—IMPORTANT UPDATE—

PPOA Runoff Election for Unit 621 Custody Assistant Board Seat


Attention Custody Assistants:


As you are aware, PPOA has been engaged in conducting an election for the vacant 621 Board seat. Ballots were mailed last month and many have already been mailed back. Last week, we received the unfortunate news that the post office used by Unilect, the election firm overseeing the Unit 621 runoff election, is located in Pacific Palisades. Tragically, that section of Palisades Village was largely destroyed in the wildfire. The condition of the ballots already received by the post office will be unknown for quite some time and thus cannot be counted. Unilect, prior to the fire, had picked up the first batch of ballots, (approximately 100), and moved them to a facility to begin the initial verification process. That location was also in Pacific Palisades and has been confirmed to have been destroyed in the Palisades fire. 

 

The PPOA Board of Directors met for an online meeting today (1/13/25) to discuss this matter at length. In order to ensure consistency with PPOA's standard election process and in fairness to the custody assistants running for this Unit 621 seat, the board voted to commence with a new runoff election. As a result, all ballots cast in the first runoff election are now invalid. Replacement ballots and candidate statements will be mailed on January 17, 2025 to PPOA members who were Custody Assistants as of 10/21/24 (the original ballot mailing date for this seat.) Those ballots will be due back to Unilect by February 18, 2025. A ballot count will be conducted on February 19, 2025 in the PPOA conference center at 8:30 a.m. and members are invited to observe.

 

As you may recall from the original election, PPOA members cast 71 votes for each of the two challengers in the race, resulting in a tie for Rodolfo "Martin" Cabrera and Melissa Rodriguez. Those two Custody Assistants are competing in the runoff election, and we encourage all eligible CAs to cast a vote. 

 

Eligible PPOA members/Custody Assistants who do not receive a ballot by January 29, 2025, are asked to contact UniLect at (866) 466-6455 to request a replacement ballot.