Fresno County election officials have tabulated about 101,000 ballots from Tuesday’s election but still estimate roughly 70,000 ballots remain to be counted, a number that could increase as additional vote-by-mail ballots arrive in the coming days.

James Kus, Fresno County clerk/registrar of voters, said Wednesday that the 101,000 ballots counted as of the close of business Tuesday included about 82,000 vote-by-mail ballots received before June 1 and just under 20,000 votes cast in person at vote centers. Officials expect to continue receiving properly postmarked vote-by-mail ballots for the next seven days.

Fresno County Drive-Through Ballot Drop-Off

Speaking Tuesday during Election Day operations, Kus said officials anticipated it would take about seven days to count roughly 95% of ballots, depending on turnout and the volume of ballots returned on Election Day.

Kus also highlighted the county’s drive-through ballot drop-off service outside the downtown elections office, saying more than 2,000 ballots were expected to be returned through the service by the end of Election Day. The drive-through allowed voters to remain in their vehicles while submitting ballots.

The service is available not only to motorists but also to people arriving by bicycle, scooter or on foot, Kus said. Election staff verified ballots before placing them into the collection process, and filled ballot containers are regularly moved into a secure, locked room.

While the drive-through option has become popular, Kus said it represents only one part of the county’s broader ballot-return system, which includes about 70 ballot drop boxes available throughout the county before Election Day.

Kus said the county expects to continue counting ballots for several weeks, including same-day registration ballots and ballots requiring signature verification or other curing procedures before certification of the election results.

Updated election results are available at this link.

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