Why Is There A Delay In Counting Ballots This Election Cycle?
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — It's a race to count the ballots and quench the thirst of hungry voters eager for results.
In Sacramento County, there are approximately 360,000 ballots left to count in this election, plus anything that shows up postmarked November 3rd.
Anxious candidates like Nailah Pope-Harden are hoping to declare victory.
"I would've loved to know 8:15 p.m. first update last night, I blew it out of the water," said Pope-Harden.
The wait is brutal, and "there are still way more votes to be counted," she said.
Pope-Harden is vying for a spot as Trustee in the Sacramento City Unified School District, but races big and small are seeing delays.
"I'm doing this so my son has more equitable education," she said.
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Twelve poll workers in Sacramento County work by hand for hours as part of a five-step process required to count each ballot.
"It's going to take time," said Janna Haynes with Sacramento County Board of Elections.
So why is there a delay this election? Officials say the amount of mail-in ballots play a role. The board of elections leaders in San Joaquin and Sacramento counties call signature verification a tedious yet necessary process for accurate results.
"Mail-in ballots have several more stops along the way," Haynes said.
READ ALSO: How Many Ballots Still Need To Be Counted In Sacramento & San Joaquin Counties?
Sacramento County hired 1,000 workers, the same number as any other election cycle. Leaders say they could use more staff now, but the county would have to pay for that.
"We could probably use twice as much space, twice as much equipment, and twice as much people, but that's obviously going to cost money," said Haynes.
In Sacramento County, the Board of Elections pays their election workers.
