Several races still undecided: With ballots left to be counted, close contests in Yuba-Sutter remain

Mar. 6—Final presidential primary election results for local races and bond measures were still largely unknown Wednesday with ballots still left to be counted that could alter current preliminary numbers.

Some races appear to be decided, while a good number could still flip or lead to another vote in November. According to Yuba County Clerk-Recorder Donna Hillegass, as of early Wednesday afternoon, not all ballots have been counted.

"The remaining ballots include everything received by mail or drop box from March 2 to March 5, ballots dropped off at the polling site on election day, provisional ballots, damaged ballots, ballots dropped off in other counties and any ballots postmarked election day and received no later than March 12, 2024," Hillegass told the Appeal in an email. "... We estimate 7,600 ballots remain unprocessed. Keep in mind we will continue to accept ballots received by mail, postmarked on or before election day and received no later than March 12, 2024."

In order for a candidate in a contested nonpartisan race to be considered a winner in the primary election, that candidate needs to get 50% of the vote plus one. If no candidate reaches that threshold, then the top two candidates move on to the November general election. In a two-person race, "the candidate with the most votes wins outright," Hillegass said.

As of press time Wednesday, the race between Renick House and Don Blaser for Yuba County Supervisor District 2 was still too close to call with House receiving 51.04% of the vote to Blaser's 48.96%.

The race for Yuba Water Agency Director North Division also does not have a clear cut winner. So far, incumbent Charlie Mathews has received 46.95% of the vote with challengers Randy Fletcher getting 34.51% and Don Schrader receiving 18.54% of the vote. If neither hits the necessary 50% plus one mark, then Mathews and Fletcher will square off in the general election on Nov. 5.

The only local race that appeared to be decided was between Seth Fuhrer and John Floe for the Yuba County Supervisor District 3 position currently held by Fuhrer. Election results as of Wednesday showed Fuhrer with 66.58% of the vote to Floe's 33.42%.

"The people of Olivehurst and West Linda wanted a champion who would fight for them and improve their conditions," Fuhrer said in a statement. "I was fortunate enough to be the right guy for the job. The support I've received from my community has been amazing as we work to better our community. These election results reflect an acknowledgement that we are going in the right direction. The people are onboard with positive change and we are going to just keep making things better. So a big thank you for divine providence and to all the voters that made this and the next four years possible."

In Sutter County, results for contested supervisor races were similar to contests in Yuba County.

As of press time Wednesday, Jeff Stephens was leading all candidates for Sutter County Supervisor District 5 with 49.74% of the vote. Mat Conant was second with 27.82% and Sarb Thiara was third with 22.45% of the vote. If the percentages hold, then Stephens and Conant will face off in November.

For the Sutter County Supervisor District 1 race, challenger Jeff Boone was leading incumbent Nick Micheli with 52.38% of the vote.

For the various school bond measures that were on the ballot in both Yuba and Sutter counties, nearly all appear to have failed. However, with a needed 55% approval, that could change once all votes are tallied.

The only measure that clearly looks as if it will fail is Marysville Joint Unified School District's Measure S, a $97-million bond proposal that would have funded a new middle school serving south Yuba County and various facilities improvements to help reduce school overcrowding.

According to the latest numbers, voters rejected Measure S with 62.42% voting no.

One of the only school bond measures in both Yuba and Sutter counties that may pass is Wheatland Union High School District's Measure U, which is a $8.7 million bond that will allow the district to renovate some school facilities and make safety and security improvements.

The district plans on repairing and replacing aging roofs, classrooms and facilities, including a new multipurpose room and cafeteria, the Appeal previously reported. The district also plans to upgrade aging utility systems including gas, water, sewage and ventilation systems.

The district's other bond measure, Measure T, may not reach the necessary 55% threshold with 50.79% voting yes, according to the latest numbers. Measure T was a $20 million bond that would have aided the district in building a new Plumas Lake high school.

The other school bond measures that most likely will fail include Plumas Lake Elementary School District's Measures V, W, and X — which were all nearly split even between yes and no votes — and Sutter Union High School District's Measure B which had a slim majority of voters voting no with 50.92%.

In both Yuba County and Sutter County, voter turnout was extremely low — mirroring a trend throughout the state.

Turnout was definitely low," Hillegass said. "Right at this moment we stand at about 16%. That will change but it is expected to still end on the lower side."

According to the latest public numbers, 6,594 out of 42,002 registered voters in Yuba County participated in the presidential primary election, with the vast majority voting by mail. In Sutter County, 10,709 out of 52,572 registered voters cast their ballot.

Those numbers are expected to increase as more ballots are processed in the coming days.