Nafisa Fai holds a 363-vote lead over Pam Treece
Commissioner Nafisa Fai holds a 363-vote lead over fellow Commissioner Pam Treece one week after Election Day in the contest for Washington County Commission Chair, according to opb. Results released Nov. 10 show Fai with 49.6% of the vote compared to Treece’s 49.45%.
Initial returns on Election Day showed Treece leading with 51% of the vote to Fai’s 48%, according to opb. The race will determine a successor to former Chair Kathryn Harrington, who resigned earlier this fall after making an obscene gesture at Fai during a public meeting, hillsborotoday.com reported.
Fai has served as the county’s District 1 commissioner since 2020, while Treece was first elected as District 2 commissioner in 2018. Fai positioned herself against data center expansion and proposed a moratorium, raising just over $182,000 since the May primary as of Oct. 27. Treece stressed economic development, earning endorsements from the Washington County Chamber of Commerce and raising more than $275,000 in that same timeframe, hillsborotoday.com reported.
Washington County releases figures while signature verification continues
Washington County released new figures Tuesday in recognition of public interest in close races, though the count omits thousands of ballots challenged due to signature issues. Verifying and counting those challenged ballots can take several weeks.
County elections officials scheduled the next update for 4 p.m. Friday. Unofficial periodic updates will continue through Nov. 27, with certified final results scheduled for Nov. 30, hillsborotoday.com reported. Election officials have until Dec. 10 to certify the results with the Oregon Secretary of State.
Progressive Gains Across the County
A wide alliance of progressive contenders tied to the Washington County Democratic Party, Sinclair, and Fai secured triumphs in last week’s voting. Progressive candidates swept races for the Hillsboro City Council and won seats in Tigard, Forest Grove, and Tualatin.
In the race for the commission’s District 4 seat, Hillsboro City Councilor Kipperlyn Sinclair leads former Hillsboro Mayor Steve Callaway. The latest tally shows Sinclair with 50.7% of the vote to Callaway’s 48.5%, opb reported.
How many voters participated and how ballots are challenged?
How many voters participated in Washington County?
As of Nov. 3, 188,102 ballots had been turned in out of the county’s population of more than 410,000 registered voters, according to the Washington County Elections Office.
What happens if a voter’s ballot was challenged?
Ballots challenged due to signature issues undergo a verification process by county elections officials that can take several weeks before those votes are counted.
When will the election results become official?
The periodic updates released by the Washington County Elections Office remain unofficial until they are certified on Nov. 30, with a final state deadline of Dec. 10, hillsborotoday.com reported.
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