Another 40,651 ballots were counted in the week since Nov. 3, and the updated vote totals from Santa Barbara County show the same outcomes for each race as election night semi-official results.
Joe Holland, head of the County Elections Office, said last week that the county had received about 215,000 ballots, which is a record-high number and would mean turnout above 90%.
With Monday’s post-election update, the county reported 197,463 ballots counted, for 83.96% turnout.
In Santa Barbara County and the rest of California, ballots could be returned to drop boxes and polling places until 8 a.m. Nov. 3, and can be returned by mail afterward, as long as they were postmarked by election day.
The outcome of local measures has not changed with the newly counted ballots: the Cold Spring School District bond measure is failing, with 51.2% approval (short of the 55% it needs to pass); the Goleta Union School District bond measure is easily passing, with 71.2% approval; Guadalupe voters are passing a sales tax increase, with 68.5% approval; and Solvang voters overwhelmingly said yes to recalling Councilman Chris Djernaes, who will be replaced by former sheriff Jim Thomas.
Goleta voters were supporting a longer mayoral term — four years instead of two — which makes it the same length as City Council terms, with 51.7% approval as of Monday.
In the Lompoc Unified School District election, the top three candidates remain ahead of the field with Monday’s vote totals, but Tom Blanco is now the top vote-getter, by 330 votes, followed by Janet Blevins and Bill Heath.
San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties released post-election result updates on Friday, which show Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara, winning re-election over Republican challenger Andy Caldwell for the 24th District Congressional District.
Carbajal had 59.9% of the vote, between the three counties, as of Monday, with the largest margin in Santa Barbara County.
In the 19th District state Senate election, Santa Barbara Assemblywoman Monique Limón had 64.7% of the vote as of Monday, in her bid to replace termed-out State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson. Candidate Gary Michaels, of Santa Maria, had 35.3% of the vote.
Former Ventura County Supervisor Steve Bennett, with 68.2% of the vote Monday, had more than twice as many votes as candidate Charles Cole, of Santa Barbara, for the 37th District State Assembly seat which is currently held by Limón.
In the 35th State Assembly District election, incumbent Jordan Cunningham, R-Templeton, had a reported 53.9% of the vote as of Monday, over challenger Dawn Addis, a Democrat from Morro Bay.
The Santa Barbara County Elections Office will release additional post-election updates as more ballots are received and counted, and election results are expected to be finalized and certified in December.
— Noozhawk managing editor Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
