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SLO County Supervisor Gibson wins by 13 votes

December 7, 2022

Supervisor Bruce Gibson

BY KAREN VELIE

Supervisor Bruce Gibson has won reelection in the hotly contested District 2 supervisor race, according to the final tally by the SLO County Clerk Recorder’s Office.

Gibson beat Dr. Bruce Jones by a slim margin of 13 votes, walking away with 11,722 votes or 50.o3%. Gibson’s reelection insures a liberal balance of power on the board.

On one side was Jones, a political newcomer who was supported by supervisors Debbie Arnold and Lynn Compton. Jones vowed to protect the small farmer’s water rights.

On the other side, Gibson was supported by a group of wealthy North County land owners who are seeking to bank water in the Paso Robles Basin.

While it is likely a recount will be requested, it is unlikely it would change the election unless the hundreds of uncounted votes are tallied. There were hundreds of mail-in-ballots that arrived after the cutoff date, that were not counted.

In addition, several poll workers ordered voters to turn their mail-in-ballots at the polls without the required envelopes, which led to dozens of ballots not being tallied.


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I am confused about this statement “several poll workers ordered voters to turn their mail-in-ballots at the polls without the required envelopes”.

The polling places have an enormous supply of envelopes for mail-in-ballots which have been brought in without their envelopes. Those ballots go in the envelope and then in the ballot box reserved for them as well as provisional ballots. How is it possible that they were not tallied? In which polling place did this occur? Was it “several workers” in one polling place? Or “several workers” in several polling places?


32

The fact is that the more votes that trickled in the closer Jones came to a victory. There is the appearance that staff had there bias and decided to stop the count leaving the remaining legally submitted votes uncounted. I’d say count them and if the outcome changes, the county should pay for a recount that includes all legally submitted ballots which includes those uncounted absentee solo ballots turned at the poling locations and the uncounted correctly postmarked ballots due to this fiasco. This would be an honorable fix that serves both candidates. Another consideration is how this counting process was timed to run out of time.


25

All legal ballots have been counted; the decision to stop was based on the State of California deadlines, not the whims of County Clerk staff. The only ballots remaining are ballots which were either signed and submitted past the election date, or were spoiled in some way and the contacted voter decided not to cure their ballot after nearly a month. A recount with added ballots would be illegal.


11

Yes spoiled in some way and the remedy was to make an offering by what second go around vote process and did the Sate deadlines deny timely postmarked votes from being counted? A recount with added ballots are illegal but not ballots that were intentionally withheld as a result of election management error. Forget the spinning of words, just embrace the intent of an honest election and remedy the honest errors that may have occurred, it there were none so be it.


5

Recount coming. It would be interesting to see the voter turnout on the coast resentful of the gerrymander.

As I recall, the mail-in-ballot envelope has a date the envelope must be post mark by and a date it must be received by. No gripe there. The last allegation “poll workers ordering voters to turn their mail-in-ballots at the polls without the required envelopes” … if true, not good, very not good.

Finally, the highly unethical gerrymandered Patten Map backfires 0 for 3, with the newly drawn 1st and 5th Districts 2024 locks. In 2024, it will be 1 to 4, if Gibson’s win holds.


24

Not a recount, what is needed is a full detailed audit.


19

“There were hundreds of mail-in-ballots, sent on time but that arrived after the cutoff date, that were not counted.” It is my understanding if a ballot was postmarked by Nov 8 they would be counted. What’s this “cutoff date”?


22

“Statements to cure voter signatures must be received in the County Elections Office by 5:00pm on Monday, December 5, 2022.”


https://www.slocounty.ca.gov/Departments/Clerk-Recorder/All-Services/Elections-and-Voting/Elections-Conducted-by-County-of-San-Luis-Obispo/November-8,-2022,-General-Election.aspx


In my personal opinion nearly a month is long enough. Worst case scenario, if you mailed your ballot on election day and it got sent to Kalamazoo and back, and it was spoiled, you’d still have a couple of weeks to do something.


-1

Sounds like someone should go back and verify everything was done right. Can never figure out why it is so hard for states and counties to get elections right


24

Thankfully the election was done right. Part of what took so long was that they took their time verifying everything was right. It takes time to have an election that’s secure, accessible to rural people, and gives access to people whose ballot was spoiled through a dumb mistake or something outside their control. Elections are hard!


I’m not happy that it takes so long. But historically its always taken a long time, particularly in such a close election. I’d rather they do the job slow but right, rather than fast and messy.


-20

Ballots cast legally were uncounted? Improper instructions and procedures by precinct workers resulted in ballots not tabulated? I thought the mantra and narrative from past elections was “count all votes” and “no voter disenfranchisement”. Thanks, Ms. Cano, for dragging lawyers and the courts into the 2022 mid-term election.


9

Well played Cano. She didn’t even try to hide it. Wow!!!


9

Some strong allegations in those last 2 paragraphs.


24

Strong allegations require strong evidence.


7

This election result smells very fishy! Where’s the FBI when you need them?


1

That smell is just the tuna sandwich I just ate, just kidding! No fish cast ballots in November’s election.


Also what would the FBI do? I don’t think Cano has nuclear secrets over on Palm Street, does she?


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