STOCKTON, Calif. — The San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters Office has been forced to mail supplemental ballots to some voters in the county due to an error on the main General Election ballot, elections officials say.
This election cycle, seats for division five and division seven of the Stockton East Water District are up for election. While candidates must live within the division they hope to represent, voters from across the Stockton East Water District area are allowed to cast ballots for candidates in divisions five and seven.
On the main General Election ballot sent to voters, only those who live in divisions five and seven had the option to vote for the candidates that would represent the voters' specific division. Meanwhile, voters who live in the Stockton East Water District areas one, two, three, four and six received their main ballots with no option to vote in the race for the division five and seven seats.
After discovering the issue, the Registrar of Voters issued separate supplemental ballots for voters across all Stockton East Water District areas.
The supplemental ballots allow all voters in the water district to vote for both the division five and seven seats. The supplemental ballots will be the only way for voters to cast a vote for a candidate in the water district's division five and seven races, elections officials said.
All votes made on the main General Election ballot for the water district race will be voided.
“The San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters Office is committed to ensuring that every step of our elections process is conducted securely, confidently, and correctly,” Olivia Hale, San Joaquin County's Registrar of Voters said in a statement. “In accordance with official procedures for addressing situations like this, the ROV’s Office will issue a supplemental ballot to registered voters residing within the SEWD. We thank the community for their patience and understanding as we connect once again to help shape the future of our democracy.”
Excluding votes on the errored water district race, all valid votes on the main General Election ballot will still be counted. The supplemental ballots came with a yellow return envelope, distinct from the blue return envelopes for the main General Election ballots.
Stockton East Water District seats are held for four years. In the division five race, farmer Paul Sanguinetti is running against entrepreneur Alexis Cueto.
In division seven, educator and scientist Mary Elizabeth is up against farmer Thomas McGurk.
The Stockton East Water District, in service since 1948, provides surface water for urban and agricultural uses to customers in San Joaquin County.
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