Recall Update: Nearly Half of Ballots Mailed to Santa Barbara County Voters Returned

The Newsom recall is coming down to the wire with all ballots due before the end of Tuesday, either at the voting booth or by mail.

Election handicappers have placed their bets on Governor Gavin Newsom recently, as polls showed his early deficit turning into a double-digit lead, according to numerous media accounts. The most optimistic result to date comes from a Berkeley/L.A. Times poll in September that showed 60 percent of California voters preferred to keep Newsom in office compared to 39 percent who believed he should be recalled. Polling done soon after ballots were mailed found closer to a 50/50 split.

If simple returns are any indication, Santa Barbara County Democrats are responding to the threat of a Republican governor. So far, 52 percent of the ballots submitted in the county are from Democrats; 26 percent are from Republicans, and no party preference voters make up 17 percent. This by no means indicates a win for Newsom, as what each voter actually marked on their ballot will remain unknown until after 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Altogether, nearly half of the 238,000 ballots mailed to county voters have been returned so far.

Statewide, more than 22 million ballots were mailed. As of Sunday, 8.2 million have been returned. State figures on party breakdown among ballots will not be available until Tuesday evening, a spokesperson from the California Secretary of State’s office said, when election results will begin to be tallied.

One last reminder: Santa Barbara County voters have until 8 p.m. on Tuesday, September 14, to cast their ballot at a voting location. Be sure to bring the ballot mailed to you to surrender at the polls. Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked September 14. To find a polling place, click here. To find a ballot drop box, click here. To track your ballot, click here.

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