Encinitas voters have three local races, two county measures and 14 state propositions on their Nov. 3 ballots, with some county vote centers already set to open Saturday, Oct. 24.

The local contests include the mayor's race, where incumbent Bruce Ehlers faces challenger Rimga Viskanta, and two City Council seats in Districts 3 and 4.

Mayor

Ehlers won the seat in 2024 by defeating then-Mayor Tony Kranz, 52% to 48%. He told the San Diego Union-Tribune in February, "I will be running, there's no doubt in my mind. I have more work to do." His platform centers on fighting state housing mandates and defending local control over zoning.

Viskanta, a school board member, has campaigned on housing, traffic, climate change and homelessness. She holds an endorsement from U.S. Rep. Mike Levin. As we reported Oct. 12, Viskanta has nearly doubled Ehlers in fundraising. The mayor's seat carries a two-year term.

District 3

With incumbent Joy Lyndes not seeking re-election, the Cardiff-area seat is an open race between Arielle Golden and Ed Sprague. Golden, an MBA who chaired the North County Food Policy Council, lists managing growth, age-friendly infrastructure and climate resilience as priorities, according to the North Coast Current. Sprague, a retired deputy fire chief and former Olivenhain Municipal Water District board president, emphasizes community character, public safety and infrastructure. The winner serves a four-year term.

District 4

Appointed Councilmember Marco San Antonio faces Brad Lefkowits for the Olivenhain and New Encinitas seat. San Antonio, a sign business owner appointed in January 2025 after Ehlers became mayor, said in August his platform centers on "improving public safety, investing in long-overdue infrastructure, and standing up for local control," according to the North Coast Current. Lefkowits, a landscape designer and chair of the city's Urban Forest Advisory Committee, has emphasized responsible growth, fiscal management and environmental protection. That seat also carries a four-year term.

County Measure A

Measure A would let San Diego County supervisors serve three four-year terms instead of the current two-term cap voters approved in 2010. It would also create a county budget analyst, program auditor and ethics commission, and give supervisors power to confirm and remove some senior staff, KPBS reported. The Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 in May to place it on the ballot.

An ABC 10News/Union-Tribune poll found just 40% of likely voters back Measure A, with 76% of registered voters saying supervisors should keep the two-term limit.

County Measure B

Measure B would raise the countywide sales tax by half a cent, generating an estimated $400 million to $450 million a year. Revenue would go to a dedicated fund: 60% for social services including food assistance, health care and childcare; 22.5% for Tijuana River Valley sewage cleanup; and 17.5% for public safety, split between fire and law enforcement, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

The measure has no sunset clause. The San Diego County Taxpayers Association opposes it in part for that reason. Assemblymember Carl DeMaio has pledged $1 million through his group Reform California to defeat it. The same ABC 10News/Union-Tribune poll showed Measure B passing by 14 points, with 49% yes and 35% no. It needs a simple majority.

State propositions

Fourteen statewide measures round out the ballot. Among them: Proposition 3 would make progressive income tax rates permanent. Proposition 4 is the only measure asking voters to repeal an existing law. Proposition 5 would change the recall process. Proposition 39 would amend the state constitution to require government-issued identification at the polls and the last four digits of a government ID number on mail-in ballots. The full list appears on the sample ballot mailed to every registered voter.

How to vote

Some county vote centers open Saturday, Oct. 24. Three Encinitas locations open Saturday, Oct. 31, at Ada W. Harris Elementary School, Capri Elementary School and Encinitas Community Center. Hours run 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Monday, Nov. 2, and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. Residents may use any county vote center. Mail ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3. Drop-box ballots are due by 8 p.m. that day. Locations are listed on the San Diego County Registrar of Voters website.