City Council close, but undecided

Although much of Tuesday's elections results are still unknown, one thing is for sure — the turnout of voters in Corning polling places was "wonderful," according to Jackie Sousa, precinct inspector at the Holiday Inn polling site.

"We have had real heavy vo ing. It's exciting," she said.

First and second precinct Inspector Colleen Amaral agrees with her fellow official.

"Our turnout has been much better than the last two elections and we have received a tremendous amount of vote-by-mail ballots," Amaral said as she accepted ballots at City Hall.

Of Tehama County's registered voters 32.91 percent chose to vote by mail for this general election. That's 10,258 of the county's 31,174 voters.

According to these preliminary results the Corning City Council will see another four-years with Councilman John Leach, and joining the ranks will be retired police Chief Tony Cardenas.

But the numbers are so close it is impossible to say whether or not candidate Willie Smith's 29.44 percent of the vote will pull ahead of Leach's 33.48 percent and Cardenas will retain his lead at 36.98 percent.

"I'm watching the numbers come in, but at this point I can't really comment," said Leach at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday.

"I've been watching the television on and off, waiting to see what is going to happen," Smith said. "Right now it looks like I have lost, but we will wait and see. Maybe there is still hope."

Cardenas could not be reached for comment.

In the race to fill two seats on the Corning Union Elementary School Board, incumbent Marty Mathisen was ahead Tuesday night with 47.54 percent of the vote, and challenger Lizett Arriaga was coming in second with 37.28 percent. Candidate Jesus Rosas had earned 14.78 percent of the votes.

Again, the final race results were unknown as of Tuesday night as the Tehama County Elections Department had many, many mail-in and polling place votes to count.

It does appear the nation's Presidential Race has been determined with Barack Obama seated for another term.

According to preliminary results, Obama ran away with far more than the needed 270 electoral votes, leaving his opponent Mitt Romney barely tipping the 200 electoral vote mark.

That was good news for Winsie Lucatero of Corning, who said she was voting for Obama because he came into the Oval Officer four years ago in a very rough predicament "and he still did as well as he could."

"I had a problem with Romney's religion," Lucatero said as she walked into the Holiday Inn polling location to vote.

Brenda Borel on the other hand is surely greatly disappointed.

"I can't wait to walk in and vote for Mitt Romney," she said Tuesday morning. "I believe this is the most important election of my lifetime. I would vote for a cowpie before I voted for Obama."