While the count is unofficial and several ballots remain to be processed, there are clear leaders emerging in local races from the Nov. 8 election.
With two four-year terms available on the Oakdale City Council, the latest results available from the Stanislaus County Registrar of voters showed Kayleigh Gilbert with 2,585 votes for roughly 36 percent of the vote, followed by incumbent Christopher Smith with 2,383 votes for 34 percent. Benjamin Amaral had 30 percent of the vote with 2,125 votes. When the vote totals are finalized, the two candidates receiving the most votes will win the four-year terms.
Incumbent Mayor Cherilyn Bairos, who was unopposed, had 4,642 votes based on the latest returns.
There were also contested races in three areas for the Oakdale Joint Unified School District. In Area 1, Clayton Schemper had the lead, polling an estimated 60 percent of the votes, with 40 percent for Michele ‘Mickey’ Manuel.
Area 4 saw incumbent Diane Gilbert in the lead with about 54 percent of the vote. Challengers Josh Randol had polled about 37 percent and Shirrelle Moore-Mmasi trailed with about nine percent.
The Area 5 race remained the closest, with the latest results showing Bill Duvall Jr. having the lead over Lauren Dutch, but with just a 52 to 48 percent margin.
In the District 13 Congressional race, Adam Gray had a 52 to 48 percent lead over John Duarte; Tom Patti was favored 68 to 32 percent over Josh Harder in the District 9 Stanislaus County voting but had support over Patti in other counties, while in the District 5 race, Tom McClintock had a 60 to 40 percent lead over Michael Barkley.
In the State Senate District 4 race, Marie Alvarado-Gil had a 53 to 47 percent lead over Tim Robertson. In the two state Assembly District races, Heath Flora had a 73 to 27 percent lead in District 9 over challenger Mustaq A Tahirkheli and Juan Alanis had a 57 to 43 percent lead over Jessica Self in District 22.
Figures also showed that Stanislaus County favored challenger Brian Dahle over incumbent Governor Gavin Newsom, 57 to 43 percent, though statewide the governor was easily returned to another term.
Late afternoon Tuesday, Nov. 15 Stanislaus County Clerk Recorder, Registrar of Voters Donna Linder released an official update on the canvass of the Tuesday, Nov. 8 General Election.
Additional vote by mail ballots have been added to the Election Night vote count. A total of 98,719 ballots have now been counted. These unofficial updated tally results have been posted on the election website, www.stanvote.com
The Elections Office continues to scan each vote by mail envelope to credit voters with casting a ballot and check the signature on each envelope against the signature located on each voter’s original affidavit of registration, ballots are then sorted, and prepared for count.
Approximate number of ballots remaining to be processed include:
Vote by mail – 30,500 remaining from Election Day and received by mail with a post mark of no later than November 15. Provisionally voted ballots – 84; Conditionally voted ballots – 425; Miscellaneous ballots – 800.
All voted ballots from a randomly selected 1 percent of the precincts must be manually tallied and balanced against the computer counts to verify the accuracy of the election tally system. This process is required by law. The office has begun working on the 1 percent hand tally of the vote which will continue until completed. Duplication of damaged, military and overseas ballots is in process.
The canvass will continue until complete. California law requires certification of this election to be on or before Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022, which is 30 days following Election Day.
More information regarding the General Election is available on the Stanislaus Registrar of Voters website at: stanvote.com.
