This election cycle, Lompoc has two City Council seats and the mayor’s seat up for grabs, and the Lompoc Unified School District has its second by-trustee area election this November.
To help keep residents informed and involved during election season, the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Lompoc-Vandenberg branch received a $10,000 grant from the Fund for Santa Barbara. This funding will help the AAUW—in partnership with the League of Women Voters of Northern Santa Barbara County, the Future for Lompoc Youth, and Allan Hancock College—conduct outreach and host two bilingual election forums at Lompoc City Hall this fall.
The AAUW is a nonpartisan organization that promotes the advancement of equity through research, education, philanthropy, and advocacy. The association recently celebrated its 60th anniversary serving Lompoc and Vandenberg residents.
“The forums are a huge part of what we do,” said Kay Duffy-Taylor, AAUW Lompoc-Vandenberg branch president. “In sponsoring and putting together these forums, it gives us an opportunity to further our mission of equity, social change, [and] empowering voices—especially marginalized voices in our community.”
The first school board forum will be Sept. 26, followed by the City Council and mayoral candidates on Oct. 3, but all forums will follow the same procedure.
At a city level, Jenelle Osborne will be running for mayor against former Mayor Jim Mosby and People’s Self Help Housing Portfolio Manager Lydia Perez. Former Lompoc Planning Commissioner Steve Bridge faces Patrick Wiemiller for the 1st District seat, and 4th District Councilmember Jeremy Ball is running unopposed.
Lompoc Unified had its first by-trustee area election—instead of at-large (districtwide)—in 2022, according to the district, and this is the first time it’s on the ballot during a presidential election.
“It will be interesting to see if it does impact engagement. Since this is the first time, it’s hard to say it will [have] a negative or positive impact, but we hope it will be positive,” she said. “People will be engaged with a particular area. … It’ll be an interesting area of study afterward.”
The AAUW and its partners will identify issues for each race and incorporate questions they receive from the public. While the AAUW doesn’t give out questions ahead of time, the organization will inform candidates of possible topics.
“Forums are really good opportunities for discussion. Overall, it will be an opportunity for voters to get a sense of each candidate and what they offer, what they provide as far as experience, especially the city forum,” Duffy-Taylor said. “You’re looking at anything from homelessness to development, public safety, all of those issues plus cannabis operations. Whereas the school is more driven by education, safety of schools, and resources provided to students.”
Future for Lompoc Youth participants are students who have just graduated from or are seniors in high school who help with outreach via Instagram and tabling at events and draft election information letters and general plans for the forums.
“The great part about that is they are the demographic we really need to reach out to: the younger, diverse voter. They will bring their voices to the forum, the planning, the execution, the engagement,” Duffy-Taylor said. “They are very motivated to have as much voter participation as possible in this election, especially with this generation.”
By offering live translation services from English to Spanish and offering a Zoom attendance option, she hopes the number of forum participants will increase, she said.
“A large section of our population is mostly Spanish-speaking. To have dual language participation will have a big difference in engaging voters and enabling them to participate in the election process,” Duffy-Taylor said.
Santa Barbara County voter turnout was low during the primary and the 2022 election, but Duffy-Taylor hopes that this year’s presidential election will increase voter turnout.
“Statistically, people have been more likely to go out to vote when they are looking at the bigger races such as the presidential, … and even your congressional and Senate races. Down-ballot races always benefit during that type of election year,” Duffy-Taylor said. “I would be surprised if we had low voter turnout based on what’s happening nationally and locally.”
Register to attend the school board and/or City Council candidate forums at lompocvandenberg-ca.aauw.net.
• Lompoc Parks and Recreation is offering a new youth volleyball class as part of the 2024 Fall Activity Guide. The volleyball class at the Anderson Recreation Center (125 W. Walnut Ave.) is for kids ages 9 to 14 and costs $55 per child per session for Lompoc residents and $66 for non-Lompoc residents. Classes will run on Wednesdays from Aug. 28 to Sept. 25 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Register at cityoflompoc.com/recreation or in-person at the Anderson Recreation Center. Call (805) 875-8100 for more information.
Reach Staff Writer Taylor O’Connor at toconnor@santamariasun.com.