Dia Utterback deposits her mail-in ballot in the official Sacramento County ballot drop box at the Rancho Murieta Vote Center on Election Day, Nov. 3.

RANCHO MURIETA, CA (MPG) - A more complete tally of votes in the Rancho Murieta Community Services District board of directors’ election was released Nov. 6, by Sacramento County, providing a clearer picture of the contests for four board seats.

Tom Shewchuk continues to lead the race for three four-year terms with 972 votes, followed by Maria Caudill with 901 and Catherine Silvera with 848. Incumbent William Gere has moved into fourth place with 726 votes, followed by former director Stephen Booth with 722 and Jeffrey Berkheimer with 713. Peter Reagan has 419 votes, and Tim Dec has 161.

Silvera's lead over Gere for the third seat is 122 votes, compared with her 120-vote lead over Berkheimer in the initial results.

In the closely contested race for a single two-year term, John Van Doren leads Michael Martel by 23 votes, 999 to 976. Van Doren's margin was 28 votes in the initial count.

The updated results show that 2,398 ballots have been counted among the district's 5,018 registered voters, representing a preliminary turnout of 47.79 percent. That is an increase of 384 ballots from the initial results released early Nov. 4, when 2,014 ballots had been counted.

The latest tally may include some of the hundreds of mail-in ballots deposited at the Rancho Murieta Vote Center on Election Day that were not included in the initial results.

Frank Donagher, election inspector at the Vote Center in the RMCSD meeting room, reported that 171 people voted in person Nov. 3. Another 32 voted in person during the preceding three days — 13 Saturday, three Sunday and 16 Monday — bringing the four-day total to 203.

Donagher said voters were already waiting when election workers arrived at 7:30 a.m. Nov. 3. Five bags of mail-in ballots were collected that day, two at midday and three at the end of voting.

He estimated that more than 100 mail-in ballots were deposited in the pink ballot box, with four of the five collection bags "full full." Based on his description, as many as 500 mail-in ballots may have been collected, although that was not an official count.

Donagher explained that election workers do not count the ballots deposited in the drop box but seal the bags for transport to county election officials.

He also reported a number of first-time voters, including three young people who arrived consecutively Tuesday evening. The mothers of two took photographs to commemorate the occasion.

"It was a good time," Donagher said.

The Nov. 6 tally is the first interim update since Election Day. Sacramento County will continue updating results every Tuesday and Friday until certification. An additional update is scheduled Nov. 16, when most ballots received by the legal deadlines are expected to be included.

The election results can be certified no earlier than Dec. 1.

The River Valley Times will continue posting updated results at rivervalleytimes.com as they become available.