It is conceivable the outcome of two Manteca issues — the Measure Q tax and who will be the Area 2 council representative — could be known by Friday at 7 p.m.

That is when the San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters is scheduled to provide its updated count on ballots that have been processed by then.

Regina Lackey leads the count as of Wednesday for the Manteca City Council Area 2 seat in the southwest portion of the city with 2,079 votes for 41.63 percent of the ballots counted.

Judy Blumhorst was next at 37.59 percent (1,877) followed by Gabe Galletta at 20.78 percent (1,038).

That reflects 4,984 votes that have been counted.

Area 2 has roughly 12,000 registered voters. If roughly 70 percent of those individuals voted, there would be roughly 3,400 votes yet to be counted.

The time lag in the count reflects the need to verify ballots that were dropped off or mailed in after the end of last week.

It can be a time consuming process that may require several weeks to complete.

It should be noted in the 2018 election, one council candidate led in the count all the way until the final tally was made three weeks after the election.

Measure Q — the three-quarter of a cent City of Manteca sales tax hike for a 20-year period — is currently leading 51.39 percent (10,776 votes) to 48.61 percent (9,531 votes).

Citywide, there are roughly 48,000 registered voters. The count to date represents just over a 50 percent turnout.

Again, if there was a 70 percent turnout, there could be more than 9,600 Measure Q votes left to count.

The 1,245 lead could easily disappear as the count continues. 

The tax measure requires 50 percent pass one vote to pass.

There is no way of knowing how many of the remaining ballots to the processed where cast by City of Manteca voters or, more specifically, Area 2 voters.

The current count in other races shows:

*Incumbent Congressman Josh Harder leading current Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln 51.13 percent (71,413) to 48.87 percent (68,257).

*Lathrop Mayor Sonny Dhaliwal leading former Manteca Mayor Steve DeBrum 50.70 percent (17,137) to 49.30 percent (16,663).

*Jim Shoemaker leading former Congressman Jerry McNerney 51.49 percent (75,701) to 48.51 percent (71,332).

*Measure K, the Delta College bond measure at 58.24 percent (79,194) “yes votes” and 41.76 percent (56,791) “no votes.”

*Measure R, requiring drug testing before receiving general assistance, at 74.61 percent (106,912) “yes votes” and 25.39 percent (36,379) “no votes.”

*For the Manteca Unified Area 2 seat, Bob Wallace is leading Kelly Alvarez 72.01 percent (2,560) to 27.99 percent (995).

*In the race for Mayor of Lathrop Paul Akinjo is at 47.62 percent (3,064), Paul Camarena 24.15 percent (1,554), Mansoor Fazel 20.64 percent (1,328), and Diana Radonic 7.58 percent (488 votes).

*In the Lathrop council race Jennifer Torres-O’Callaghan is at 42.21 percent (4,044), Minnie “Cotton” Diallo 36.94 percent (3,569), and Steve Dresser 20.85 percent (1,998).

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com