OC Political

On the first day of the recount in the First Supervisorial District Special Election, 6,250 ballots in 16 precincts were recounted with no change, so former Senator Lou Correa suspended the recount to focus on provisional ballots.

Despite the suspension, another 2,912 ballots in 5 precincts were recounted on the second day.  However, unlike the first day, there was a 5-vote change, and the 2,912 ballots grew to 2,917.  Presumably, those five votes are previously-disqualified provisionals that have now been counted.  It appears that when each newly-included provisional was added, the entire precinct was then recounted.

Specifically, the 5 precincts each had 1 additional vote (Garden Grove’s 14601 and 14611, Westminster’s 39620, and Santa Ana’s 68618 and 68620).

Unfortunately for Correa, the 5-vote change had no net effect on Supervisor Andrew Do‘s 43-vote lead.  While Correa gained 2 votes (both from Santa Ana), Do also gained 2 votes (one each from Garden Grove and Westminster).  Garden Grove Councilman Chris Phan gained the other vote.

Also, on a complete tangent: congratulations are in order for write-in candidate Mark I. Lopez, as his vote for himself in Precinct 68615 was not tossed.  (In case anyone was wondering, the other write-in vote for Lopez was in Precinct 68634, but that Santa Ana precinct has not been recounted.)  I am left with the question of why the other four people registered to vote in Lopez’s house didn’t vote for him.  Perhaps they were concerned about Lopez’s desire for more politicians who talk like George Wallace did.

Here’s the precinct-by-precinct breakdown (vote changes in red):