Early returns show Bronstein leads SDUHSD Area 5 election

Early returns from the Nov. 2 special election have Julie Bronstein in the lead to take the San Dieguito Union High School District’s Area 5 seat representing the communities of Carmel Valley and Pacific Highlands Ranch.

Julie Bronstein

(Courtesy)

Although results remain unofficial, Bronstein has so far received 59.68% of the vote with challengers Ty Humes receiving 23.19% and Lea Wolf with 17.13%.

As of press time, a total of 5,184 votes were cast in the election out of 27,158 registered voters, representing a 19% voter turnout.

Bronstein is a parent of two San Dieguito students and serves as the vice president of the development committee on the Canyon Crest Academy Foundation board. Professionally, she works at UC San Diego as the executive director of development for health sciences.

The special election was forced after a petition was filed by the San Dieguito Faculty Association against the school board’s provisional trustee appointment process following the resignation of trustee Kristin Gibson.

According to the San Diego County Registrar of Voters, there are projected to be 1,000 outstanding ballots. The law allows a mail ballot to be counted if it is postmarked on or before Election Day and received up to seven days after.

Mail ballot envelopes must be scanned, sorted, and signature checked before the ballots are removed and tabulated. Depending on the volume, it may take up to a week following Election Day to complete the work, said Antonia Hutzell, public relations coordinator for the registrar of voters.