Coronavirus delays primary election results

Final results for the March 3 presidential primary election were expected Friday, but the outbreak of the novel coronavirus has delayed them.

The Humboldt County Office of Elections is “very short-staffed,” said Kelly Sanders, the county’s registrar of voters. The office has several employees over the age of 65 who are sheltering in place, so an update is more likely next Friday, she said.

“If we can scan all of them next week then we would be done,” Sanders said. “But I don’t know if we’d be able to finish it all.”

There are still roughly 3,000 provisional and conditional ballots that have to be counted, Sanders said.

Before the processing of those ballots could happen, Sanders said the office “had to conduct an audit of everything that happened at all the polling locations” and cross-check vote history to make sure the same people hadn’t voted twice.

Sanders said she foresees the office starting to process provisional ballots on Monday.

County elections officials have until April 21 to report he final results of the election to the Secretary of State for presidential delegates and until April 24 for all other contests.

The most recent results had incumbent Rex Bohn winning the 1st District Humboldt County Board of Supervisors seat and incumbent Estelle Fennell facing a runoff election from competitor Michelle Bushnell for the 2nd District seat.

Measure T, a bond to repair Albee Stadium, was passing and Measure R, to help fund the Arcata Fire Protection District, was just shy of passing.