employee identification card; identification card provided by a commercial establishment; credit or debit card; military identification card; student identification card; health club identification card; insurance plan identification card; or public housing identification card. Any of the following documents, provided that the document includes the name and address of the individual presenting it, and is dated since the date of the last general election…: utility bill; bank statement; government check; government paycheck; document issued by a governmental agency; sample ballot or other official elections document issued by a governmental, agency dated for the election in which the individual is providing it as proof, of residency or identity; voter notification card issued by a governmental agency; public housing identification card issued by a governmental agency; lease or rental statement or agreement issued by a governmental agency; student identification card issued by a governmental agency; tuition statement or bill issued by a governmental agency; insurance plan card or drug discount card issued by a governmental agency; discharge certificates, pardons, or other official documents issued to the individual by a governmental agency in connection with the resolution of a criminal case, indictment, sentence, or other matter; public transportation authority senior citizen and disabled discount cards issued by a governmental agency; identification documents issued by governmental disability agencies; identification documents issued by government homeless shelters and other government temporary or transitional facilities; drug prescription issued by a government doctor or other governmental health care provider; (R) property tax statement issued by a governmental agency; vehicle registration issued by a governmental agency; or vehicle certificate of ownership issued by a governmental agency.

”

See also

Local measures

• Local measures in 2024
• Local school bonds on the ballot

• Orange County measures

California

• California 2024 local measures
• Local ballot measures, California
• Santa Ana Unified School District, California

News and analysis

• State and local preemption conflicts
• Measures advancing national agendas