Requests for Recounts in Antioch and Richmond City Council Races

The County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department has received two recount requests for races in the November 8, 2022 General Election.

One request is for the Antioch District 1 City Council race in which Tamisha Torres-Walker won over Joy Motts by three votes and the second is for the Richmond District 2 City Council race, which ended in a tie between Andrew Butt and Cesar Zepeda.

In California, any voter may request a recount. For single-county races, a request for recount must be made within five days of the county canvass/certification. No reason is required.

“Our office conducted expanded manual tally audits for these two close races, which were attended by the affected candidates and media representatives. These audits were done above and beyond the state requirements and at the County Elections Division’s cost. Our staff has done an excellent job and I am confident in their work.  These requests are within the rules for recounts.” said Debi Cooper, Clerk-Recorder-Registrar. “As per state law, the requestor of the recount must pay the cost for the recount. The cost is determined based on the steps involved in the recount, including the sorting out of the physical paper ballots. Our office is preparing estimated costs for the requestors based on the type of recount that have been requested.”

Once the costs are provided to the requestor, the recount will begin after payment for the first day’s processing is received.

The recount must begin within 7 days of the official request.  California law states that costs paid by the requestor are to be refunded if the recount changes the outcome of the election in favor of the requestor. The requestor is responsible for all costs of the recount.  If the outcome does not change, the requestor may receive a refund if the amount paid was greater than the actual cost of the recount.

If the recount is conducted with the original paper ballots, the recount is expected to take 6-7 days.  Conducting parallel recounts for two districts may save some shared costs but will take longer than the process for a single jurisdiction.

More information is available on the Secretary of State’s website here.  You can also reach out to the Elections Division at 925-335-7800.

Editors Note:
Although Joy Motts says she was quoted $38,500 for a recount, Contra Costa County Elections still has not addressed the cost or how they came up with it. They also have not stated what a recount would include in terms of verifying legal ballots or not.

Joy Motts Officially Asks For Recount in Antioch City Council District 1 Race

It has been a long month since election night, with many ups and downs. I am so very proud of the campaign we ran with the help of so many of you.

Last Thursday, the Contra Costa Elections office did a count of copies of scanned ballots from their computers. Ultimately, it showed my opponent, Tamisha Torres Walker, leading by 3 votes after having been tied in the previous vote update.

In the election this close, I believe it is important to make sure all votes were counted and all paper ballots were counted and to make sure we are validating the accuracy of the outcome. Therefore, I am asking for a full official recount.

We have found out today that unfortunately, the County is charging upwards of $38,500 for this recount, an exorbitant amount of money. Nevertheless, we are moving forward to try and raise the necessary funds. If you would like to support my efforts for a full recount, you can donate on my website at joymotts.org or use the paypal link below.

Thank you in advance for your consideration. I do not know if we will ultimately be successful, but I think we will all feel more secure with the results. Much love.

For full Nov. 8, 2022 Election Results, click here

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