The San Luis Obispo County Elections Office is set to resume counting ballots on Thursday, June 4, 2026, following a pause on Wednesday. The counting will take place at the newly refurbished Katcho Achadjian Government Center in downtown San Luis Obispo.
Erin Clausen, the County Clerk-Recorder Public Information Specialist, explained that the pause was necessary to reconcile the counts from the polls against the ballots issued, ensuring all votes are accurately accounted for. The office plans to count approximately 20,000 ballots on Thursday, with updates to be posted by 5 p.m.
In addition to these ballots, another 20,000 vote-by-mail ballots were dropped off at the polls and are currently being scanned and processed. The total number of outstanding ballots remains uncertain as more mail ballots are expected to arrive throughout the week.
Close Supervisor Races
The ballot counting comes at a crucial time as two supervisor races in San Luis Obispo County are still undecided. In District Two, Michael Erin Woody leads Jim Dantona by a narrow margin of 240 votes. This seat has been held by Bruce Gibson since 2007, who chose not to seek reelection.
Meanwhile, in District Four, incumbent Jimmy Paulding holds a slightly larger lead over challenger Adam Verdin, with a 386 vote advantage. Paulding is seeking a second term, while Verdin, a local businessman and community volunteer, is running for office for the first time.
Both candidates in the District Four race have expressed optimism and patience as the counting process continues. Paulding emphasized the importance of allowing the election staff to complete their work, while Verdin remains hopeful for a favorable outcome.
San Luis Obispo County has a history of close supervisor races. In 2018, Paulding narrowly lost the District Four seat by just 60 votes, and in 2022, Bruce Gibson won the District Two seat by a mere 13 votes.
The community is encouraged to stay informed on the latest election results through local news outlets and to exercise patience as the democratic process unfolds.
Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.
