Ballot counting continues after heavy turnout in local elections By: Jonathan Whitaker Merced County Times
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ore than 84,000 ballots were cast by Merced County voters in the Nov. 5 General Election, according to the local Elections Department. As of the Times press deadline on Wednesday morning, approximately 55 percent of those ballots were counted and reported; however, a major update was expected on Thursday evening, Nov. 14. In the last Presidential Election of 2020, voter turnout amounted to 78.72 percent, with 92,424 ballots cast among 117,413 registered voters. For the 2024 election, registered voters numbered 132,016. “Administering an election is a meticulous process,” said Mel Levey, Merced County Registrar of Voters. “My team and I have a razor-sharp focus on accuracy and efficiency, ensuring that every legally
cast ballot is counted and recorded appropriately.” Levey reported that nearly 14,000 voters chose to vote in-person for the election, a number far greater than any prior election since the county formally adopted the Vote Center model a few election cycles ago. While lines were long at some locations, Levey said poll workers ensured that every voter was served, in particular on Election Night as the polls closed at 8 p.m. “Due to the number of voters in line at 8 p.m., some Vote Centers did not close until midnight,” the Registrar reported. Among the many required tasks such as monitoring tabulators and verifying signatures, Elections Department workers are busy processing provisional and conditional ballots cast. The Registrar of Voters is expected to certify the official results on Dec. 3. Meanwhile, here’s a look
at how local races are shaping up: Duarte leads Gray; Soria ahead of Rose All eyes are on the 13th Congressional District race between Rep. John Duarte and Adam Gray, along with the 27th District State Assembly race between Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria and Joanna Garcia Rose. So far, Duarte, the incumbent Republican, has more than 3,000 votes over Gray, a 51 percent to 49 percent split. A Duarte win could add to what’s being predicted as a slight Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives going forward with the new Trump presidency. However, key congressional races have yet to be determined across the United States.
As for Soria, she has maintained a steady lead over Rose since Election Day, up 52.9 percent to 47.1 percent of the vote. Merced City Council It’s looking like Mayor Matthew Serratto, with a big lead over challenger Anthony Martinez since Election night, will start a second term along with incumbent District 5 Councilwoman Sarah Boyle, who also holds a sizable lead over opponent Alex Carrillo. Boyle is poised to be the only woman on the City Council, in a town where more than 50 percent of the population is listed as female. In the two other Council See 'Election' Page 11