Measure U, the San Mateo County charter amendment that would create an independent redistricting commission, held 80.6% of the vote in unofficial election-night returns.
The measure drew 105,692 yes votes in preliminary results reported after midnight on Nov. 4, according to the county’s official results portal. It needed a simple majority to pass.
The final election-night report includes mail ballots received through Friday, Oct. 30, and all vote-center ballots. The San Mateo County Elections Office estimated 130,000 ballots remained unprocessed countywide as of 4 p.m. Nov. 4.
If the margin holds, the Board of Supervisors will lose its authority to draw the boundaries of the county’s five supervisorial districts. That power would shift to an independent redistricting commission, according to the county’s impartial analysis.
The county redraws its five districts every 10 years after each federal census so that each supervisor represents roughly the same number of people. An advisory commission made up of residents drew suggested maps during the 2021 redistricting cycle, but the board held final say over the lines.
The board rejected the commission’s recommended maps in 2021. Supervisors questioned whether those proposals adequately represented local communities, The Almanac reported. The board instead selected the Communities Together map, according to the county’s account of the decision.
That history fueled the push for Measure U. Supervisor Jackie Speier, Supervisor Lisa Gauthier and the presidents of the League of Women Voters chapters in San Mateo County submitted the official ballot argument in favor. They argued that allowing supervisors to set their own district boundaries creates a conflict of interest.
No ballot arguments opposing Measure U were submitted to the Elections Division, The Almanac reported.
The next vote count update is set for before 4:30 p.m. Pacific time Thursday, Nov. 5, according to the Elections Office.
