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Eleven percent of SLO County ballots returned, who is voting early?

October 27, 2022

By KAREN VELIE

San Luis Obispo County voters appear to be taking their time in returning their mid-term election ballots, with slightly more than 11% returned as of Thursday, according to numbers from a state source as the SLO County Clerk Recorder has failed to respond to public records requests.

Of the 177,173 ballots sent to registered voters, 20,002 have been returned — 8,931 from registered Democrats and 7,084 from Republican voters. Of the ballots returned, 12,860 or more than 64% were from voters age 64 or older.

The SLO County Board of Supervisors currently consists of a three-person Republican majority: supervisors Lynn Compton, John Peschong and Debbie Arnold. However, following Democrat Jimmy Paulding’s primary election win against Compton, the victor of the District 2 race will determine the 2023 board majority.

Incumbent Supervisor Bruce Gibson, a Democrat, is battling Dr. Bruce Jones, a Republican, in the District 2 race. With three Republicans candidates splitting 52.4% and Gibson garnering 47.6% of primary election votes, no one won the 50% or more votes required to win in the June primary.

Of the 35,965 ballots mailed to District 2 voters, 3,878 have been returned: 1,643 from registered Democrats and 1,373 from registered Republicans.

For your vote to count, your ballot must be dropped off or postmarked on or before election day, Nov. 8. Voters can also cast a ballot at their local polling station on election day.


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the victor of the District 2 race will determine the 2023 board majority.


Curious what “District 2” looks like, I found this map on the county web site. If that was still active, it would obviously be a Democratic landslide, since it’s beach towns.


However, with the redistricting it seems that Atascadero gets to vote as District 2 in this election per this new map.


Will be interesting to see how that shakes out. Seems like another blue win if I had to bet my $$$


-2

Karen,

We’re well aware of the date of the election.


It is only your opinion that is in question as I read through this article.


Evidently, many voters have caught on to government shenanigans regarding early voting.


I, for one, and evidently many others, are protecting their vote by waiting until the NORMAL, SCHEDULED TIME.


4

I’m voting at the normal, scheduled time… Which is weeks before the election!! I prefer to look over the voter guides, and search up candidates pages and read endorsements from my kitchen table. Voting in person on election day seems like a hastle compared to stopping by the post office on the way to work. And if we are throwing around baseless concerns about votes not being counted, I’d be more concerned about the volunteer taking my ballot, whose to say they don’t pull it out and toss it?! (This is absurd of course). Everyone should vote by mail.


-2

Here we go again… exactly what “government shenanigans” regarding early voting are you referring to?


0

probably people


10

Not a whole lot of trust in SLO County when being led by the incompetent Elaina Cano. She and her have staff have had months to prepare and couldn’t even the pre-election information on candidates out correctly. Her actions have caused this lack of faith and trust.

I know countless people who are foregoing the mail ballot and will be voting in person on November 8th. The mail voting leaves too many avenues for election fraud.

Absentee voting which requires solid voter identification, security, and fairness should be the only way to vote by mail. No ballot stuffing that way.


-4

” mail voting leaves too many avenues for election fraud ” Funny how this comment doesn’t get the same down votes as mine below. Heads in the sand and happy to be there i guess :/


-3

In what court case has ballot stuffing been proven?


-2

In this case, no proof required. Proof is required only for criminal conviction.

In this case, anecdotal evidence speaks volumes. i.e. “where there’s smoke, there’s fire”.


Your silly premise is flawed.


1

We just went through a hand ballot recount of the Paulding Compton contest and not one ballot changed.


9

Nice! I was trying to sugar coat the same thing.


-2

Implementing a secure electronic means of voting would increase turnout and reduce the time it takes to determine “winners”. Until then; resign to have your local and state issues decided by those who actually go out of there way to follow through and vote by mail.


-32

Sorry unusualsuspect, but there is not now nor ever will be a “secure electronic means” of voting. Contrary to popular belief, not even high tech is immune to those who wish evil and ill will.


53

Well JCILOALL… Do you truly believe the mail ballot system is any better or somehow unable to be tampered with? (probably a whole lot easier too) Get with the times. This system is outdated and the lack of voter turnout is directly related to the recent distorting of our society and it’s true values.


-9

Oh no, certainly not unusualsuspect. For those who want to be criminal there will always be opportunity to do criminal things. The heart is desperately wicked and until man changes his heart, [and that won’t happen], as Solomon said: There is nothing new under the sun.


3

Oh really? I remember, in my lifetime, when ballots were filled in at a voting booth in a precinct, (with the exception of those in the military or in-firmed, they got Absentee Ballots via request). Election results were finalized in 24-48 hours.


What happened?


10

There were less votes to count in the days where you couldn’t vote if…



But even in those days of voter suppression — mail-in ballots had already been in use for over half of a century. Absentee (postal) voting started in the late 1800s.


-6

So why aren’t these ballots, examined for signatures and such, counted and kept private and count released at 8pm election night?


13