Newport to swear in 4 council members Tuesday, including Duffield, while recount of his victory looms
Newport Beach will swear in four recently elected City Council members Tuesday, a day before a ballot recount begins that could reverse the outcome of one of the races.
The city will swear in reelected incumbents Diane Dixon in District 1, Marshall “Duffy” Duffield in District 3 and Kevin Muldoon in District 4, along with newcomer Joy Brenner in District 6. Council members will then select a mayor and mayor pro tem from among their ranks to serve one-year terms.
The ceremony — which also will include a send-off for Councilman Scott Peotter, who fell to Brenner in his bid for a second four-year council term — will begin at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 100 Civic Center Drive.
The seven-member council lineup may not be settled, however. On Wednesday, the Orange County registrar of voters office will begin a recount in the District 3 race, in which Duffield defeated challenger Tim Stoaks by 36 votes out of nearly 37,000 votes cast in the Nov. 6 election. The county certified the results Nov. 30 after 3½ weeks of counting ballots.
Stoaks supporters filed a request for the recount this week after rounding up $10,000 to fund it, plus an additional $15,000 in pledges.
California does not automatically do recounts in close races, but losing candidates or any voter can request one if they bear the cost. The county charges for recounts by the day; it’s unclear how many days the process will take. If the recount changes the outcome, the county will refund the payments.
The recount will begin at 9 a.m. at the registrar’s office, 1300 S. Grand Ave., Building C, Santa Ana. It is open to the public.
A four-member counting board will process ballots daily — except weekends and holidays — for at least six hours a day.
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