Santa Monica : College Bond Lead Holding

Santa Monica College’s $23-million capital improvements bond, Proposition T, lost a little more ground this week in the continuing tabulation of absentee and provisional ballots but is still winning by a whisker.

The county registrar-recorder’s office has to tally about 10,000 absentee and provisional ballots countywide before final results are released next week. College officials estimate that about 2% are from the Santa Monica Community College District.

The measure is winning by 43 votes. Of 47,733 votes cast, 66.76% voted yes in the Nov. 3 election. The measure needs 66.67%, or two-thirds, approval to pass.

The margin has been shrinking steadily during the absentee ballot count. In the final tally from precincts issued the day after the election, the measure had a 67.2% approval rate.

Another update is expected today.

College officials said they are confident that the measure will pass. Based on past updates, they calculated that the lead will continue to narrow, but not enough to cause the bond to fail.

“This third count just reinforces the pattern,” college spokesman Bruce Smith said. “This indicates to us we’re even closer to victory than we were last week.”