elections

The El Dorado County Elections office has released their final tally of the ballots from the June 5, 2018 election.

Here are the results:

County Supervisor, 5th District
Novasel and Curtzwiler will face off in November

JEFFREY SPENCER 1149 16.74%
NORMA SANTIAGO 954 13.90%
KENNY CURTZWILER 2217 32.31%
SUE NOVASEL 2524 36.78%

County Supervisor, 4th District
Ranalli and Parlin will face off in November

LORI PARLIN 4564 37.97%
BOGDAN AMBROZEWICZ 1494 12.43%
MICHAEL RANALLI 5946 49.46%

County Auditor-Controller
Harn wins

El Dorado County Elections official are still counting some 23,000 "Vote By Mail" ballots that were either sent in close to election day, or dropped off at polling places Tuesday.

This isn't an abnormal number but one that often catches many by surprise.

During those late counts of ballots in 2014, the final two candidates for the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors for Area 5 changed from election day, sending Sue Novasel and Kenny Curtzwiler to the November election. As of Tuesday, the same two appear to be headed to November's ballot.

The California primary is on Tuesday, June 5, and a lot of decisions are facing voters in South Lake Tahoe both at the county and district level, as well as at the state level.

California changed their primary system ten years ago for the top offices and now it is the two candidates with the most votes on Tuesday that will head to the November elections, no matter which party they belong to. Prior to this system it would be the top democrat and top republican that would face off.

The first of two groups trying to get vacation home rental ballot measures to the voters in November has submitted signatures to the South Lake Tahoe City Clerk. On Monday, April 30, the Tahoe Neighborhoods Group turned in 1,651 signatures on petitions they circulated through South Lake Tahoe. Those signatures will now be sent to the elections department of El Dorado County for certification.

Almost one year ago almost five million women, men and children gathered around the world to participate in the Women's March on Washington on the same day President Trump was being inaugurated.

They gathered to stand together in their protest of reproductive rights, equal pay, safety for women in the workplace and more. They stood against racism, sexism, sexual assault and harassment. They stood against Trump and his policies that were racist, anti-LGBT and anti-women.

Nearly 200 conservation professionals from around the country gathered back east this November to have a strategic dialogue about the state of landscape-scale conservation. Lake Tahoe was featured at the forum for the region’s cooperative restoration initiatives, and it was an honor to share the stage with such high-caliber conservation thought leaders.

The national forum showcased how people of all backgrounds are collaborating and working to conserve some of America’s most iconic natural areas.

The next election is around the corner and civic life in America is as fragile as our generation has ever seen it. Let's decide now to rally around leaders who prioritize care for others above personal gain or party lines. Let's rally around caring for our earth, for people, for communities. This feels like a new idea because care challenges the perverse rationale of greed and the foolish habit of partisan divisions we are so used to. We must actively resist the messages of the market that say we need to stay hooked on getting more things to be happy.

South Lake Tahoe voters will be deciding the future of roads in the City when they determine the fate of Measure C on Tuesday, November 7, 2017.

Voters will decide if a one-half cent sales tax will be added in the town to provide approximately $2.5 million that will fix potholes and pave, repair, maintain local roads.

The following polling locations are established for the November 7, 2017 election:

Lake Tahoe Christian Fellowship, 3580 Blackwood

South Shore Christian Assembly 886 Glorene Avenue

The final group of ballots have been counted in El Dorado County, and the results remained the same in all South Lake Tahoe area elections.

South Lake Tahoe City Council- Top 2 Win

Brooke Laine 2548 22.10%
Jason Collin 1995 17.30%
Tamara Wallace 1852 16.06%
JoAnn Conner 1376 11.94%
Ted Long 1295 11.23%
Danny McLaughlin 775 6.72%
John Shearer 758 6.57%
Harold "Trey" Riddle 328 2.84%
Robert Topel 288 2.50%
Patrick Jarrett 268 2.32%

Lake Tahoe Unified School District

Area 1

November 17, 2:30 p.m. update: There are about 500 provisional ballots from the South Lake Tahoe and Meyers areas that need to be counted, along with a few mail-in ballots.

According to Linda Webster, Assistant Registrar of Voters for the County, there are a few mail-in ballots still to be counted county-wide. She expects there will be an update to the returns before Thanksgiving with a final release of figures right after the holiday. It will be that final report that will include the provisional ballot count.

Voters have narrowly approved an initiative to tighten gun background checks in Nevada. Backers of Question 1 said they wanted to close the loopholes in the current law by requiring background checks through a licensed gun dealer when most firearms change hands, including personal and online sales.

The vote totals were:
Yes - 558,586
No - 548,685

Question 2, the legalization of marijuana
Yes - 602,400
No - 503,615

Many are ready for this election to be over the national level with the negativity surrounding the campaigns. On a local level there are several choices before voters.

If you have not already submitted your ballots, find your polling place here:

California
Nevada

If you live in the South Lake Tahoe City limits, you are able to vote for two of ten candidates for City Council (in alphabetical order):

Brooke Laine
Dan McLaughlin
Jason Collin
JoAnn Conner

All candidates for South Lake Tahoe City Council were given the same questions. With just one day to go to the elections, we will be featuring their answers and a video of their interview with Tahoe Regional Young Professionals through the day.

Tamara Wallace, 46, Retired Businesswoman/Chamber Exec

Discuss your interest in serving on City Council. What is your prior experience in working with civic, community or governmental organizations?

All candidates for South Lake Tahoe City Council were given the same questions. With just one day to go to the elections, we will be featuring their answers and a video of their interview with Tahoe Regional Young Professionals through the day.

John Shearer, 49 years old, has lived in South Lake Tahoe for over 30 years and own and operate several local businesses.

Discuss your interest in serving on City Council. What is your prior experience in working with civic, community or governmental organizations?

All candidates for South Lake Tahoe City Council were given the same questions. With just one day to go to the elections, we will be featuring their answers and a video of their interview with Tahoe Regional Young Professionals through the day.

JoAnn Conner, 67, Small Business Owner, 35 years in SLT.

Discuss your interest in serving on City Council. What is your prior experience in working with civic, community or governmental organizations?

All candidates for South Lake Tahoe City Council were given the same questions. With just one day to go to the elections, we will be featuring their answers and a video of their interview with Tahoe Regional Young Professionals through the day.

Ted Long, 77, attorney and lecturer, 21 years full time skiing here since 1965.

Discuss your interest in serving on City Council. What is your prior experience in working with civic, community or governmental organizations

As we collectively hold our breath to see who will lead our nation, our city, our public school system and our local utility district, it is a great time to define leadership.

I learned about leadership while serving on many boards over the last 40 years, starting with Tahoe Parents Nursery School, graduating to school site councils and youth sports boards, then on to community boards, at the County and local level. I have observed many great leaders and learned what leadership is and is not.

A special election officer has been appointed by the U.S. Attorney's Office to oversee any complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud," said Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert. "The Department of Justice will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of the election process.”

Did you miss the public forum put on by the South Tahoe Public Utility District last week? With elections just two weeks away, perhaps voters don't know who they'll be voting for the five-member board of which two seats are open.

You can hear and watch the statements from each of the four candidates running for a seat in November: Kirk David, Nick Exline, Kelly Sheehan, and Randy Vogelgesang.

Each candidate gave an opening statement, answered questions posed by the audience and then provided a closing statement.

The forum lasted just over an hour, all of which is on this video.

In a cost-cutting move, the Tahoe Paradise Resort Improvement District (TPRID) Board of Directors is looking at the possibility of consolidating their elections.

William E. Schultz, the El Dorado County Recorder-Clerk-Registrar of Voters, has presented the board with information on how to accomplish this goal which cost the small park district $5,833 in 2015. With just 605 votes cast in that election, this amount works out to be almost $10 per vote.

Annie Davidson is the right choice for school board in trustee area #1. Annie came to Tahoe with a strong background in education. Annie understands our educational system. And most importantly, Annie is trustworthy, forthright, and kind.

And while Annie is a very good listener and collaborator, Annie is also intelligent, strong, and determined to do an exceptional job. Annie is one of those people who can come into the room and make everyone feel welcome and help everyone work together effectively.

Deadlines for candidates interested in sitting on four local boards and councils have come and gone for most of the contests, so there is now a much clearer picture on the November elections.

There are now ten people interested in sitting on the South Lake Tahoe City Council. With a deadline of 5:00 p.m. on August 17, the last of the candidates submitted their paperwork just under the wire.

Former Mayor and current City Councilman Hal Cole will not be running for a sixth term this November, so the filing period for candidates has been extended by five days.

This Friday, August 12 was the original deadline, but that was only in the case of an incumbent running for their current seat. JoAnn Conner has filed papers to run for re-election, but Cole has decided to hand off the hand to a new Council member.

The deadline to turn in paperwork has been extended to Wednesday, August 17, 2016 at 5:00 p.m.

In November, two seats on South Tahoe Public Utility Board of Directors will be filled by voters, the ones currently held by Randy Vogelgesang and Kelly Sheehan.

It is unknown if either of them will seek reelection, but they have until August 12 to file.

To be eligible to run, candidates must reside withust in the boundaries of the District.