IRVINE : Election-Year Switch Will Save $35,000

City voters, who have traditionally gone to the polls in odd-numbered years to elect school board members, will find the election missing this November.

The Irvine Unified School District Board of Education voted unanimously this week to save money by moving its biannual elections to November of even-numbered years. The change will save about $35,000 each election and put its election date in line with all but two Orange County school districts.

The even-numbered November general election also usually brings a much higher voter turnout because the ballot contains most local elections as well as state and federal races.

Board President Margie Wakeham said before casting her vote Tuesday that she supported changing the election date to save money, but feared the school board election would get buried on the crowded general election ballot.

The change in election dates will cancel this November’s election, extending the five board members’ terms of office by one year. The change will leave only Orange and Santa Ana unified school districts among the 32 school districts in Orange County with elections in odd-numbered years.

Rosalyn A. Lever, assistant registrar of voters, said most local governments have already consolidated their elections with the November national election. Only three Orange County cities--Tustin, Seal Beach and Dana Point--still hold elections on dates separate from the general election, Lever said.