Why we asked for a recount
The District 5 supervisor seat was certified with Magali Limeta at 50.27% — a margin of about 46 votes over the 50%-plus-one line that decides whether the race is over. Because that line is so close, we requested a hand recount to make sure the count is right.
A 46-vote margin
Limeta was certified at 50.27% (8,539 votes), clearing the majority line by about 46 votes. Andy Podshadley finished second at 17.66% (2,999 votes).
3,000+ ballots not counted in this race
Of 20,033 ballots cast in District 5, the machines read only 16,985 as marked for the supervisor contest. A hand recount confirms whether those choices were captured correctly.
A voter's right, used properly
Results were certified June 26, 2026. Under California law any voter may request a recount; ours was filed within the five-day window that follows certification.
Supervisor is a local, nonpartisan office, so the state's top-two primary rules do not apply. In this contest, a candidate who wins 50% plus one vote in June takes the seat outright for a four-year term.
If no one clears 50%, the top two advance to a November runoff. With the certified result sitting at 50.27%, that threshold is the whole ballgame.
Marin County Elections is conducting a hand recount of the District 5 ballots. The requesting voter pays a daily deposit for the county's costs.
Those deposits are refunded in full if the recount changes the outcome. This is a routine, transparent check built into California law — not a challenge to the voters' choice.
- Marin County Elections hand-counts the District 5 ballots, including those not read by the machines in this race.
- The recount confirms whether Limeta remains above 50%, or falls below it.
- If the result stays above 50%, she is elected outright. If it drops below, the seat goes to a November runoff between the top two candidates.
Either way, District 5 voters get a fully verified count. That is the goal: an accurate result everyone can trust.