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SLO County election’s office one of the slowest in the state

November 25, 2024

SLO County Clerk Recorder Elaina Cano

By KAREN VELIE

The San Luis Obispo County election’s office led the state Friday in uncounted ballots with 24,846 still to count. After working on Saturday, SLO County is now ranked twelfth with 6,274 left to count.

At the end of the 2022 ballot count, SLO County was the second slowest in the state.

In an opinion piece in the Tribune, SLO County Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano says the lengthy canvas is “a testament to the meticulous and essential work happening behind the scenes.” Cano also notes that “the volume of mail-in and provisional ballots is higher than ever before.”

Some SLO County residents are pushing for people to vote at the polls, with ballots tabulated on election night as time consuming signature matches are not required.

However, with a reconfiguration of polling locations, many rural voters found it difficult to vote at the polls.

For example, for some Creston residents who had voted for decades at the polling site in Creston, they arrived to learn their polling place had been changed and was about a 30-minute drive away, taking them past two other polling places. In Templeton, some residents were directed to a polling place in San Miguel.

As a result, a larger than normal amount of residents decided to vote provisionally at polling places other than their own or to drop off their ballots, which would then require a signature match.

California county elections officials have 30 days to count every valid ballot and conduct a required post-election audit. State law requires elections officials to report final official results for presidential electors to the Secretary of State by Dec. 3, 2024, and all other contests by Dec. 6, 2024.

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We brag that “we’re not L.A”. or “The Bay” and now we’re supposed to be in a big hurry


0

Wouldn’t be this Charlie Foxtrot under Rodewald


2

As I’ve said before – fast counting, reliable verification, and accessible voting are frequently in tension with each other. We could count faster if we didn’t verify signatures, we could also count faster by telling the few people in Creston “tough luck, should have double checked the polling place” – but I don’t like either of those options, I’ll take slow easy and accurate over inconvenient, potentially compromised and speedy.


2

It is hard to believe how SLO is so tardy in finishing ballot count, other counties (San Francisco, Orange, Los Angeles) have mush larger populations, therefore more ballots to count, yet we finish the count after these large countries. We need a County Clerk more focused- Our current gal is asleep at the switch.


2

Ridiculous! She has no reason to smile…


2

I’m confused the county clerk spent 100,000 for a counting machine and we are still counting. I say next election save the tax payers money it wasn’t worth the money.


3

It takes a couple of weeks to figure out where things stand in close elections and then find the missing box of ballots to be counted illegally in private.


10

I agree the long time it’s taking leaves room for questionable behavior. My trust level for this County Clerk is very very low. Bring back Julie these things never took place when she was county clerk. Let’s remember when Cano is up for reelection.


4