Information provided by The San Benito County Elections Department. Lea este artículo en español aquí.
El Departamento de Elecciones del Condado de San Benito informs residents longer than usual time to count and verify ballots following the General Election. The delay is the result of a much larger number of ballots combined with significant reductions in the staff available to process them.
The Elections Department is operating with three permanent full-time employees, down from five in previous election cycles, following a more than 60% reduction in permanent and temporary staffing resources.
The General Election brought a substantially higher number of ballots than the Primary Election. Staff are working through more than 80,000 individual ballot pages, including over 22,000 vote-by-mail ballots. At the same time, recruiting poll workers has become increasingly difficult, leaving fewer people available to help with the workload.
The Department’s small team has been working extended hours to keep the process moving. On Election Day alone, staff worked 22 hours straight, and employees have had little opportunity to rest since. Despite these challenges, every ballot must go through the required processes and procedures to ensure it is properly counted. We will not sacrifice accuracy or election security simply to report results faster.
“Our staff are working extremely hard to complete the count, but the reality is that we have fewer people processing more ballots,” said Francisco Diaz, San Benito County Registrar of Voters. “We understand that residents are anxious to see the final results, and we share their desire to complete the process as quickly as possible. However, every ballot deserves the time and attention necessary to ensure it is properly verified and counted.”
California law requires election officials to process ballots on or before the 13th day following Election Day or submit a public notice of extension if additional processing time is needed. The Elections Department continues working to meet all applicable state deadlines without compromising the integrity of the vote.
“I understand how frustrating it can be to wait for election results, and I wish we had more staff available to move the process along faster,” Diaz added. “Our employees are doing everything they can with the resources available to us. This election highlights the importance of having adequate staffing to meet the demands of our community.”
Looking ahead, the Elections Department will request additional funding during the upcoming County budget cycle to restore permanent positions and provide adequate temporary staffing. As election participation and workloads increase, having enough staff to do the work is essential to delivering timely results and maintaining reliable election operations.
Updated results will be posted on the San Benito County Elections Office sitio web as ballots are processed, verified, and counted.