By Paul Burgarino, Community Education and Engagement Specialist, Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department

Results from the November 6, 2018 General Election have been updated on the Contra Costa Elections website as of Friday, Nov. 16 at 2:07 P.M. You can view them here.

A couple of points of interest: voter turnout is now at 62.2 percent for this election. Also, the Contra Costa Elections Division has processed nearly 2.3 million ballot cards to this point.

The Elections Division estimates that there are about 10,000 Vote-By-Mail ballots left to process, along with 25,000 Provisionals and 1,000 Conditional Voter Registrations.

Our next scheduled results update is at 5:00 pm on Wednesday, November 21st.

Antioch Election Results

In the Antioch School Board race, Ellie Householder expanded her lead over former Antioch Mayor Jim Davis to 1,399 votes, securing her victory along with Mary Rocha. The former Antioch Mayor, Council Member and School Board Trustee, Rocha overwhelmingly took first place in the race, with 27.37% of the vote, so far and currently leads Householder by 3,945 votes.

In the Antioch City Council race, Council Member Lori Ogorchock leads fellow Council Member Tony Tiscareno by 1,575 votes. She trails former Antioch School Board Trustee Joy Motts who finished first, by 2,039 votes. As a result, Motts will be the city’s next Mayor Pro Tem.

Finally, the results for Antioch’s Measure W, which increased the city’s sales tax from a half- to one-percent, show it passing by 8,004 votes with 65.26% of the vote. That almost reaches the two-thirds requirement for a special tax to pass. Measure W is a general tax and only required a simple majority or 50% plus one vote to pass.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

By Paul Burgarino, Community Education and Engagement Specialist, Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department

Results from the November 6th General Election have been updated on the Contra Costa Elections website, as of Friday, Nov. 9th at 5:00 p.m. You can view the Update 1 here. The Contra Costa Elections Division has processed over 1.7 million ballot cards to this point.

Please note that the updated results are still unofficial.

The Elections Division estimates that there are about 82,000 Vote-By-Mail envelopes remaining to be counted, as well as 25,000 Provisionals and 1,000 Conditional Voter Registrations.

Our next scheduled update is at 5:00 pm on Friday, November 16th.

The Elections Department has 28 days to certify the election results. So, close races may not be decided until the beginning of December.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

By Allen Payton

It appears to be the Year of the Woman in Antioch elections. As of the Interim Update 3 Report from the Contra Costa County Elections Department at 11:10:39 PM PST, with 32% of the precincts reporting Antioch’s Measure W sales tax increase was passing overwhelmingly with 63.27% of the vote. In the council race, challenger Joy Motts was leading with 27.38% of the vote, trailed by incumbent Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock at 24.05%, with Councilman Tony Tiscareno in third place at 20.34%. In the Antioch School Board race, former Antioch mayor and school board member, Mary Rocha had a strong, first place lead with 26.84% of the vote and newcomer Ellie Householder in second place with a 189-vote lead over former Antioch mayor Jim Davis. (See all election results in the county, here).

Measure W

When reached for comment about Measure W, Mayor Sean Wright said “It looks positive, should things continue I thank the voters. I look forward to hiring more officers and improving Antioch’s quality of life throughout town.”

“With 17% reported, Measure W is passing at 62.77%,” he continued. “I am feeling extremely confident that this trend will continue.”

“Thank you to all the volunteers who put their time and energy into supporting this measure. Thank you to all of the voters for supporting this opportunity for Antioch. I promise that I will push the council to increase our police force, create more youth programs and hire more code enforcement personnel to make our community cleaner.”

Economic Development Commissioner Tim McCall, one of the organizers of the Yes on Measure W campaign, offered his thoughts on the success of the campaign.

“It’s the right thing to do,” he said. “I’m very proud of our residents for taking the time to understand what Measure W is and the willingness to invest their hard-earned money into helping Antioch reach its potential. There truly are great opportunities in Antioch’s future.”

Council Race

Ogorchock, who was celebrating election night with supporters at Celia’s Mexican Restaurant, said, “It’s not over, yet. Many votes are still left to be counted. City Clerk Arne Simonsen said there were 1,000 absentee ballots turned in at City Hall, today. We saw what happened in two years ago. So, it’s too soon to say.”

Motts who was celebrating with supporters at her home in the Rivertown area, said “Things look positive. We don’t know for sure, yet.”

Asked about her campaign, she said “I ran a grassroots campaign. I didn’t have a lot of money. They probably outspent me four or five times. But we really ran a good campaign.”

“I fought hard,” Motts continued. “Here’s the thing. I’m just all about a better Antioch. It’s not rocket science. You have to work hard, collaborate and do what we need to do to take us to the next level.”

“We have 115,000 people, we have incredible opportunities. We need to fight for that,” she said. “We have a beautiful waterfront. We have the new BART Station. Wilbur corridor, a deep-water port. Downtown, we’ve had plans that have come and gone.

“I’m all about putting our best practices in place. I’m not coming here thinking I have all the answers,” Motts shared. “What I have is the passion and dedication to put in the hard work to make a difference, and a resume of getting things done.”

Mayor Pro Tem Lamar Thorpe and Councilwoman Monica Wilson had a big night with the passage of Measure W, and two of the three candidates they backed for council and school board winning.

“I’m delighted that the good people of Antioch agreed with me and Councilwoman Wilson that we have to invest in public safety, before and after school programs and quality of life,” he said. “Ellie is neck and neck with Jim Davis.”

He said he thinks that she will end up winning.

“The big one is Joy Motts, having her come in as the top vote getter (in the council race),” Thorpe stated. “We look forward to supporting her and making sure she’s a successful Mayor Pro Tem.”

Absentee ballots will still be received by mail by the county Elections Department through Friday, and they have 28 days to certify the election. So, close races might not be decided for a few more weeks.

Please check back later for more details and updates.

Following are the latest finance reports for the Antioch City Council candidates who have raised and spent more than $2,000 during their campaigns, and for the Yes on Measure W campaign. Any contribution of $1,000 or more close to the election, has to be reported within 24 hours of receipt. The election is Tuesday, Nov. 6. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order of their last name:

Joy Motts for City Council

Form 460 – Citizens for Joy Motts 2018 1-1 thru 6-30-18

Form 460 1st Preelection – Joy Motts 2018

Form 460 2nd Preelection – Joy Motts 2018

Form 497 Report #1 – Joy Motts 2018

Lori Ogorchock for City Council

Form 460 – Lori Ogorchock for Mayor 2016 Part 1 – Semi-annual 1-1 to 6-30-18 rcvd 7-31-18

Form 460 – Lori Ogorchock for Mayor 2016 Part 2 – Semi-annual 1-1 to 6-30-18 rcvd 7-31-18

Form 497 Report #10 – Lori Ogorchock Antioch City Council 2018

Form 497 Report #9 – Lori Ogorchock Antioch City Council 2018

Form 497 Report #8 – Lori Ogorchock Antioch City Council 2018

Form 497 Report #7 – Lori Ogorchoch Antioch City Council 2018

Form 497 Report #6 – Lori Ogorchock Antioch City Council 2018

Form 497 Report #5 – Lori Ogorchock Antioch City Council 2018

Form 497 Report #4 – Lori Ogorchock Antioch City Council 2018

Form 497 Report #3 – Lori Ogorchock Antioch City Council 2018

Form 497 Report #2 – Lori Ogorchock Antioch City Council 2018

Form 497 Report #1 – Lori Ogorchock Antioch City Council 2018

Form 460 2nd Preelection – Lori Ogorchock Antioch City Council 2018

Form 460 1st Preelection – Lori Ogorchock Antioch City Council 2018

Tony Tiscareno for City Council

Form 460 – Semi-Annual Tony Tiscareno for City Council 2018 rcvd 7-30-18

Form 460 2nd Preelection – Tony Tiscareno for City Council 2018

Form 460 First Pre-Election rcvd 9-26-18 – Tony Tiscareno for City Council 2018

Form 497 Report #1 Tony Tiscareno for City Council 2018 rcvd 9-6-18

Form 497 Report #2 – Tony Tiscareno for City Council 2018 rcvd 9-11-18

Form 497 Report #3 – Tony Tiscareno for City Council 2018

Form 497 Report #4 – Tony Tiscareno for City Council 2018

Form 497 Report #5 – Tony Tiscareno for City Council 2018

Form 497 Report #6 – Tony Tiscareno for City Council 2018

Form 497 Report #7 – Tony Tiscareno for City Council 2018  

Yes on W Campaign

Form 410 Initial – Yes on Measure W

Form 410 SOS Copy – Yes on Measure W

Form 460 2nd Preelection – Yes on Measure W

Form 497 Report #1 – Yes on Measure W

Form 497 Report #2 – Yes on Measure W

Form 497 Report #3 – Yes on Measure W

Form 497 Report #4 – Yes on Measure W

Form 497 Report #5 Yes on Measure W

Form 497 Report #6 Yes on Measure W

Form 497 Report #7 – Yes on Measure W

 

By Allen Payton, Publisher

Usually, I don’t recommend elected officials serving in the same office for 24 years, such as Joel Keller, who was elected to the BART Board on the same night in November 1994 that I was elected to the Antioch City Council. That’s because elected representatives tend to become complacent or arrogant in office and stop listening to their constituents, and end up doing the bidding of the powerful, special interests who support them and contribute to their re-election campaigns.

However, Joel is different. Having served on the Contra Costa Transportation Authority and three of the four transportation boards in East County, including as Chairman of the Bypass Authority in 1998 when we purchased the right-of-way for the State Route 4 extension (aka The Bypass) from Lone Tree Way to Balfour Road, I’ve learned the difficult lesson that infrastructure projects can take a long time. Too much time for most all of our liking. But, that’s another issue. My point is, it’s taken that time for Joel to get BART extended to Antioch.

Although it’s not full or “real” BART, as we Antioch residents would have preferred, the bottom line is Joel was able to wade through the funding limitations from BART and the federal government, as well as the opposition by other regions in the BART District and directors who represent those regions and make his promise and commitment a reality. Antioch has a BART station. During his next four years, if re-elected, I believe Joel will be able to help deliver further extensions in East County, first to Laurel Road – which will benefit Antioch’s economic development area for job creation and serve the residents of Oakley – then to Brentwood near Sand Creek Road.

Joel has done what he said he would do, and he listens to his constituents. Most recently, Joel heard the complaints about safety on the BART system. In order to ensure the rest of the board members heard the complaints from the people in his district who can’t attend their normal day time meetings in Oakland, had the board hold a night time meeting in Pittsburg. Then, due to the overwhelming response by riders to the opening of the Antioch BART Station, Joel heard the outcry for more parking spaces, and he delivered by getting the other BART Board Members to join him in voting to fund 800 more spaces.

I believe Joel has earned one more term on the BART Board, which most likely will be his last, and recommend we re-elect him.

Yes, I’m still hammering the city council about fulfilling the previous council’s commitment from Measure C of hiring 22 more police “immediately”. We’ve been told by the past and current Chiefs of Police they’ve been doing all they can to make it happen. Current Chief Tammany Brooks just told me this past Thursday that he has six recruits in the academy, right now. They won’t graduate until after the new year. But, that’s a big step toward fulfilling the 2013 commitment.

They’ve given us a net seven officers, with 97 currently on the force and crime is decreasing, which is great. But, there’s not enough in the budget to pay for the additional officers due to pay raises given to all city staff by the council on Election Night in November 2016.

So, if this Measure W passes, they need to make a new commitment to not give any pay raises until those 14 more officers are hired, because that’s not why people are voting for it. They want more police and other city services, as promised in this measure.

Then the council needs to authorize the hiring of another 15 out of Measures O (the business license for rental properties tax) and W funds to get us to 126 sworn officers. That is still less than the goal of 1.2 officers per thousand population, but it will go a long way to help reduce crime in our city.

Dear Editor:

AB-1, Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (The Gas Tax Increase) was introduced by Assemblyman Jim Frazier (District 11).  His press release stated, “My commitment to passing a comprehensive funding plan that addresses California’s failing transportation system will not waiver.” He was right in identifying California’s system as failing, but how could he expect that more of the same failed treatment would help?

California is rated 46 comparing all states for pavement condition and congestion.  While Caltrans spends 4.7 times as much per mile as average of 49 other states, why did Mr. Frazier plan a tax increase?  If he had worked to decrease the ludicrous waste of Caltrans, no tax increase would be necessary.

The people knew better so the legislature panicked and developed Prop 69 to improve their image. If you believe that is a cure, I want to sell you my bridge in Brooklyn.  Be aware that it directs fuel tax not to only roads but to any form of public transportation.  It forces 50% to cities which is good because cities will spend it wisely, but where will the other 50% go?  Will bridges and broken pavement be improved? Taxpayer advocates have offered an alternative solution to fix our roads without a tax hike – the Road Repair Accountability Initiative.

Why didn’t Mr. Frazier’s Transportation Committee research the absurd waste of Caltrans?  If Caltrans is unable to become 400% more efficient, why not outsource road repairs or experiment with turnpikes? Some states outsource 50-85% of their work, California does 10%.  A contractor under competitive bidding will provide quality roads and control maintenance cost for fear of losing his contract.

Mr. Frazier is graded letter “F” by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers.  Is it not time to get a legislator who understands business principles.  Elect Lisa Romero. See www.electlisaromero.com.

Earl Heal

Vacaville

By Paul Burgarino, Community Education and Engagement Specialist, Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department

Current law allows voters who are issued a Vote-By-Mail ballot to turn it in and vote at the polls on Election Day. Besides being a waste of taxpayer dollars, it has resulted in the possibility of a voter casting more than one ballot without immediate detection.

With many recent reports of voters across the state receiving multiple ballots, the Contra Costa Elections Division has reviewed and updated its processes at polling places to ensure election integrity and prevent double voting.

“We encourage all voters who have been sent a Vote-By-Mail ballot to vote and return that ballot either through the mail, using one of our 23 drop boxes, or at any polling place on Election Day,” said Joe Canciamilla, Contra Costa Clerk-Recorder-Registrar of Voters. “Requesting a second ballot on Election Day contributes to lines, delays, unnecessary costs as well as security concerns.”

Here how it works: Vote-By-Mail voters who show up at their home polling place to vote need to bring the ballot return envelope addressed to them as well as all six cards that comprise the ballot. Upon confirmation that the voter is in the right location and verification of the envelope and ballot cards, the voter signs a declaration and is offered a non-provisional ballot.

If a Vote-By-Mail voter is in the wrong location or cannot provide all of those items, the voter is issued a provisional ballot. A provisional ballot is the same as a “regular” ballot. The difference is that the Elections Division verifies that the voter has not already voted before the ballot is counted. In June 2018, 90 percent of the provisional ballots were counted after this review.

If a voter who previously requested to be mailed a ballot prefers to vote at the polls on Election Day in the future, we encourage them to cancel their permanent vote by mail status by calling our office or re-registering.

For more information, contact the Elections Division at 925-335-7800 or go to www.cocovote.us.