
Democrat Barbara Bry moved ahead of Republican Scott Sherman by nine votes this week, but it’s still too close to call.
That’s how County registrar Michael Vu describes the continuing vote tally for the San Diego mayoral race following the March 3 primary.
Top-vote getter Todd Gloria will run against either Bry or Sherman in the November run-off election.
Those two runners-up are locked in an electoral toss-up to determine which one will oppose Gloria in eight months.
There are approximately 37,000 provisional ballots left to be counted.
Noting he’s not in the business of polling or making predictions, Vu said the final vote tally may not come for two more weeks.
“I have 30 days to certify the primary election,” Vu said adding, “We don’t know the exact number of ballots (left) between mail-in uncounted and provisional, which are 60,000 or more countywide.”
Provisional ballots are those people cast when they show up at the wrong polling station or don’t have their mail-in ballots with them when they vote.
Vu predicted the majority of those ballots yet to be tallied will be counted by Tuesday, March 31. “I would say all of them will be counted by April 2,” he said pointing out “we’re prioritizing the areas with close races.”
Vu said “any voter” could request a recount, once all the outstanding votes are counted. If so, how long would that take?
“It would depend on whether you did a manual versus an automated count,” said Vu. “There is a five-day time frame after the vote has been certified, in which to request a recount.”
Added Vu, “This is nothing unusual. As more and more voters cast mail-in ballots, and provisional ballots at their polling places, the life of an election really extends well beyond election day. That has been the case for many years.”