Costa Mesa vote too close to call

Jennifer Kho

COSTA MESA -- Much like the presidential race but without court

actions and a recount, results of the Costa Mesa City Council election

hang on the balance of absentee ballots.

The county Registrar of Voters Office announced Tuesday evening that

Costa Mesa City Council candidate Karen Robinson’s lead over incumbent

Councilwoman Heather Somers has been narrowed to only 36 votes.

In the three-seat City Council race, Robinson is poised to unseat

Somers, although not all the absentee ballots -- estimated at 80,000

countywide -- have been counted yet. The Registrar’s office could not

offer any information Tuesday about what percentage of the ballots were

from Costa Mesa.

Tuesday’s announcement was the first update on the three-seat council

race since Nov. 8, the morning after the election. At that time, Somers

trailed Robinson by 100 votes.

According to the updated numbers, Robinson has 9,035 -- 12.51% of the

72,197 votes counted. Somers has 8,999, or 12.46%.

Councilman-elect Chris Steel remains as the top vote-getter with

10,425 and incumbent Councilwoman Libby Cowan has the second-highest with

10,088.

“I just can’t wait until it’s finalized and we know one way or another

who the fifth member of the council is going to be,” Robinson said.

“Every single vote counts and this is certainly a nail-biter for all

those who are interested in the race. There’s nothing for me to do but

wait and see.”

Somers said it is still too early for her to comment because the

county is still counting.

The majority of absentee ballots, which had to be submitted by Nov. 7

to be valid, are included in the updated results. But an estimated 24,000

provisional votes -- those cast by first-time voters or new county

residents -- are still being counted.

The county has until Dec. 5 to report final results to the state.

The new council members were expected to be sworn in Dec. 4, but city

officials said the date could be changed.