Recount of SLO County supervisors race kicks off Monday. How much will it cost?
The San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder’s Office will begin its manual recount of the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors District 2 race on Monday.
County staffers are scheduled to start tallying ballots by hand at 10 a.m. at the San Luis Obispo County Government Center, according to a news release.
The recount will continue from 9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Monday through Friday until it is “completed or terminated,” the release said.
Staff will take Dec. 26 and Jan. 2 off for the holidays, county Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano told The Tribune.
On Dec. 12, San Miguel resident Darcia Stebbens requested a ballot recount for the District 2 Board of Supervisors race on behalf of the campaign of Dr. Bruce Jones, who ran against incumbent Bruce Gibson for the seat.
According to the certified results for November’s mid-term election, Gibson defeated Jones by 13 votes.
Cano certified the election results on Dec. 7 and sent them to the California Secretary of State’s Office, according to San Luis Obispo County counsel Rita Neal.
On Dec. 13, supervisors voted 4.-1 to officially declare the results of the Nov. 8 election.
In order for the recount to start, Stebbens must deposit $16,995 with the Clerk-Recorder’s Office by 10 a.m. Monday, the agency said.
She’ll also need to make advance payments each day of the recount.
“The daily costs may fluctuate and vary based on the number of special recount boards assigned for the day, supplies, copies, materials, security, etc.,” Cano said in the release.
The total manuel recount is estimated to cost a total of $80,262, the release said.
Stebbens previously told the Tribune that Jones’ campaign will reimburse her for the recount costs.
This is not the first time Stebbens has questioned the results of a local election.
She also requested a recount for the District 4 Board of Supervisors race following the June primary election.
Eighteen days and more than $53,000 later, the Clerk-Recorder’s Office found that the original count was 100% accurate.
This story was originally published December 18, 2022 at 1:25 PM.
