Registrar presents post-election review: Monterey County tallied second-highest turnout in history

Monterey County Registrar of Voters Gina Martinez and staff presented a post‑election report to the Board of Supervisors on Feb. 4, reviewing operations and results from the Nov. 5, 2024 presidential general election and steps taken to handle high turnout and improve processing.

Martinez said Monterey County had 214,883 registered voters for the presidential election, with turnout of 69.3% and 88.4% of ballots cast by mail. County staff reported a total of 48,916 ballots counted in the post‑election period and described the vote‑processing timeline, signature‑verification procedures and statutory deadlines that affected certification of results.

Assistant Registrar Jessica Sidio and Deputy Registrar Greta Arevalo walked supervisors through the office’s operational changes, including the move to the Schilling Place campus, which the department said improved workflow, allowed simultaneous processing activities and accommodated a new vote‑by‑mail sorting system. Sidio emphasized that rigorous checks — signature comparison, provisional ballot research and cross‑county coordination — require time and that assembly bill 3184 required counties with outstanding signature challenges to wait until Dec. 3, 2024 for certification in that election.

Officials described post‑election work flows that paused vote‑by‑mail processing while polling‑place rosters were reconciled, then resumed to verify remaining mail and provisional ballots. The registrar’s team said the county processed a larger than usual number of provisional ballots and same‑day conditional voter registration cases, and that provisional ballot handling adds extra time because each must be researched to ensure eligibility.

Martinez said the county ran the election with 10–11 full‑time staff (the office is budgeted for 12), more than 200 temporary employees during processing and over 800 volunteers on standby across polling locations. Board members complimented the new facility and staff performance and asked about release timing for tabulation reports; the registrar’s office said larger, more complete updates require time to compile and that electronic poll books at more sites would shorten roster processing delays in future contests.

The presentation listed continued priorities: expanding electronic poll books at more polling places, refining facility layout to handle growth, improving recruitment/retention of seasonal staff and preparing for changes to state law around certification timelines. The Board did not take a formal vote; staff said they would continue to brief supervisors as the elections office pursues technical and staffing improvements.