LONG BEACH : Rejected Ballots Will Now Be Counted in Council Race
Long Beach officials, preparing for today’s court-ordered inspection of questionable ballots in a narrow City Council race, have announced that several provisional and absentee ballots appear to have been “inappropriately rejected” from the original tally.
Assistant City Atty. Robert E. Shannon said at least five ballots in the June 7 election that initially were rejected for various reasons now seem to be valid and should be counted. Contractor Mike Donelon now holds a one-vote lead over Tonia Reyes Uranga. Shannon said he does not know which candidates the five ballots favored.
Uranga led Donelon on election night. But during a recount last week, the city clerk’s office discovered that election workers had failed to tally seven absentee ballots--six of them favoring Donelon.
Superior Court Judge Robert H. O’Brien on Tuesday blocked the City Council from certifying the recount and ruled that Uranga can inspect 20 to 30 provisional and absentee ballots that were rejected by City Clerk Shelba Powell.
Uranga is scheduled to examine the ballots today at 1 p.m. in City Hall.
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