Carla Mead has maintained the lead in the race for a vacant seat on the Buellton City Council. 

A new tally released Friday by the Santa Barbara County Elections Division showed Mead, a community volunteer, with 269 votes, or 60%. 

Dave King, a retired California Highway Patrol officer who previously spent 12 years as a council member and mayor, garnered 179 votes for 40%, according to updated results from Tuesday’s special election.

The tally accounts for 52 additional ballots or those turned in closer to the 8 p.m. Tuesday deadline.

The election night count saw Mead with 246 votes compared to 150 for King, giving her a 24% lead initially.

Only registered voters in District 4 participated in the special election with vote-by-mail ballots and no in-person voting locations. 

The District 4 seat has been vacant since late last year when then-councilman David Silva won a bid to become mayor, besting King. 

The four council members deadlocked on who should fill the vacant seat, leading to the rare special election.

Certification of election results is expected on or before Sept. 12.

The new council member will take the oath of office and begin the term during the Sept. 25 meeting, according to city officials.