In order to ensure that every vote is counted correctly, Supervisors Simitian and Chavez recommended in 2016 that the County Board approve a plan, on a pilot basis, for the automatic recount of local contests in certain circumstances. The recount program was made permanent in 2018, requiring a manual recount where the margin of victory is either less than 0.25 percent of the ballots cast, or less than 25 votes. In the past a candidate in a close race would have to pay for the recount. Supervisor Simitian acknowledged that recounts are not without cost, however the guarantee of the “right result” should not come only if the candidate has the ability to pay.
