Scott Bush chats with Official Willie Thigpen as he deposits his mail-in ballot at the Rancho Murieta Vote Center on Election Day Nov. 3.

RANCHO MURIETA, CA (MPG) - Michael Martel has overtaken John Van Doren in the closely contested race for a two-year seat on the Rancho Murieta Community Services District board of directors, while Tom Shewchuk continues to lead the race for three four-year terms.

The latest unofficial election results, released Tuesday, Nov. 10, show Martel with 1,474 votes to Van Doren's 1,402, a lead of 72 votes. The reversal comes after Van Doren led by 23 votes in the Nov. 6 count and 28 votes in the initial results released Nov. 4.

In the race for three four-year terms, Shewchuk has widened his lead with 1,501 votes. Catherine Silvera has moved into second place with 1,254 votes, just ahead of Maria Caudill with 1,246.

Jeffrey Berkheimer is fourth with 1,065 votes, followed by incumbent William Gere with 991 and former director Stephen Booth with 985. Peter Reagan has 644 votes, and Tim Dec has 241.

The latest tally shows 3,554 ballots counted among the district's 5,018 registered voters, representing a preliminary turnout of 70.8%. That is an increase of 1,156 ballots since the Nov. 6 update, when 2,398 ballots had been counted and turnout stood at 47.8%.

The substantial increase suggests that many of the mail-in ballots deposited at the Rancho Murieta Vote Center on Election Day have now been included, although the county has not identified how many of those ballots were counted.

Election inspector Frank Donagher previously reported that five bags of mail-in ballots were collected at the Vote Center in the RMCSD meeting room Nov. 3. He estimated that as many as 500 ballots may have been deposited there, although that was not an official count.

The results remain unofficial, and additional ballots could change the standings, particularly in the two-year race.

Sacramento County will continue updating results every Tuesday and Friday until certification. An additional update is scheduled for Nov. 16, when most ballots received within the legal deadlines are expected to be included.

The election cannot be certified before Dec. 1.

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