The first results again, those released early Wednesday morning, Nov. 3 showed a whopping 7,047 under votes and only one over vote, meaning that someone voted for more than three candidates.The total number of votes recorded in the initial release was 9,666, including 28 votes cast for write-in candidates. The figure shows that a vast majority of BCL voters decided to vote for only one or two of the candidates or not to vote for the board at all.To further cloud the issue is the political impacts of under votes: some see it as strategy to strengthen the election chances of a certain candidate while others believe that under votes result from a voters strong positive feelings about certain candidates or being uncertain about the choices.In other area races under and over votes were also booked.The Santa Paula Union High School District race had 707 under votes in the two person race between incumbent Terry Nelson and newcomer Doug Jackson that means those voters did not mark their ballot for the office and two voters who punched their chads for both candidates.Initial results for the Santa Paula Elementary School District show 3,499 under votes and only two over votes.In the race for the Santa Paula City Council 2,848 over votes and three under votes were recorded.
Over and under votes: Unfamiliar components of election results
November 12, 2004
Santa Paula News
Over votes, under votes, are two terms not familiar to many people but during election season they keep popping up.
By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesOver votes, under votes, are two terms not familiar to many people but during election season they keep popping up.But do they really mean anything?Using the race between incumbent City Clerk Steve Salas and his successful challenger, Deputy City Clerk Josie Herrera, as an example, the first finalized returns - minus still to be counted absentee and provisional ballots - showed that Herrera garnered 3,254 votes (68.9 percent) while Salas received 1,456 votes (30.8 percent).There were 16 write-in candidates. Under votes are listed at 563 and over votes at 6.Under votes means that those with ballots did not vote for either Herrera or Salas. Over votes means that six people voted for both of them.Get it?It gets more complicated: in the race for the Blanchard Community Library District which ranges beyond city limits three trustee positions up were for election and six candidates vying for the seats.
