Riverside County Election Results Could Come Faster

Riverside County officials said they are optimistic tonight’s election results will be known quickly, even in remote areas of the county.

Those close to the counting process said because around 200,000 people are expected to vote by mail this year, thousands of ballots are already counted, but will not be released until after polls close at 8 p.m.

County Executive Officer Bill Luna said the mail-in ballots, which election officials began counting last week, should be released shortly after polls close.

Election overseers were delayed in June by inadequate preparation of the deluge of mail ballots they received. With additional vote counting machines, Registrar of Voters Barbara Dunmore said in a video played at this morning’s Board of Supervisors meeting that tabulation of the ballots is on track.

Mail-in ballots will also make results in far-flung areas of the county come in more quickly, Fourth District Supervisor John Benoit said. About 60 percent of voters in Blythe, on the Arizona border, mailed in their votes, Benoit said. “For the first time in recent memory or maybe ever, by the end of the night they’ll know who won,” he said.