Government / Politics

Local ballot counting continues

As of Friday, 4,400 ballots remain to be counted, with another release of results scheduled for Nov. 21
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AMW_3293.jpg

The San Benito County Department of Elections reported Friday, Nov. 18 that it has processed and counted a total of 18,254 ballots, leaving 4,400 remaining to be processed. The next update is expected to be released on Monday evening, Nov. 21.

The latest batch of results hasn't changed the outcome of most races as reported on election night, Nov. 8, though one particularly close race is for the Sunnyslope County Water District Board, where San Benito High School campus supervisor Honor Spencer has pulled ahead of incumbent Dave Meraz, with 32.52 percent of the vote compared to Meraz's 31.82 percent — a difference of 57 votes. Robert James Rodriguez II continues to have the most votes with 35.28 percent (223 votes ahead of Spencer). The top-two vote getters will win a seat on the board.

In the latest unprocessed ballot report, Joe Paul Gonzalez, county clerk-auditor-recorder-registrar of voters said 3,215 unprocessed vote-by-mail ballots remain to be counted, along with 1,000 provisional ballots and 185 damaged or unreadable ballots. Nearly three-quarters of San Benito County voters have registered to vote by mail or are in mail ballot-only precincts.

Local school bond measures U and V and the Measure W Hollister sales tax extension all remain well ahead of the minimum percent required for passage.

To see the latest election results, click here.

Adam Breen

Adam Breen has been a San Benito County resident since 1980 and graduated from Sacred Heart School and San Benito High School before earning a bachelor's degree from California State University, Fresno. A father of two sons, Adam has taught newspaper, English and yearbook at SBHS for the past decade, after six years as a magazine editor for Santa Clara University. He previously was editor of the Hollister Free Lance and content director for BenitoLink.