More than 20,000 ballots left to count, election results

March 5, 2020

By CCT STAFF

Super Tuesday has ended and San Luis Obispo County voters still do not know who won several key races. With 24,520 more ballots to count, and an unknown number of ballots in the mail, small percentage leads could easily change.

On election night, the Clerk Recorders Office processed 72,390 ballots. Even so, many voters waited until Monday or Tuesday to mail in their ballots, to ensure they had the information they needed to make an informed decision, leaving many more to count.

San Luis Obispo County increasingly relies on mail-in ballots that often take longer to count. In 2020, 83 percent of county voters cast absentee ballots.

Currently, there are 21,403 vote-by-mail ballots, 3,107 provisional ballots and 10 non-processed ballots left to process. The county has not yet released the number of uncounted ballots in each district.

District 1 SLO County Board of Supervisors

With incumbent Supervisor John Peschong leading his opponent Stephanie Shakofsky 67.40 percent to 32.51 percent or 8,703 votes to 4,197, Peschong has clearly won a second term.

District 3 SLO County Board of Supervisors

The county’s closest race, and the one most impacted by the large number of ballots remaining to count, is the battle between incumbent Supervisor Adam Hill and his challenger Stacy Korsgaden. Currently, Korsgaden is ahead with 6,947 votes or 51.1 percent. Trailing by 304 votes, Hill has 48.9 percent of the votes.

District 5 SLO County Board of Supervisors

While it is highly likely incumbent Supervisor Debbie Arnold will retain her seat, her challenger Ellen Beraud said she still expects to win. On election night, Arnold received 7,868 votes or 56.8 percent. Beraud is trailing with 5,982 votes or 43.2 percent.

U.S. House of Representatives 24th District 

Even though incumbent Congressman Salud Carbajal, a Democrat, leads his challenger Andy Caldwell, a Republican, 51.8 percent to 44.5 percent, partisan races are determined in the Nov. 3 presidential election. While Carbajal is currently in the lead, this is likely to be a close race come November.

State Assembly 35th District

Incumbent Jordan Cunningham, a Republican, has a commanding lead against his opponent Dawn Addis, a Democrat, 61.1 percent to 38.9 percent. Even so, the race will be determined during the Nov. 3 presidential election.

Oceano fire tax

Oceano Community Services District board’s plan to implement a $180 annual flat-rate special fire tax on local residents was failing on Tuesday.

The tax measure, aimed at allowing Oceano to remain a part of the Five Cities Fire Authority, requires a two-thirds voter approval to pass, or 66.7 percent. On election night, 63.3 percent voted yes and 36.7 percent voted no. It is likely the special tax will fail.

County Clerk Recorder Tommy Gong plans to release an updated ballot count on Friday.