Politics

The San Benito County Board of Supervisors last week approved a resolution stating its opposition to local ballot Measure Q, and some have wondered if the action comes too close to violating state laws against using public resources to promote an election campaign. The resolution...

The San Benito County Elections Department issued a press release Oct. 31 stating that individuals who are not affiliated with the local elections office are “standing watch” over ballot drop boxes.  “These individuals are not election officials,” the release says.  In San Benito County, the Elections...

Organized efforts on both the supporting and opposing sides of Measure Q are funded in large part by organizations, companies and people who are based outside San Benito County, according to state-mandated campaign disclosure forms. Representatives of both the “Yes on Q” and “No on...

Voting has begun in the Nov. 8 election, as voters throughout California will receive ballots in the coming days—and can drop them off, completed and signed, at authorized locations now through Election Day. Elections officials in San Benito County began sending ballots in the mail...

In the Nov. 8 election for the Hollister City Council District 3 seat, incumbent Dolores Morales will face small business owner Rosalinda Sanchez.  Morales was elected to the District 3 seat in a November 2021 special election, which was conducted to replace former Council member...

Running for the Hollister City Council District 2 seat in the Nov. 8 election are IT Director Hani Mayzouni; accountant Sergio Montanez; incumbent Rolan Resendiz, who teaches 7th grade at Rancho Santana School; and small business owner Celeste Toledo-Bocanegra.  The Free Lance submitted questions to...

With the Nov. 8 election rapidly approaching, this newspaper is committed to helping the voters of Hollister become as informed as possible about the candidates and issues in local races.  In the City of Hollister, voters will elect their mayor and two city council members—in...

San Benito County supervisors recently decided to restrict new housing in four geographical areas that encompass significant swaths of the county’s unincorporated agricultural, open space or vacant land. But some local residents at the last board meeting decried the move as “political theater,” while voicing...

Andrews named to Dean’s List Casey Andrews, of San Juan Bautista, has been named to Southern New Hampshire University's Summer 2022 Dean's List.  Full-time undergraduate students who have earned a minimum grade-point average of 3.5 to 3.699 for the reporting term are named to the Dean's...

The candidate qualifying period closed on Aug. 12 for many of the elections for City of Hollister and San Juan Bautista, as well as local school boards of education and special district offices that will appear on the Nov. 8 ballot, according to San...