The county published the first results about 20 minutes ago,
revealing anywhere from 15 to 35 percent of certain measures and
races based on the early voters and, mostly, absentee ballots. Here
are some interesting early results:

2nd District County Supervisor: 69 % reporting
Dan Secord: 49 %

Janet Wolf: 51 %

Analysis: Neck-and-neck, too close to call

Sheriff: 65 % reporting Bill Brown: 52 %

Jim Anderson: 48 %

Analysis: The challenger looks like he could pull through and
bump Anderson out of his seat.

Measure D (the transportation funding tax): 55
%
Yes: 52 %

No: 48%

Analysis: Since it needs a 2/3 majority, it’s not looking good
for those interested in enhanced freeways, alternative
transportation, and less traffic.

Measure P (to make marijuana the lowest priority for the
SBPD): 33 % reporting
Yes: 61%

No: 38%

Analysis: Looks good for pot smokers, bad for the cops who were
against the measure.

Goleta City Council

Anaylsis: No need to put up the numbers because they’re way too
close to call. We might not know the end result of this race until
all the absentee ballots are counted, which might not be for weeks.
But as it stands with about 75 % of ballots in, Bennett and Onnen
lead the pack around 18 percent, with incumbent Brock in third.
Hawxhurst is in last at 13 percent. And a correction to the place
where Brock, Connell, and Hawxhurst are partying. As of tonight,
the old Pascucci is called Spirrino (or something like that).

A Courthouse Update

This in from Ethan Stewart, who’s posted up at the courthouse’s
Hall of Records, where the results are streaming in. “There’s a
bunch of famous faces here: Mayor Marty Blum, Supervisor Susan
Rose, Janet Wolf, Pedro Nava, and all their campaign managers.
There’s Cathy Murillo (a former Indy reporter now with
KCSB) and her husband David Pritchett. Even Roger Aceves (Goleta
City Council candidate) was there. There’s been a lot of talk and
cheering about how the Democrats took the House. When word came
that the Dems took South Dakota, Janet Wolf let out a big “YES!”
which is uncharacteristic for her.

“And then the polls scrolled with the second update, the one
that showed Janet Wolf taking the lead on Dan Secord. The whole
place went nuts, cheering and hooting and hollering. The next race
that scrolled through was the Sheriff, and that showed Bill Brown
in the lead. The cheering kept going. There’s a lot of No on Prop
85 supporters, with their buttons and all that.

“One trippy technological thing that’s going on is that all the
campaign managers are getting the results on their Blackberries
faster than the public screen shows the results. So the whole Janet
Wolf hoorah wave had a precursor of secret smiles and quiet “oh
yeas”. It was a funny technological moment.

“And of course, there are all the deputies guarding the ballots
that come in the back of the courthouse. There’s flares and all
that, preventing voter fraud here in Santa Barbara County.”

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