ARTICLE 1. Elections [5000. - 5033.]

Cal. Education Code - EDC 1.

in effect

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 5000. Section 5000.

After the initial election of governing board members in any school district or community college district, a governing board member election shall be held biennially on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each succeeding odd-numbered year to fill the offices of members whose terms expire on the first Friday in December next succeeding the election. Except as provided in this chapter, or in Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 5200) , the elections shall be held and conducted in accordance with Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 5300).

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 5009. Section 5009.

The governing board of any school district or community college district having trustee areas and which elects more than one member from any of such trustee areas may, by resolution, provide for the staggering of terms of members elected from any of such multiple-member trustee areas. The resolution shall provide that at the initial election after adoption of the resolution, one or more members elected from a trustee area will be elected for two-year terms and that one or more members elected from such trustee area will be elected for four-year terms, and that thereafter all members elected from such trustee area will be elected for four-year terms. Immediately after the initial election, the newly elected members from such trustee area shall draw lots to determine which of the members shall serve a two-year term and which of the members shall serve a four-year term.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 5013. Section 5013.

The form of ballot for governing board member elections shall be governed by Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 13100) of Division 13 of the Elections Code.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 5014. Section 5014.

Any election held for the purpose of electing governing board members of any school district, or community college district, including additional governing board members as provided by Section 5018 shall be held and conducted in accordance with the uniform procedures set forth in Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 5300) of this part.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 5015.7. Section 5015.7.

If the governing board of Santa Clarita Community College adopts election procedures with number assignments to each board seat pursuant to Section 5015.5, this system shall remain in effect until the governing board, by a resolution adopted by a two-thirds vote of the board, discontinues numbered seats and returns to procedures under Section 5015.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 5016. Section 5016.

(a) If a tie vote makes it impossible to determine either which of two or more candidates has been elected to the governing board or the term of office of a governing board member, the county superintendent of schools having jurisdiction shall so certify to the governing board. (b) The governing board may either call a runoff election or determine the winner or winners by lot. Prior to conducting any school board election on or after March 1, 1977, the governing board of each school district shall establish which of such procedures is to be employed by the district in the event of a tie vote. (c) If the governing board decides to determine the winner by lot, the governing board shall forthwith notify the candidates who have received the tie votes to appear before it either personally or by a representative at a time and place designated by the governing board. The governing board shall at that time and place determine the winner or winners by lot. (d) If the governing board decides to call a runoff election, it shall call a runoff election to be held in the district on the sixth Tuesday following the election at which the tie vote occurred. Only the candidates receiving the tie votes shall appear on the ballots. Any member of the governing board who will be succeeded by a winner of the runoff election and whose term would expire before the winner of the runoff election would be determined shall continue to discharge the duties of his office until his successor has qualified. The runoff election shall be called and conducted substantially in the manner provided in Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 5300) of this part, provided, that the governing board shall determine the adjustments of the time requirements prescribed therein which would be necessary in order to conduct the runoff election.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 5017. Section 5017.

Each person elected at a regular biennial governing board member election shall hold office for a term of four years commencing on the second Friday in December next succeeding his or her election. Any member of the governing board of a school district or community college district whose term has expired shall continue to discharge the duties of the office until his or her successor has qualified. The term of the successor shall begin upon the expiration of the term of his or her predecessor.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 5018. Section 5018.

Any elementary school district having a governing board of three members may, and any elementary school district having a governing board of three members whose average daily attendance during the preceding fiscal year was 300 or more shall do either of the following: (a) By its own action determine that the number of members of the governing board shall be increased to five, in which case two additional members shall be elected at an upcoming established election date, as specified in Section 1000 of the Elections Code, determined by the board. (b) Request the county superintendent of schools having jurisdiction to submit the question of whether the number of members of the governing board shall be increased to five to the voters of the elementary school district at an upcoming established election date, as specified in Section 1000 of the Elections Code, determined by the county superintendent of schools. At the same election, two additional members shall be elected to take office if the number of governing board members is increased. Candidates for the two additional offices shall state in the declarations of candidacy filed for the election that the candidates are candidates for the two additional offices separately from the other offices to be filled in the election and shall clearly indicate to the voters that they may vote for two of the candidates to take office if the voters approve the proposed increase in the number of board members. If the voters at the election do not approve the increase in membership of the governing board, the same question may be submitted to the voters at subsequent governing board member elections. Requests to the county superintendent to submit the question to the voters of a district shall be filed with him or her by the governing board of the district no later than 100 days prior to the election. If, pursuant to either subdivision (a) or subdivision (b), two additional governing board members are authorized and elected, the one receiving the higher number of votes shall hold office for a term commencing the first day of the month following the election until the first Friday in December in the second succeeding year following the election in which a regular governing board election is held, and the other one shall hold office for a term commencing the first day of the month following the election until the first Friday in December in the first succeeding year following the election in which a regular governing board election is held. Thereafter the governing board shall be composed of five members elected in the same manner and for the same term as governing boards having five members.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 5019. Section 5019.

(a) (1) In any school district or community college district, the county committee on school district organization may establish trustee areas, rearrange the boundaries of trustee areas, abolish trustee areas, and increase to seven from five, or decrease from seven to five, the number of members of the governing board, or adopt one of the alternative methods of electing governing board members specified in Section 5030. (2) For any school district whose average daily attendance during the preceding year was less than 300, the county committee on school district organization may decrease from five to three the number of members of the governing board, or adopt one of the alternative methods of electing governing board members specified in Section 5030. (3) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the county committee on school district organization shall not rearrange trustee area boundaries in a school district or community college district that has established a hybrid or independent redistricting commission for this purpose pursuant to Section 23003 of the Elections Code, the charter of a city or city and county, or a legal settlement. (b) The county committee on school district organization may establish or abolish a common governing board for a high school district and an elementary school district within the boundaries of the high school district. The resolution of the county committee on school district organization approving the establishment or abolition of a common governing board shall be presented to the electors of the school districts as specified in Section 5020. (c) (1) A proposal to make the changes described in subdivision (a) or (b) may be initiated by the county committee on school district organization or made to the county committee on school district organization either by a petition signed by 5 percent or 50, whichever is less, of the qualified registered voters residing in a district in which there are 2,500 or fewer qualified registered voters, by 3 percent or 100, whichever is less, of the qualified registered voters residing in a district in which there are 2,501 to 10,000 qualified registered voters, by 1 percent or 250, whichever is less, of the qualified registered voters residing in a district in which there are 10,001 to 50,000 qualified registered voters, by 500 or more of the qualified registered voters residing in a district in which there are 50,001 to 100,000 qualified registered voters, by 750 or more of the qualified registered voters residing in a district in which there are 100,001 to 250,000 qualified registered voters, or by 1,000 or more of the qualified registered voters residing in a district in which there are 250,001 or more qualified registered voters or by resolution of the governing board of the district. For this purpose, the necessary signatures for a petition shall be obtained within a period of 180 days before the submission of the petition to the county committee on school district organization, and the number of qualified registered voters in the district shall be determined pursuant to the most recent report submitted by the county elections official to the Secretary of State under Section 2187 of the Elections Code. (2) When a proposal is made pursuant to paragraph (1), the county committee on school district organization shall call and conduct at least one hearing in the district on the matter. At the conclusion of the hearing, the county committee on school district organization shall approve or disapprove the proposal. (d) If the county committee on school district organization approves pursuant to subdivision (a) the rearrangement of the boundaries of trustee areas for a particular district, then the rearrangement of the trustee areas shall be effectuated for the next district election occurring at least 125 days after its approval, unless at least 5 percent of the registered voters of the district sign a petition requesting an election on the proposed rearrangement of trustee area boundaries. The petition for an election shall be submitted to the county elections official within 60 days of the proposal’s adoption by the county committee on school district organization. If the qualified registered voters approve pursuant to subdivision (b) or (c) the rearrangement of the boundaries to the trustee areas for a particular district, the rearrangement of the trustee areas shall be effective for the next district election occurring at least 125 days after its approval by the voters. (e) Trustee areas shall comply with the requirements and criteria of Section 21130 of the Elections Code.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 5019.5. Section 5019.5.

(a) Following each decennial federal census, the governing board of each school district or community college district in which trustee areas have been established shall adopt trustee area boundaries pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 21100) of Division 21 of the Elections Code. (b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a) of Section 21130 of the Elections Code, if a school district or community college district has one or more multiple-member trustee areas, the governing board shall adopt the boundaries of the areas of the district so that the population of each area is substantially the same proportion of the total population of the district as the ratio that the number of governing board members elected from the area bears to the total number of members of the governing board, as required by the United States Constitution. Substantial proportionality of population shall be based on the total population of residents as provided in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 21130 of the Elections Code. (c) Except as provided in subdivision (a), the authority to establish or abolish trustee areas, rearrange the boundaries of trustee areas, increase or decrease the number of members of the governing board, or adopt any method of electing governing board members may be exercised only as otherwise provided under this article and Division 21 (commencing with Section 21000) of the Elections Code, as applicable.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 5020. Section 5020.

(a) (1) The resolution of the county committee approving a proposal to establish or abolish trustee areas, to adopt one of the alternative methods of electing governing board members specified in Section 5030, or to increase or decrease the number of members of the governing board shall constitute an order of election, and the proposal shall be presented to the electors of the district not later than the next succeeding election for members of the governing board. (2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), a county committee may, by resolution, approve a proposal to establish trustee areas and to elect governing board members using district-based elections, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 14026 of the Elections Code, without being required to submit the resolution to the electors of the district for approval. A resolution adopted pursuant to this paragraph shall include a declaration that the change in the method of electing members of the governing body is being made in furtherance of the purposes of the California Voting Rights Act of 2001 (Chapter 1.5 (commencing with Section 14025) of Division 14 of the Elections Code). The resolution shall take effect upon adoption and shall govern all elections for governing board members occurring at least 125 days after the adoption of the resolution. (b) If a petition requesting an election on a proposal to rearrange trustee area boundaries is filed, containing at least 5 percent of the signatures of the district’s registered voters as determined by the elections official, the proposal shall be presented to the electors of the district, at the next succeeding election for the members of the governing board, at the next succeeding statewide primary or general election, or at the next succeeding regularly scheduled election at which the electors of the district are otherwise entitled to vote if there is sufficient time to place the issue on the ballot. The rearranged trustee areas shall comply with the criteria and requirements in Section 21130 of the Elections Code. (c) If a petition requesting an election on a proposal to establish or abolish trustee areas, to increase or decrease the number of members of the board, or to adopt one of the alternative methods of electing governing board members specified in Section 5030 is filed, containing at least 10 percent of the signatures of the district’s registered voters as determined by the elections official, the proposal shall be presented to the electors of the district, at the next succeeding election for the members of the governing board, at the next succeeding statewide primary or general election, or at the next succeeding regularly scheduled election at which the electors of the district are otherwise entitled to vote if there is sufficient time to place the issue on the ballot. Before the proposal is presented to the electors, the county committee on school district organization may call and conduct one or more public hearings on the proposal. (d) The resolution of the county committee approving a proposal to establish or abolish a common governing board for a high school and an elementary school district within the boundaries of the high school district shall constitute an order of election. The proposal shall be presented to the electors of the district at the next succeeding statewide primary or general election, or at the next succeeding regularly scheduled election at which the electors of the district are otherwise entitled to vote if there is sufficient time to place the issue on the ballot. (e) (1) For each proposal there shall be a separate proposition on the ballot. The ballot shall contain the following words: “Shall trustee areas be established (or abolished or rearranged) in ____ (insert name) School District?” “Shall the number of members of the governing board of ____ (insert name) School District be increased from five to seven?” “Shall the number of members of the governing board of ____ (insert name) School District be decreased from seven to five?” “Shall each member of the governing board of the ____ (insert name) School District be elected by the registered voters of the entire _____ (insert name) School District?” “Shall one member of the governing board of the ____ (insert name) School District residing in each trustee area be elected by the registered voters in that trustee area?” “Shall one member, or more than one member for one or more trustee areas, of the governing board of the ____ (insert name) School District residing in each trustee area be elected by the registered voters of the entire ____ (insert name) School District?” “Shall a common governing board in the ____ (insert name) School District and the ____ (insert name) School District be established (or abolished)?” (2) To the right of or below the words describing each proposal to be voted on, the words “Yes” and “No” shall be printed on separate lines, with voting targets. If a voter marks the voting target next to the printed word “Yes,” the voter’s vote shall be counted in favor of the adoption of the proposal. If the voter marks the voting target next to the printed word “No,” the voter’s vote shall be counted against its adoption. (f) If more than one proposal appears on the ballot, all must carry in order for any to become effective, except as follows: (1) A proposal to adopt one of the methods of election of board members specified in Section 5030 that is approved by the voters shall become effective unless a proposal that is inconsistent with that proposal has been approved by a greater number of voters. (2) An inconsistent proposal approved by a lesser number of voters than the number which have approved a proposal to adopt one of the methods of election of board members specified in Section 5030 shall not be effective.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 5021. Section 5021.

(a) If a proposal for the establishment of trustee areas formulated under Sections 5019 and 5020 is approved by a majority of the voters voting at the election, or by the county committee on school district organization when no election is required, any affected incumbent board member shall serve out the board member’s term of office and succeeding board members shall be nominated and elected in accordance with Section 5030. If two or more trustee areas are established at an election that are not represented in the membership of the governing board of the school district or community college district, the county committee shall determine by lot the trustee area from which the nomination and election for the next vacancy on the governing board shall be made. (b) If a proposal for rearrangement of boundaries is approved by a majority of the voters voting on the measure, or by the county committee when no election is required, or by the board, and if the boundary changes affect the board membership, any affected incumbent board member shall serve out the board member’s term of office and that member shall continue to represent the constituents residing in the area boundaries from which the member was elected for the duration of that term of office. Succeeding board members shall be nominated and elected in accordance with Section 5030. This section does not prevent a board from assigning a trustee or school district or community college district official to provide constituent services to residents of an area that is temporarily not represented by a trustee due to redistricting. (c) If a proposal for abolishing trustee areas is approved by a majority of the voters voting at the election, the incumbent board members shall serve out their terms of office and succeeding board members shall be nominated and elected at large from the district.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 5022. Section 5022.

If the number of members of the governing board is increased from five to seven, the two additional members of the board of trustees shall be appointed by the governing board of the district, with the term of one of those two additional appointees being designated to expire on the first Friday in December of the next succeeding odd-numbered year and the term of the other appointee being designated to expire on the first Friday in December of the second succeeding odd-numbered year.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 5023. Section 5023.

(a) Whenever an elementary, high school, or unified school district, or a portion of any such district, is annexed to another school district in which trustee areas have been established, the county committee on school district organization of the county having jurisdiction over the annexing district shall study and make recommendations with respect to trustee areas of the annexing district as enlarged. If the recommendations include moving territory from an existing trustee area in the annexing district to another trustee area of the annexing district, the recommendations shall comply with the criteria and requirements in Section 21130 of the Elections Code. Procedures contained in Section 5019 shall be used for purposes of this section. (b) Recommendations adopted under provisions of subdivision (a), if approved by the electors, shall become effective on the same date that the annexing district as enlarged becomes effective for all purposes.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 5024. Section 5024.

The county committee may provide that an election to elect trustees, pursuant to its recommendations under Section 5023, shall be held at the same time as is held the election to effect a change in trustee areas.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 5025. Section 5025.

If an election is called or a resolution of the county committee approving a proposal to establish trustee areas is adopted, as applicable, pursuant to Section 5020, the county superintendent of schools having jurisdiction shall, as to each trustee area having more than its allotted number of representatives in the membership of the governing board for the next succeeding school year, determine by lot which of said representatives shall relinquish their offices either immediately upon the election and qualification of the governing board members who are elected as provided in Section 5024 or on the first day of April next succeeding the election or the adoption of the resolution, as applicable, establishing trustee areas in the district, whichever is the later.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 5026. Section 5026.

Members elected to fill vacancies created pursuant to Section 5025 shall serve out the unexpired term of the office that was terminated. The county committee shall designate by lot for each newly formed trustee area the expiring term of office for which a member shall be elected.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 5027. Section 5027.

Notwithstanding Section 5019, Section 5019.5, or Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 21100) of Division 21 of the Elections Code, whenever the boundaries of a county high school district are coterminous with the boundaries of a county, the board shall consist of one member from each supervisorial district in the county elected at large from the district, and the high school district shall not go through a redistricting process separate from the process for redistricting the county board of supervisors.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 5028. Section 5028.

In every community college district that was divided into five trustee areas on or before September 7, 1955, one member of the board shall be elected from each trustee area by the registered voters of the trustee area. Following each federal decennial census, the governing board shall, by resolution, adopt boundaries for all of the trustee areas pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 21100) of Division 21 of the Elections Code.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 5029. Section 5029.

Notwithstanding Section 5028, when a community college trustee ward boundary line falls upon an election precinct boundary line, and the election precinct boundary line is changed pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 12200) of Division 12 of the Elections Code, the governing board of the district shall, at least 120 days prior to any trustee election, change the ward boundary line to conform to precinct boundary lines, where possible.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 5030. Section 5030.

Except as provided in Sections 5027 and 5028, in any school district or community college district having trustee areas, the county committee on school district organization and the registered voters of a district, pursuant to Sections 5019 and 5020, respectively, may at any time recommend one of the following alternate methods of electing governing board members: (a) That each member of the governing board be elected by the registered voters of the entire district. (b) That one or more members residing in each trustee area be elected by the registered voters of that particular trustee area. (c) That each governing board member be elected by the registered voters of the entire school district or community college district, but reside in the trustee area which he or she represents. The recommendation shall provide that any affected incumbent member shall serve out his or her term of office and that succeeding board members shall be nominated and elected in accordance with the method recommended by the county committee. Whenever trustee areas are established in a district, provision shall be made for one of the alternative methods of electing governing board members. In counties with a population of less than 25,000, the county committee on school district organization or the county board of education, if it has succeeded to the duties of the county committee, may at any time, by resolution, with respect to trustee areas established for any school district, other than a community college district, amend the provision required by this section without additional approval by the electors, to require one of the alternate methods for electing board members to be utilized.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 5030.5. Section 5030.5.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the members of the governing board in the Sweetwater Union High School District may be elected under a method, as approved pursuant to Section 5019, that would require all of the following: (a) That each membership position on the governing board be identified, by number or otherwise. (b) That each person seeking election to the governing board be required to declare his or her candidacy for only one of those identified membership positions. (c) That each of those identified membership positions on the governing board be filled by the election of registered voters of the entire district.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 5030.6. Section 5030.6.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the members of the governing board of the Chula Vista Elementary School District may be elected under a method, as approved pursuant to Section 5019, that would require all of the following: (a) That each membership position on the governing board be identified, by number or otherwise. (b) That each person seeking election to the governing board be required to declare his or her candidacy for only one of those identified membership positions. (c) That each of those identified membership positions on the governing board be filled by an election that includes the registered voters of the entire district.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 5030.7. Section 5030.7.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the members of the governing board of the Santee Elementary School District may be elected under a method, as approved pursuant to Section 5019, that would require all of the following: (a) That each membership position on the governing board be identified, by number or otherwise. (b) That each person seeking election to the governing board be required to declare his or her candidacy for only one of those identified membership positions. (c) That each of those identified membership positions on the governing board be filled by an election that includes the registered voters of the entire district.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 5031. Section 5031.

Whenever a school district or community college district is divided for governing board membership purposes into wards, supervisorial districts, or trustee areas, the county superintendent of schools shall prepare and keep in his or her office a map showing the boundaries of such subdivisions of all districts under his or her jurisdiction. Whenever a proposal to initiate a change in trustee area boundaries is submitted to a county committee on school district organization pursuant to Section 5019 by resolution of the governing board of a district, and the proposal is approved, the costs of preparing, developing, and duplicating the maps and legal descriptions shall be borne by the district. The county superintendent shall also prepare and keep in his or her office a record of all actions taken by the county committee on district organization in connection with trustee area boundaries.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 5033. Section 5033.

A member of the governing board of a district wholly or partially included in a unified school district formed under the provisions of Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 35700) of Part 21 of Division 3 of Title 2 shall not be a member of the governing board of the unified school district unless elected to that governing board.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026