As of May 30, over 370,000 ballots were sent to registered voters in San Diego County’s first supervisorial district ahead of the July 1 special election, where Chula Vista Mayor John McCann and Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre will vie for the empty seat on the board.
The following week, registered voters in District 1 — which includes residents from the cities of Chula Vista, Imperial Beach and National City, along with several south San Diego neighborhoods — received their ballots in the mail.
While the election is technically nonpartisan, Nora Vargas’ abrupt departure left a split board in its wake – with two Democrats and two Republicans on the dais. Now that majority control is on table, the partisan backing of whoever fills the empty seat holds significant weight.
Aguirre, a Democrat, was elected as the first Latina mayor of Imperial Beach. Since then she has been active in confronting the Tijuana sewage crisis alongside Coronado’s elected officials and environmental advocates. She was named vice chair of the California Coastal Commission last December.
McCann, a Republican, was elected mayor of Chula Vista in 2022 and completed half of his first term this December. He is a decorated Iraq war veteran and continues to serve as a commander in the United States Navy Reserves, according to his biography. He has also been a crusader for public safety and has worked to prioritize neighborhood infrastructure improvements.
The position will be a 3½-year term ending in January 2029.
Voting information
Voters can return their ballots through the U.S. Postal Service, or drop them off at one of the 29 official ballot drop boxes located throughout the district.
Drop boxes will be open 24 hours a day up until 8 p.m. on July 1. A full list of locations is posted on sdvote.com, but in Imperial Beach, drop boxes are at 170 Palm Avenue and 810 Imperial Beach Boulevard.
According to the County News Center, seven vote centers will open on June 21 for in-person voting from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, until the final day of voting on July 1, when all 13 centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. In Imperial Beach, the South Bay Union School District’s Burress Auditorium, at 601 Elm Avenue, will serve as a center.
More voting information, and a list of additional vote centers and drop boxes, can be accessed at sdvote.com.
