A state senate race in California is still being counted over 1 month after voters hit the polls.
Central Valley’s 16th State Senate District is still being counted after Republican candidate David Shepherd requested a recount.
Initial voting results declared Democrat incumbent Melissa Hurtado the winner by just 20 votes.
Shepherd requested the recount immediately after Auditor-Controller County Clerk Mary B. Bedard’s office found 10 uncounted ballots in Kern County.
As a result of the ballots being found, the Kern County Superior Court ruled the new ballots that were found will be added to the election results.
Kern Superior Court approves 10 ballots for countinghttps://t.co/jRL0NQqHOd
— The Bakersfield Californian (@Bakersfieldcali) December 16, 2022
In a statement reported by KGET, Shepherd stated:
“If this was within 2,000 votes or, say, 500, I don’t think it would make much of a difference,” Shepard said. But a margin this thin, he said, is a different story. “I think it’s only fair to the constituents of District 16 that somebody says something.”
In order to receive a recount the Shepherd campaign has to shack out $6,226 each day the recount takes place.
Due to the hefty price of the recount, the process of recounting has been momentarily delayed until the Shepherd campaign can pay for the recount.
16th State Senate District recount scheduled, waiting for funding https://t.co/lNTrMh6Chl
— 23ABC News (@23ABCNews) December 20, 2022
The idea that political candidates have to pay for their own recounts due to county and state election official’s mistakes is absolutely absurd.
California spends millions of dollars on progressive policies but can’t spend a dime on the Democracy they claim to protect.
