If you walked into a San Diego polling booth in November 2024, you probably saw a "Measure C" on your ballot and felt a strange sense of déjà vu. Didn't we already do this? Wasn't there a massive hotel tax thing called Measure C a few years back? Honestly, the naming conventions in local politics are a mess.
Here is the deal. The Measure C San Diego 2024 that appeared on the November ballot had absolutely nothing to do with building stadiums or expanding the convention center. That was the other Measure C from 2020, which, confusingly enough, was still making headlines in late 2024 and 2025 because of a massive court battle.
The 2024 version was way more "inside baseball." It was a proposal to change how the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) handles its board of education elections. Specifically, it aimed to stop the district from holding primary elections when there aren't enough candidates to actually justify a primary. It sounds dry, but when you look at the price tag of these elections, it actually makes a lot of sense.
What Measure C San Diego 2024 Actually Changed
Basically, before this passed, the City Charter required a primary election for school board seats no matter what. It didn’t matter if only one person was running. It didn’t matter if there were only two people. They still had to go through the primary in March and then do it all over again in November.
Measure C changed Section 66 of the San Diego City Charter. Now, if two or fewer candidates qualify for a school board seat, they skip the primary and head straight to the general election in November.
Why does this matter? Money.
Holding an election isn't free. The school district has to pay the San Diego Registrar of Voters to process those ballots. According to the City’s fiscal analysis, skipping these unnecessary primaries saves the district about $130,000 per seat. In a year where three seats are up, you're looking at nearly $400,000 in savings. That is money that stays in the classroom instead of being spent on a ballot where the outcome is already a mathematical certainty.
Why People Were Skeptical
You’d think a "save money" measure would be a slam dunk, and it did pass with a healthy 67.47% of the vote. But it wasn’t without critics. People like John Stump and Juan Anaya voiced concerns that this was a subtle way to weaken democracy.
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The logic of the "No" side was that primaries, even uncompetitive ones, give voters an extra chance to voice concerns or engage with candidates. Some argued that by moving everything to November, you’re essentially letting incumbents coast through the spring without having to answer to the public.
There's also the "special interest" angle. Opponents worried that corporate donors could focus all their firepower on a single November election rather than having their influence diluted over two rounds of voting. Honestly, though, in a race where only two people are running, they were both going to advance to November anyway. The primary was mostly just a very expensive dress rehearsal.
The Confusion With the "Other" Measure C
It’s impossible to talk about the 2024 vote without mentioning the shadow of the 2020 hotel tax. While voters were weighing the school board changes, the California Fourth District Court of Appeal was still grinding away at the 2020 Measure C.
To give you a quick refresher:
- The 2020 Measure C wanted to hike the hotel tax (Transient Occupancy Tax) to fund the Convention Center expansion and homelessness services.
- It got 65.24% of the vote.
- The City originally said it needed two-thirds (66.6%) to pass.
- Then the City changed its mind, arguing that because it was a "citizen-led initiative," it only needed 50% plus one.
In a massive ruling in late 2024 and early 2025, the courts eventually sided with the City. This means that as of May 1, 2025, hotel taxes in San Diego officially started going up. If you're a tourist staying downtown, you're now paying a higher rate—up to 13.75% depending on how close you are to the Convention Center.
So, when people searched for Measure C San Diego 2024, half of them were looking for the school board results, and the other half were trying to figure out why their hotel bill just got more expensive.
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The Real-World Impact for San Diegans
So, what does the passage of the 2024 Measure C actually mean for you today?
For the average resident, not much changes on your daily commute. But for the San Diego Unified School District, the administrative burden is lighter. The district is notoriously strapped for cash, and while $400,000 isn't going to fix the entire budget, it’s not pocket change either.
Actionable Takeaways for Voters
If you want to keep an eye on how this affects future elections, here is what to look for:
- Watch the 2026 Primaries: This will be one of the first cycles where we see the new rule in full effect. If you notice fewer school board names on your March ballot, that is Measure C at work.
- Follow the Budget: Keep tabs on the SDUSD Board of Education meetings. Now that they aren't "wasting" that $130k per seat on redundant primaries, it’s worth asking where that specific savings is being reallocated.
- Check Your Hotel Receipts: If you are booking a stay-cation or have family visiting, remember the 2020 Measure C is now active. Those tax zones (11.75% to 13.75%) are live, and that money is finally starting to flow toward homelessness programs and the Convention Center.
Local measures are usually pretty boring until you realize they control exactly how your tax dollars are funneled through the system. Whether it's the 2024 version saving money on ballots or the 2020 version finally collecting taxes after years of legal limbo, Measure C has become a permanent fixture of San Diego's political vocabulary.