election

Next month, California voters will choose a new governor, weigh in on rent control, and make other big decisions about the state's future.

Tuesday is Election Day, and Californians have a jam-packed primary ballot to fill out. 

It was standing room only at Wednesday night’s candidate forum for the public office of San Luis Obispo County Sheriff. 

Santa Barbara voters have chosen Cathy Murillo as the city’s next mayor, according to the semi-official results published by the county's election office on election night. 

The deadline for Isla Vista voters to cast their ballot in that district’s May 9 special election is Tuesday at 8 p.m. The all-mail ballot election is for the Isla Vista Recreation and Park District.

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San Luis Obispo County's ballot measure creating a half-cent sales tax to raise money for local roads and infrastructure is just shy of approval.

Ron De Carli with the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) said Wednesday that there are as many as 30,000 provisional ballots left to count. He said while the Measure J vote is close, its passage looks doubtful.

The mayor of Paso Robles says he won't run for his current job in the next election, but does plan to run for a council seat.

Duane Picanco says he discussed the issue with his family and says he's decided it's time to let somebody new lead the city.

The term of mayor recently increased from two to four years which was the deciding factor for the mayor he told KCBX. Voters chose to increase the term in 2012.

Picanco has held the job since 2008 and was a councilman prior to that.

candidates can submit their nomination papers to the city as of July 14.

One of the more hotly contested races on the Central Coast this spring was the one for San Luis Obispo County District Attorney.

Overnight numbers show Deputy District Attorney Dan Dow the winner with more than 53 percent of the vote to Assistant District Attorney Tim Covello's nearly 45 percent.

An effort to ban new forms of petroleum production in the unincorporated areas of Santa Barbara County is gaining momentum and getting support from at least one other organization.

Santa Barbara County Water Guardians is working to collect 13,200 signatures by May 7 to qualify The Healthy Air and Water Initiative to Ban Fracking for the November 4, 2014 ballot.

If passed by voters, the initiative would target newer forms of oil and gas extraction, including fracking. 

  A Silicon Valley venture capitalist who believes California has become too large to manage received word Wednesday from Secretary of State Debra Bowen that he may begin circulating his voter petition to split up the state.

The proponent for the measure, Tim Draper, must collect signatures from eight percent of the state's registered voters by mid-July in order for his initiative to qualify for the November 2014 ballot. He launched his measure back in December.