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Live primary election results tonight: Los Angeles Unified School Board
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What’s at stake in this race
The Los Angeles Unified School Board oversees the nation’s second-largest school district, with more than 390,000 students enrolled from transitional kindergarten through the 12th grade. The district is also the county’s second-largest employer, with more than 83,000 educators, administrators and support staff on its payroll.
In L.A., voters directly elect members of the school board, unlike in New York City, Chicago and Washington, D.C., where the mayor appoints education leaders. So your ballot wields a lot of power.
Three of the board’s seven seats are up for election this year: Districts 2, 4 and 6.
What it takes to win
If any one candidate receives more than 50% of the vote in the June primary, they will win the office outright. Otherwise, the top two finishers face off in November. The outcome in the District 6 race is all but guaranteed — incumbent Kelly Gonez is running unopposed.
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Why this race matters
Here are just a few of the thorny issues that the LAUSD must tackle during the next term:
- Balancing LAUSD’s budget: The board has adopted spending plans for the past two years that rely on billions of dollars in reserves to close the gap between expenses and revenue. School leaders say that without change, the district could deplete its reserves within a few years. In February, a divided board approved the elimination of more than 650 jobs as part of a plan to cut spending. Decisions about more layoffs and school closures could be on the horizon.
- Shoring up enrollment: The district’s enrollment has declined for more than two decades. There are also fewer immigrant students attending L.A. schools in the wake of the Trump administration’s widespread immigration arrests. California uses attendance to set school funding levels — over time, fewer students means a smaller multiplier for state funding.
- Continuing academic improvement: LAUSD students have achieved notable gains on California's standardized math and reading tests in recent years. Scores rose above pre-pandemic levels in the 2024-25 school year, outpacing state growth. The reality remains that the majority of students do not meet benchmark scores for any subject. Among the most vocal parents are those of students with disabilities, who say schools failed to meet their children’s needs during distance learning.
- School safety: How well LAUSD does or does not protect students is one of the most frequently cited topics during board meeting public comment sessions. On one side are parents who seek the restoration of school police to district campuses after the board cut that department's annual budget by $25 million (35%) in the summer of 2020. On the other side are students who want to see a greater investment in student and community-based safety programs.
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Go deeper on the issues
- Guide to the LAUSD District 2 race (LAist)
- Guide to the LAUSD District 4 race (LAist)
- Guide to the LAUSD District 6 race (LAist)
About the vote count
For LAist's charts showing vote counts, we get numbers directly from the L.A. County and Orange County registrars of voters for local races. Totals are updated on our site as soon as possible after the registrars provide new tallies. For statewide races, counts come from the California Secretary of State's Office.
Keep in mind that, in tight races particularly, the winner may not be determined for days or weeks after election day. That's because early voting and mail-in ballots have fundamentally reshaped how votes are counted and when election results are known. In L.A. County, for example, updates on the counting are expected to continue through June 26. After the polls close on election night, expect updates every 15 minutes or so through the early morning hours Wednesday. After that, expect updated counts around 5 p.m. on the following days: June 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 18, 24 and 26. Final results must be certified by July 10.
Our priority during the vote count will be sharing outcomes and election calls only when they have been thoroughly checked and vetted by journalists. To that end, we will report when candidates concede and otherwise rely on NPR and the Associated Press for race calls (before official results). We will not report the calls or projections of other news outlets. You can find more about NPR's and the AP's process for counting votes and calling races here, here and here.
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Tracking your ballot
You can track the status of your ballot through California's BallotTrax website.
If your mail-in ballot has any problems (like a missing or mismatched signature), your county registrar must contact you to give you a chance to fix it.
Official results
The California Secretary of State's Office is required to certify the final vote tallies by July 10, marking the official end of the 2026 primary election.
LAist's Voter Game Plan will be back in the fall to help you prepare for the Nov. 3 general election.
Ask us a question
What questions do you have about this election?
You ask, and we'll answer: Whether it's about who's funding the campaigns or how to track your ballot, we're here to help you understand the 2026 election
What questions do you have about this election?
You ask, and we'll answer: Whether it's about who's funding the campaigns or how to track your ballot, we're here to help you understand the 2026 election