SAN DIEGO — San Diego County voters have cast their ballots for the 2022 Midterm Elections. They will now have to wait nearly two days before they receive word on just who may or may not win that race.
According to the San Diego Registrar of Voters, the office plans to release an update on Thursday, November 10 at 5 pm.
Meanwhile, local, state, and national races hang in the balance. Among them include the race for the 49th Congressional District between Congressman Mike Levin and Orange County businessman Brian Maryott.
The race carries national implications as it could minimize the losses that Democrats incurred or provide another win for the Republicans and their chances to win control of the lower chamber.
Also hanging in the balance are local measures such as Measure B, an effort to impose a fee for trash pick-up at single-family homes. Currently, the measure is locked at 50%.
Also deadlocked at 50 percent is the fate of Measure C, a proposal to lift the coastal height limit in San Diego's Midway District.
Other local races with major implications include the Chula Vista mayoral race and the Sheriff's election.
As to why the San Diego Registrar's Office decided to wait to provide an update until Thursday, November 10, San Diego County Registrar Cynthia Paes tells CBS 8 that it "allows staff a full day and a half to process mail ballots that were received on Election Day and add them to the count."
Added Paes, "The Registrar of Voters (ROV) office mailed over 1.9 million ballots for this election and many of those that are returned in sufficient time to be verified and processed are anticipated to be part of the first report released shortly after 8 p.m. on election night. However, the percentage being reported at 8 p.m. can be affected by when mail ballot voters return their ballot. For example, in the 2018 gubernatorial general election over 260,000 mail ballots were dropped off at polling places and mail ballot drop-off locations throughout the county on Election Day."
In fact, other large California counties also made the decision to push election updates as opposed to providing up-to-date numbers.
In San Francisco City and County, the registrar will give its next update on Thursday at 4 pm. Meanwhile, Santa Clara and Orange Counties will release their next update at 5 pm on Wednesday.
"It is our goal to count every legally cast vote in the most expeditious yet careful manner available to us," said Registrar Paes. "Elections are never over on Election Day.