Votes are still being counted in Monterey County to ensure election legitimacy

MONTEREY COUNTY, CALIF. (KION-TV)- Processing the votes can take some time. That’s because people voted either in person or by mail.

Election leaders like Registrar of Voters in Monterey County Gina Martinez hope to get the latest numbers up soon. Before they can count the votes, some details need to be checked.

“On the way, we have checks and balances to make sure we have an accurate count,” Martinez said. 

With so many people voting differently, it can take time to validate the ballots.

So how does it work? Martinez explains.

“So if someone came into a polling place and if they were able to sign the roster on Election Day, and vote a regular ballot that was counted that night, they couldn’t submit a vote by mail ballot somewhere else in this county.”

This is because the county has voter records to ensure people can’t place a vote more than once. This ensures the counting process is accurate.

For races like the next Mayor of Monterey, the wait for these numbers can be nerve-wracking. We reached out to both candidates to see how they feel so far.

Candidate Tyller Williamson explained how he feels about the numbers so far.

“You know it’s proving to be true,” Williamson said. “In regards to what we anticipated. Which was that it was gonna be close. That’s why turnout is so important in that every vote counts.”

Williamson also stated that he understands the process and believes in how the Elections Office is doing things.

“I appreciate them taking their time and being thorough about how they handle the election process,” Williamson said. “It gives me greater confidence in their ability to be able to do this right and be as accurate as possible.”
The Elections Office also says that anyone who wants to see how the process works can stop by the office and watch via the observation area. The final count of all ballots should be out by next week.

Click here to keep up with races in Monterey and other Central Coast counties.