Local Elections : ABSENTEE BALLOTS : Decisions of 26,000 Area Voters Still Uncounted : Election: Officials hope to announce a final tabulation by Nov. 18. But none of the major races in the county are expected to be affected.

Ventura County election officials still have 26,000 absentee ballots to count over the next 10 days and warn that some of the tightest local races could turn around before election results become final.

“I don’t think any of the major races are going to be affected, there is too much distance between them,” said Bruce Bradley, the county’s assistant registrar of voters.

But, he said, sometimes absentee votes can alter the final outcome. “We are not advising anyone to light victory cigars or open bottles of champagne just yet.”

Bradley hopes to issue a final count by Nov. 18.

After every election, county officials caution that the results are not final until certified weeks later by the Board of Supervisors.

And the final count has been pushed back over the years, as absentee balloting has grown in popularity.

County officials estimate that 48,000 voters cast absentee ballots this time. About 22,000 of those votes were tallied on or before Election Day, Bradley said.

Election office staff members were unable to keep pace with the growing number of absentee ballots, which accounted for about 24% of all ballots cast in Tuesday’s election. Also, an estimated 8,700 absentee ballots were dropped off at polling places on Election Day.

Absentee ballots take much longer to count because the signature on each one must be matched with the signature on file with the elections office.

Bradley said his staff can process about 6,000 absentee ballots a day, unless staff members are tied up with interruptions such as answering questions from the public.