Here's an e-mail sent out by John Scribner of the Lou Correa for Senate campaign:
Greetings all from the Correa Campaign,
Friday's vote tally, along with a smattering of additional votes from Saturday processing, continued to extend Orange County Supervisor Lou Correa's lead to well over 800 votes.
Saturday's vote count gave Lou Correa 64% of the day's vote - a trend established at the start of the week that allowed Correa to begin his break out toward victory. (raw numbers below)
We believe there still remains about 1,000 - 1,200 ballots in the 34th SD that should be counted Monday. If current support levels are maintained, Lou Correa should finish with a victory margin of well over 1,000 votes.
There a couple of thoughts I would like to share with you on this race...
This campaign was both hard fought and intense - in both camps.
This intensity continued throughout the monitoring of the post election day counting, both camps watching - monitoring the other's actions on challenges. However, during this time, at first a grudging respect of our adversaries developed, and a working dialogue evolved into a positive working relationship that saw both camps address issues among themselves.
On Friday, when it became apparent that the race would go to Lou Correa, Lynn Daucher's Campaign Manager, Brian Lantz, approached me and offered his hand in congratulations. His was a gracious act and accepted in the same manner as it was offered. We both commented about how smoothly and acrimony free the post election day monitoring had gone. I wish Brian and his staff well.
There are however, a couple of issues that I believe should be aired. Now that the results are clear, the "Blame game" has begun. Others looking to attribute their loss to some - any reason they can find, or think might stick to the wall.
In the generic sense, any citizen has the right to run for office, to speak out in support of issues and causes they care about, or to use the campaign as a forum. None of us should lose sight of that fundamental perspective. We may not agree with their perspectives, but we do have a responsibility to protect that freedom - be it here in California, or in Florida in 2000.
The issue no one has raised is what would have happened to those write-in votes had there not been an alternative candidate. Given that 1 in 4 voters in the primary choose the much more conservative candidate in the Republican primary, it is very likely that a significant number of these voters might well have chosen to leave the 34th race blank as a protest in the general.
As to the other missive about the signatures, it is unfortunate that someone has chosen to raise this issue and attack the credibility of the Orange County Elections operations and safeguards. Had they spent the last week and a half at monitoring the process, they would have discovered like we did that the County does in fact have multiple steps of review in place, and that every absentee and provisional ballot is individually reviewed for both completeness and yes, the signatures on the ballot envelopes are matched to their affidavits of registration.
If the signature validator had any question whatsoever, they attached an electronic challenge to the ballot and envelope and sent it on up for further review. At that point, the signature went through several additional reviews where it was either found to be legitimate and placed back in the ballot pipeline or sent to the challenge room where attorneys and staff for both camps would review each and every ballot envelope. At this point, both camps found agreement on most signatures, and where disagreement occurred, the Registrar himself provided the final word on whether the signature was valid.
All in all, a clean process that went well for all involved.
It is hoped (I hope!) that the process should be pretty much wrapped up on Monday. And that everyone can begin to figure out what it is they were doing before this election cycle.
I'll send out another update after the results of the ballot counting are released on Monday.
Until then, from Behind the Orange Curtain, have a good day.
John Scribner
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Posted by: ForexTeacher | March 28, 2009 at 06:37 AM