PLEASANT HILL, Calif. —Voters in Martinez Unified School District Area 3 will select a new representative on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, after a petition calling for a special election was deemed legally sufficient by Contra Costa County Superintendent of Schools Lynn Mackey last week.
The Martinez Unified School District Governing Board voted to conduct the election by mail.
The petition also terminates the provisional appointment of Brittany Ayala, who was selected for the seat by members of the Martinez Unified School District Governing Board. The position was previously held by Yazmin Llamas before she won election to the Contra Costa County Board of Education. Until the election is certified, the Martinez Unified School District Governing Board will remain at four members.
“The petitioners have met the criteria for a special election to be called,” Superintendent Mackey said. “It is my hope the voters of that area mail in their ballots for their school board representative.”
According to California Education Code Section 5091, the petition needed signatures from 1.5 percent of the 4,182 registered voters in Martinez Unified School District Area 3. Of the 135 signatures submitted by the petitioners, the Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department verified 126, surpassing the 63 necessary to force a special election.
Individuals interested in running for the office must submit their candidacy by 5 p.m. on March 21 to have their name included on the ballot. Filing instructions can be found at the Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections website.
About Contra Costa County Office of Education
One of 58 counties in California, Contra Costa County has the 11th largest public-school student population in the state (approximately 169,394 students). Officially established in 1932, CCCOE has a long history of providing direct services to some of our county’s most vulnerable students, including young people who are incarcerated, homeless, or in foster care, as well as students who have severe physical or emotional challenges.
CCCOE also provides support services to schools and school districts in Contra Costa County; services that can be handled most effectively and economically on a regional basis rather than by each of the county’s 287 schools or 18 school districts. These services range from budget approval and fiscal support to technology infrastructure, communication support, and high-level professional development opportunities for educators. CCCOE maintains a website at www.cocoschools.org.
Editors Note
According to the Martinez Unified School District, Brittany Ayala was given provisional appointment to the Board effective January 27, 2025 to fill the vacancy on the board—unless a petition calling for a special election, containing a sufficient number of signatures, is filed in the office of the County Superintendent of Schools within 30-days of the provisional appointment, it shall become an effective appointment.
At the March 3 meeting, it was stated by going to a mail-ballot, it would save the District at least $20k… it would be reduced to $43k versus a traditional election of $60k. With this being a mail-ballot, there is no in person voting.
For more on the Martinez Unified School District, click here
