At the Fresno County elections office on Tuesday, staff were already calling James Kus "boss." Just minutes earlier, the Fresno County Board of Supervisors named Kus the new County Clerk and Registrar of Voters. He is replacing Brandi Orth, who is retiring at the end of the week. As an...
Clovis Council Hopefuls Haul in Sizeable Donations With 2 Weeks to Go
With two weeks to go until the Clovis City Council election, candidates continue to collect sizable campaign contributions. Since February, Diane Pearce has collected $18,500 in large donations ($1,000 or more) that must be reported within 24 hours. She received $5,000 from Printasaurus, a Fresno print shop. She also collected...
Top Fresno Election Official Stepping Down. Supervisors Will Select Replacement.
Brandi Orth, the Fresno County election clerk, is stepping down. Her last day is Feb. 28. "On December 17, 2020 my mother’s sudden illness required my personal attendance in North Carolina.  As a result of her health condition, she is in need of my aid and care.  It is, therefore, regretfully...
Over 85,000 Ballots Remain to Be Counted in Fresno County. Turnout May Pass 70%.
Fresno County turnout is looking to surpass 70% for this week's election, which is expected to set a record. The county counted 279,899 ballots through Tuesday night. Registrar of Voters Brandi Orth estimates 86,340 ballots remain. Adding the estimated remainder to the current vote count, that would be more than...
Need a Job? Fresno County Is Hiring Hundreds of Election Workers Right Now
The Fresno County elections office needs to hire about 600 temporary workers. These jobs aren't just for election day, either. Some will last as long as two months. How does $13-$15 an hour sound? So far, applications for the positions are not coming in quickly. That's why a big recruiting...
Got Questions About Voting? We Are Here to Help: Brandi Orth
Nothing will stop democracy in America, not even a global COVID-19 pandemic! Every eligible United States citizen will have the opportunity to vote in the Nov. 3, 2020, Presidential Election. First, voters should verify their voter registration at https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/ or www.votefresnocounty.com. Voters should be sure their current residential address or...
Masks Strongly Encouraged, but Not Required to Vote This November in California
Secretary of State Alex Padilla's office has put out guidance saying Californians don't have to wear COVID-19 masks to vote in November's presidential election. However, mask-less voters may be asked to use a voting station with additional physical distancing to protect the safety of others. Counties also must make disposable...
New Website Allows Voters to Track Their Ballot, Registration
Concerned about whether your mailed-in ballot makes it to the county clerk? There's a website for that. Through the state's Where's My Ballot? website, a voter can receive an email, phone call, or text updating the status of a ballot. “Shoppers are already used to receiving updates on their online...
Dyer Prevails in Latest Count for Fresno Mayor. Janz Concedes.
Jerry Dyer appears to be the next mayor of Fresno. The latest round of vote tallies released by the Fresno County elections office shows the former Fresno police chief with 51.8% of the vote, avoiding a November runoff against Fresno County prosecutor Andrew Janz, currently at 39.9%, giving Dyer an...
Election Math: What Dyer Needs to Win Without Run-off
There are about 80,000 ballots yet to be counted — 78,000 mail-in ballots, and 2,000 conditional registration/provisional ballots — Fresno County Elections Clerk Brandi Orth said Wednesday morning. That's after 116,867 ballots were counted Tuesday night. So where does that leave the Fresno mayoral and city council District 4 races heading...