BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Kern County Auditor/Controller/Clerk Mary Bedard has announced that in accordance with Kern County and California state elections codes, a public recount of the ballots cast in Kern County for the 16th California Senate District as requested by candidate David Shepard is scheduled. The recount will start as soon as the Shepard campaign makes the required payment to the California Secretary of State.
The recount is scheduled to start on December 21 at 9:00 am in the Kern County Elections office on Truxtun Avenue in downtown Bakersfield. The recount will continue from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm on that day and continue with the same schedule on the following days until the recount is complete.
There are staff breaks and lunches worked into the daily schedule. During these break times, everyone will leave the room with the ballots and the room will be locked.
The daily schedule, which will be to begin at 9:00 am, take first break from 10:15 until 10:30 am, lunch from noon to 1:00 pm, second break from 3:15 until 3:30 pm, and ending the day at 5:00 pm, is in accordance with Kern County Elections Code, which stipulates that the recount happen for not less than six hours every day, excepting weekends and holidays, every day until the recount is completed.
The public and representatives of voter advocacy agencies are invited to observe the process. Anyone interested in observing is asked to contact the county clerk's office at 868-3590. As the building is only so large, space for observers is necessarily limited.