With over 24,000 votes unprocessed, local elections remain in flux as North County leaders and measures take shape

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY — Counting ballots is nearly at its end here in San Luis Obispo County. According to the County Clerk Reporter Elaina Cano’s ballot report on Saturday, Nov. 23, at 2 p.m., there are 6,274 ballots left to process and 877 challenged ballots.

The latest ballot update from the County on Nov. 23 says that 80.91% (147,748 of 182,606 votes) votes have been counted and tallied. The next, and possibly final count, is estimated to be released Wednesday, Nov. 27, by 5 p.m. which was not available at the time of printing.

For the first time in Morro Bay history, there will not be a contested election for Morro Bay City Council and mayor. The uncontested election marks the first such occurrence in the city’s history, according to City Clerk Dana Swanson, with similar circumstances only seen in a mayoral race in 1976. This shift also ends Morro Bay’s historic all-woman council, with the milestone lasting just two years.

Although the leadership outcomes are settled, attention now shifts to Measure A-24, a citizen-led initiative aiming to block or slow Vistra Energy’s proposed 600-megawatt Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) on the Morro Bay power plant site. If passed, A-24 would require voter approval for any zoning changes along the waterfront, posing a hurdle to future developments, including the BESS project. Proponents argue it gives residents a say, while opponents warn it could stifle development and prompt Vistra to bypass local approval under California law.

In other races, the San Luis Coastal Unified School District (SLCUSD) election sees Trustee Eve Hinton vying for re-election in Area 6 against Erica Flores Baltodano, while two other trustee seats remain uncontested.

There are two candidates running for the San Luis Coastal Unified School District (SLCUSD). Chris Ungar and Eve Hinton both have terms expiring this year, but only Hinton is running for another term.

SLCUSD is a Trustee Area District. Hinton, who is running to represent Trustee Area 6 again, is running against Erica Flores Baltodano, who is currently the campus dean for the San Luis Obispo College of Law. Trustee Area 6 includes the southeast portion of the district.

Other seats up for election include that of Ungar, who represents Trustee Area 3, and Brian Clausen for Trustee Area 7. According to the SLO County Final Qualified Candidate List, there are no candidates qualified to run for those two seats. Clausen was appointed to fill a vacant seat for Trustee Area 7 in 2023.

The last results were received on Saturday, Nov. 23, and with results still coming in, North County races and measures are shaping up as follows:

Morro Bay Mayor

Mayor Carla Wixom will secure her second term unopposed having secured 100% (4,990 votes) of the vote.

Morro Bay City Council

Local businessmen Jeff Eckles and Bill Luffee will fill two City Council seats, also unchallenged. Eckles secured 58.18% (4,092 votes) while Luffee is at 41.82% (2,941 votes).

Measure A-24 City of Morro Bay General Plan Amendment

With 50% + 1 needed, Measure A-24 has received 59.85% support (3,869 votes), indicating it may pass against the 40.15% (2,595 votes) for no.

San Luis Coastal Unified School District (SLCUSD)

Erica Baltodano is leading the race with 71.82% (4,949 votes) against Eve Hinton with 28.18% (1,942 votes).

National Presidential Election

Media outlets across the nation called the election early in the morning on Nov. 6, naming Donald Trump the 47th president of the United States. He cleared the election with 312 electoral votes, with Vice President Kamala D. Harris earning 226.

In San Luis Obispo County, 53.90% (78,264 votes) went to Harris and 43.08% (62,548 votes) went to Trump.

As of the printing of this issue, ballots continue to be counted, and further updates will clarify final outcomes across races. Stay tuned for the latest election news as it unfolds.