Live election updates: Here's the latest on California's primary in Ventura County

Ventura County residents started voting weeks ago in California's primary election, choosing from a crowded field of candidates with redrawn districts and few incumbents vying for key seats.

On Tuesday, voters get a final day to cast their ballots. Along with dozens of local, state and federal races, the election will decide two contentious measures that would tighten the county's environmental oversight of oil drilling.

We will be there until vote centers close at 8 p.m.

Hot races:

• Deputies' union steps up challenge as Ventura County sheriff's race enters final stretch

• What oil drilling ballot measures A and B would do locally

• Race for Supervisor Parks' seat could flip Ventura County's pro-environment stance

– Refresh for the latest news and photos from around the county.

Updates trickle in

11:37 p.m. Three updates posted since initial results from early ballots were released shortly after 8 p.m. put the total number of ballots processed at more than 103,000.

The neck-and-neck status stayed put for Measure A and Measure B, which both concern older oil permits in Ventura County, with the "no" voters inching ahead before midnight.

A Ventura County Elections spokesperson said staff expected to work until all of Tuesday's in-person ballots were counted, which was estimated to take until about 2 a.m. Wednesday.

Bill-de la Peña leads in race for Conejo Valley seat

Thousand Oaks Councilwoman Claudia Bill-de la Peña held a 16-point lead over Jeff Gorell Tuesday night in the battle to win the Thousand Oaks-based seat on the Ventura County Board of Supervisors — a spot turning over for the first time in 20 years.

Oil measures neck and neck

Measures that would upgrade environmental reviews on proposed oil drilling under decades-old permits in Ventura County were running neck and neck in early returns Tuesday following the industry's multimillion-dollar campaign to defeat them.

Sheriff's race: early results show the challenger, Fryhoff, ahead

8:30 p.m. Early results in the race for Ventura County sheriff show the challenger, Cmdr. Jim Fryhoff, in the lead, with roughly 55% of the early total, or about 10 percentage points ahead of incumbent Sheriff Bill Ayub.

District attorney's race: Early results show incumbent Nasarenko leading

8:30 p.m. Early results in the race to lead the Ventura County District Attorney's Office show the incumbent, Erik Nasarenko, significantly ahead of the challenger, prosecutor John Barrick.

Preliminary results to be unveiled shortly

8 p.m.: The first returns are expected to be released shortly after polls close at 8 p.m.

The results reflect ballots cast in person and mail-in or drop-off ballots processed before Election Day. An update later tonight will include votes cast in person on Tuesday.

Find the latest Ventura County results here.

In-person vote count continues to climb

7:55 p.m.: As of 7:45 p.m., the Ventura County Elections Division reported 12,735 voters had cast ballots in person on Tuesday. No other update.

7:30 p.m.: As of 7 p.m., the Ventura County Elections Division reported 11,698 voters had cast ballots in person on Tuesday. Of those, 1,480 voted in the last hour between 6 to 7 p.m.

Polls stay open until 8 p.m. Anyone in line at that time can vote.

Steady flow of voters at Oxnard club

7:10 p.m. There’s been a steady stream of about one voter per minute at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme voting center in Oxnard all day, said Jacob Diaz, election greeter.

Kathleen Jimenez, 34, said it was important to vote because people her age don’t make the effort to cast a ballot. “I know my vote counts,” she said.

Slow day at South Oxnard Center voting station

7 p.m. About 30 people voted or dropped off a ballot by 5 p.m. at the South Oxnard Center voting station, said Nancy Marquez election co-lead worker.

“It’s been kind of light all of the days we’ve been here,” said Tim Russell, a contracted tech worker.

Results to be released after polls close

6 p.m.: Per usual, the Ventura County Elections Division expects to release results shortly after polls close at 8 p.m. Those votes will be ballots that were processed before Election Day.

Then, elections staff will count ballots that were cast in-person at voting centers today and update the tallies sometime later tonight. That count is not expected to include ballots in the drop-off boxes or submitted in sealed envelopes at vote centers today.

Visit the Ventura County Star election results page after 8 p.m.

In-person vote count climbs

5:20 p.m.: As of 5 p.m., the Ventura County Elections Division reported 8,720 voters had cast ballots in person on Tuesday. Of those, 1,300 voted in the last hour.

Polls stay open until 8 p.m. Anyone in line at that time can vote.

Sheriff's race draws voters

5 p.m.: Julie Colwell said she got out to vote Tuesday because it’s her duty.

She is supporting Cmdr. Jim Fryoff in the sheriff’s race. He is running against incumbent Sheriff Bill Ayub.

“I want someone who’s fair and open minded on things,” she said.

Colwell was one of the roughly 200 residents who had either dropped off a ballot or voted in person at the Ray D. Prueter Library in Port Hueneme by late afternoon.

More: Gov. Newsom running for president during primary

Top ballot problems

4:45 p.m.: Sending in a ballot too late is one of the most common reasons it won't get counted. Ballots must be postmarked no later than Tuesday and received no later than June 14.

Another common problem: no signature or the signature doesn't match the one on file. In both cases, voters will be sent a signature verification statement to correct the issue.

If that happens, the county will send the unsigned ballot statement and a letter to voters. The deadline to respond is June 28.

Gun violence a concern

4 p.m.: Voters Debbie and John Perry of Ojai said their main issue was ending gun violence.

“I didn’t really see that on the ballot, which I would like to,” Perry said. “Hopefully we voted for the right people that would help.”

More: Ojai considers becoming state's first general law city to have ranked-choice voting

Camarillo voters line up

3:30 p.m.: Residents were lining up outside the Camarillo Public Library to cast their votes Tuesday afternoon.

Lydna Wasden said she will be closely watching the Measure A and B results. After reading arguments for and against the measures, she decided to vote "no" on both.

She said Americans need to get out and vote to take a stand against the direction the country is headed.

Wasden added she wanted to vote in person versus sending in her ballot.

"I just like the whole American idea of it," she said. "I like to go in and vote and get a sticker."

Voting picks up Monday, Tuesday

3 p.m.: Elizabeth Moore, lead elections officer at the Ojai United Methodist Church, said a steady stream of voters showed up Monday and Tuesday.

But fewer turned out in the week or so before that. Without many voters on those days, Moore said workers had done some “role playing” to try to prepare for busier times.

More: Three candidates vie for Ventura County-based 38th Assembly District seat in primary

Voters wait for last day

2:30 p.m.: Elections chief Mark Lunn said the county's turnout appeared higher than the state average as of Monday.

But the number of returned ballots still came up short of those in previous elections.

“Everybody up and down the state is low. The turnout is low,” Lunn said.

But voting picked up in the county on Tuesday, he said.

“We kind of suspected that folks were waiting until the last day to come out, and I think that's happening,” he said.

So far, he had no reports of long lines or significant issues at the vote centers.

Voters: Gas prices, Sheriff's race key

1:45 p.m.: On Tuesday, voters Melvin and Jeanne Ellison of Santa Paula had concerns about high gas and food prices as well as inflation.

Sofia McDonald, 36, who voted at the Santa Paula Blanchard Community Center while holding her 9-month-old son, said the sheriff race was important.

“There’s a lot of conversation in the community I live in," she said.

Lunch rush over

1 p.m.: Lunch rush has passed at the Borchard Park vote center in Newbury Park.

A poll worker reported about 200 ballots cast in person at the location. Far more vote-by-mail ballots had been dropped off.

More: What to know about candidates for 26th Congressional District seat

In-person voting increasing

12:40 p.m.: Santa Paula Councilman Andy Sobel rode his bike about a mile to get to  Blanchard Community Library Tuesday.

Sobel, also an election worker, dropped off his ballot at City Hall but said he has noticed more people saying they want to vote in person.

As of Monday, the elections division reported 2,789 voters had cast ballots in person. That's of the nearly 108,000 county residents who voted before Election Day.

The number of in-person voters had more than doubled by mid-day with nearly 3,600 people casting their ballots in person on Tuesday alone, preliminary figures show.

More: Here's what you need to know about Ventura County's June 2022 primary election

County allows same-day registration

12:15 p.m.: If you have yet to register to vote, there's still time. Eligible voters can fill out a ballot and a registration form at the same time.

The conditional voter's ballot comes back to the elections office in a different envelope allowing staff to review the information to make sure the person is eligible to vote.

By late Tuesday morning, the elections office at the Ventura County Government Center in Ventura had some lines forming, officials said. People can get help with registration changes, signing up or other issues at any of the county's 51 vote centers.

First-time voter casts ballot

12 p.m.: Jasmine Gomez, 19, of Santa Paula, voted for the first time Tuesday at Blanchard Community Library.

The process was “quick,” she said, but there were a lot of issues to vote on.

The Santa Paula library had around 40 people Tuesday morning, said Audrey Steele, lead elections official. A lot more people are expected after 5 p.m. when people get off work, she said.

More: Will Roe v. Wade angst affect June primary in county? Here's what we know

'Individual votes count'

11:45 a.m.: Ron Robinson, 80, a retired prosecutor who voted at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, said it was very important for him to do so.

“I happen to believe that individual votes count,” he said Tuesday.

He voted for Bernardo Perez for county supervisor in District 4 and "yes" on Measures A and B.

In Moorpark, Renea Teninty voted "no" on Measures A and B and for Moorpark Mayor Janice Parvin to take over the supervisor's seat.

"Our country is in a lot of turmoil and we the people need to express our opinions," she said.

Turnout climbs to 21%

11:30 a.m.: By late Monday, roughly 108,000 or 21% of the county's nearly 507,000 registered voters had cast ballots, according to preliminary figures from the county elections division.

By comparison, almost 225,000 voters had cast ballots one day before the governor's recall election in September. Nearly 325,000 had returned ballots one day before the November 2020 presidential election.

More: California primary: Ventura County voter turnout low ahead of Election Day. Here's what to know

Few incumbents in key races

11 a.m.: Of the seven contested county offices in the primary, only the sheriff's race has an elected incumbent running.

Here's more on those races:

• Ventura County's incumbent district attorney faces challenge from within

• Race for Supervisor Parks' seat could flip Ventura County's pro-environment stance

• Abele, Kunicki, Parvin and Perez vie for Ventura County's District 4 supervisor seat

• Four county offices up for election

• Heated race for Ventura County sheriff pits incumbent against commander

In-person voting picks up

10:20 a.m.: In the past hour, 602 voters showed up at vote centers throughout the county.

So far, the county reported 1,626 voters cast ballots in person Tuesday. That's more than voted in person in the first 9 days vote centers were open.

The county switched to a new election model this year, opening a smaller number of voting locations but adding more days to vote in person. Ten sites — one for every 50,000 voters — opened May 28. The number increased to 51 vote centers — one per 10,000 voters — on Saturday.

Voting centers are listed here.

More: What to know about candidates in 42nd Assembly District race

A 'distressing' lack of lines

10 a.m.: Steven Gray isn’t a fan of a California primary system where the top two finishers advance regardless of party.

He said people don’t realize that unless they vote in June, their candidate may not make it to November. “I’m distressed I’m not seeing long lines,” said Gray, who was voting in Ventura Tuesday.

In Thousand Oaks, Nicole Cardoza, 37, dropped off her mail-in ballot at the Ascension Lutheran Church. She said it was “absolutely” important for her to vote.

“We have to make a change,” she said. She declined to say what kind of change.

Oil drilling measures draw voters

9:30 a.m.: A 28-year-old Ventura resident voted early on Tuesday because she feels her generation is not being represented.

“I feel like a lot of people gave up on voting because they think it’s like pointless,” she said, declining to give her name.

Richard Nuccio came to the polls to vote for Measures A and B, which would tighten the county's environmental oversight of oil drilling. The Ventura resident lives on a sailboat and often sails by oil rigs, he said.

Mary Casswell, a Ventura esthetician, voted “no” on A and B because she thinks they exemplify over-regulation. “We don’t need to give up anymore of our independent energy resources," she said.

Read more: Here's what Measures A & B would do

Slow, but steady

9:10 a.m.: Turnout was slow but steady at the Goebel Adult Community Center voting center in Thousand Oaks Tuesday morning.

The voting center had 30-plus people show up in the first hour.

More: June 7 primary: Gorell leads in fundraising for supervisor's seat despite late start

'Getting elected, staying elected'

8:45 a.m.: Seth Williams, 40, of Ventura, has voted in every election since he was 18 and he didn’t break that chain Tuesday. After voting at the National Guard Armory, he talked about protecting the environment, gas prices and politics.

“There’s two things about politics — getting elected and staying elected,” Williams said. “That’s what drives politicians.”

No lines in Ventura

8:30 a.m.: The vote center at the Ventura County Government Center had people casting ballots but no long lines Tuesday morning.

The elections office – one of 51 vote centers – has been one of the busiest locations for in-person voting leading up to Election Day. Locations in Camarillo and Simi Valley also reported some of the highest numbers of in-person voters, according to the elections division.

Voters head to centers

8:15 a.m.: Around 200 voters showed up to cast their ballots within 30 minutes of vote centers opening Tuesday, according to the county elections division.

Heading into Tuesday, elections chief Mark Lunn said it was difficult to predict whether the vote centers would be busy. This is the county’s first election under a new model and that leaves some unknowns, he said.

His office had hoped to hire as many as seven or eight election workers for each location. But the number of hires had come up short of that goal.

More: June 7 primary: County opens dozens more in-person vote centers ahead of California election

Most voters choose mail

7:45 a.m.: County election officials received nearly 90,000 ballots by early Monday. More than half of the voters sent their ballots by mail.

Here's how the numbers broke down:

• 49,751 ballots received by mail

• 37,313 ballots received in county drop boxes

• 1,488 ballots cast in-person at vote centers

• 908 ballots dropped off at vote centers

Voters may be ‘apathetic’

7:30 a.m.: With voter turnout just over 15% heading into Election Day, officials say voters may be skipping Tuesday's primary.

“This is a fairly large ballot,” said Mark Lunn, the county's elections chief. “And, it seems like they just voted for governor.”

The primary typically will have lower turnout than general elections. In many races, the top two vote-getters in the primary will face off again in November.

The county recorded around 39% voter turnout in the 2018 primary, according to Lunn. By comparison, the county hit a record high with 85.9% turnout in the 2020 presidential election.

More: Four county offices up for election

Vote centers open

7 a.m.: Vote centers have opened for the final day to cast ballots in the primary election.

The county has made the switch to a new election model this year. Instead of hundreds of polling places, a smaller number of vote centers opened for additional days. Voters can cast ballots at any center in the county, not just those closest to them.

On Tuesday, 51 vote centers will open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Election officials urged voters to bring their mail-in ballot with them for a quicker process. Without a mail-in ballot, election workers will check the rolls and provide a new ballot if the person has not yet voted.

Early turnout lags

As of Monday, roughly 90,000 of the county's 506,000 registered voters had cast ballots.

By comparison, around 211,000 voters had cast ballots two days before the governor's recall election in September. More than 300,000 had returned ballots two days before the November 2020 presidential election.

With a lot of outstanding ballots, county election officials urged people to vote early, send in mail-in ballots or use the county's ballot drop boxes. Doing so would help avoid any potentially long lines at vote centers on Tuesday.

How to turn in your ballot?

• By mail, as long as it is postmarked by Tuesday and received no later than June 14.

• Drop it off by 8 p.m. Tuesday at one of the 38 official drop boxes or in-person voting centers listed at venturavote.org.

How to vote in person?

As of Saturday, the county increased the number of voter centers from 10 to 51 vote centers — one per 10,000 voters. Voters may choose any location not just the closest to home.

County elections officials recommend voters bring their mail-in ballot to the center for a quicker process. Without a mail-in ballot, election workers will check the rolls and provide a new ballot if the person has not yet voted.

How to track your ballot?

Voters can track their ballot at california.ballottrax.net/voter to see when it is mailed, received and counted.

How to register to vote?

In California, people can register to vote all the way through Election Day. Eligible voters can fill out a ballot and a registration form at the same time.

The conditional voter's ballot comes back to the elections office in a different envelope allowing staff to review the information to make sure the person is eligible to vote.

Cheri Carlson covers the environment for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at cheri.carlson@vcstar.com or 805-437-0260.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: California Election Day: Live updates on the primary in Ventura County