What are the rules of an election recount? Sacramento mayor race is too close to call

As results continue to trickle in for the California presidential primary election, four candidates are neck and neck in the closely watched race for Sacramento mayor.

With the mayoral race and other local elections too close to call, would it be possible for someone to request a vote recount?

What are the rules for retallying ballots?

Here’s what California law says:

Who is running for Sacramento mayor? Who’s in the lead?

Mayor Darrell Steinberg, who’s been serving the city since 2016, did not seek re-election.

Competing to replace him as Sacramento mayor are candidates including former Councilman Steve Hansen and former state Sen. Richard Pan.

Epidemiologist and activist Flojaune “Flo” Cofer, Assemblyman Kevin McCarty are also leading contenders.

According to preliminary election results posted Tuesday, Election night, Pan led the race with 23.67% of the vote. Hansen was following closely behind with 23.66%.

McCarty was third in the lead with 23.18% of ballots counted so far, while Cofer had just over 21% of the vote.

Another batch of results was expected Friday afternoon.

“There’s no closer race in the whole state between four candidates,” Paul Mitchell, vice president of bipartisan voting data firm Political Data Inc., told The Sacramento Bee on Wednesday. “We could be in a crazy situation where this race could get closer before anybody develops a lead.”

The county has until the end of the month to count all the ballots and certify the result.

The race will go to a runoff in November since no one candidate is likely to receive a majority of votes.

During the primary election, the City of Sacramento Charter says registered voters will select two candidates when the mayor’s term is expiring.

If any candidate receives a majority of votes in the primary election for council member or mayor, they will be deemed elected into office.

In California, the Elections Code applies to local and statewide elections.

Who can request a vote recount in California?

If you’re a registered voter in California, you can request a ballot recount in any statewide election, the law says.

According to the California Secretary of State website, there are no state rules that automatically require a vote recount without someone requesting it.

California Elections Code 15621 says requests to tally ballots again can be made “within five days beginning on the 31st day” after an election.

Requests must specify which county or counties the recount is being asked for.

How do you submit a recount request?

In Sacramento County, recount requests must be filed to the county’s Voter Registration and Elections office.

How much does a recount cost?

California Elections Code 15624 says the voter who submits the request is responsible for covering the cost of the recount.

Recount costs can vary in each county.

For instance, a manual recount of ballots cast in the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors’ District 4 race cost about $103,000 in 2022.

According to the Sacramento County website, a vote recount — which requires legal notices, a recount board, security and staff time — is “actual cost.”

Estimated prices are not given.

What happens after someone asks for a recount?

Once someone has asked for a recount, the Secretary of State forwards a copy of the request to the election officials in the county where the recount is wanted.

The county elections official then verifies that the person asking for the recount is a registered voter in California, according to the Secretary of State website.

How long does a ballot recount take?

After notifying all the candidates and the Secretary of State, the recount must begin within seven days of receiving the request.

The county elections official must then notify the public at least a day before the recount to share when and where it will take place each day.

“The recount must be conducted daily (not including weekends and holidays) for a minimum of six hours each day until completed,” the Secretary of State website says.

Can the state request a recount?

In the five days starting from the 31st day after an election, the governor of California could order a state-funded vote recount for a statewide office or state ballot measure under the following circumstances:

▪ In a statewide primary election, the second and third candidates for an office are very close “by less than or equal to the lesser of 1,000 votes.”

▪ In a statewide general election, the top-two candidates for an office have a very close margin of votes “by less than or equal to the lesser of 1,000 votes.”

▪ In a statewide election on a ballot measure, the “yes” and “no” votes vary “by less than or equal to the lesser of 1,000 votes.”

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