Election results certified by the San Benito County Registrar of Voters’ office on June 26 confirm that Supervisor Ignacio Velazquez has been recalled from office, barring any potential recount that might reverse the official outcome.
On the District 5 recall measure on the June 2 ballot, 1,312 people voted “yes” to recall Velazquez. A total of 1,279 voted “no,” according to the final election update posted Friday by the local registrar’s office.
With the majority of voters in favor of recalling Velazquez, Gov. Gavin Newsom will be tasked in the coming weeks with appointing a replacement for the rest of his term.
The result is believed to be the first time a local official has been recalled from office.
The recall was initiated by a group of voters who comprise what they call the Safer San Benito Committee.
“We just received the final votes from the elections office and the Safer San Benito County has made history by successfully recalling Supervisor Ignacio Velazquez,” Safer San Benito representatives posted on social media June 26.
County Registrar of Voters Francisco Diaz’s office certified the June 2 election results on June 26. The office also released a “statement of vote,” which contains details of a countywide canvass of voters conducted by elections officials. That canvass included a manual tally of 1% of votes, selected at random.
“We take great care to safeguard the integrity of your vote throughout every stage of this process, and we truly appreciate the trust you place in our office,” Diaz wrote in a June 26 letter addressed to San Benito County residents.
Candidates and ballot measure proponents can request a recount of the certified results up to five days after certification, according to local election officials.
