Humboldt County primary turnout surges, election night count faces delays
Turnout neared 21 percent by Saturday, and Juan Pablo Cervantes said Humboldt County was headed for one of its strongest gubernatorial primaries in years.
Humboldt County’s primary election drew a stronger-than-expected wave of voters, with turnout already near 21 percent by Saturday after a slow start. County Clerk, Recorder and Registrar of Voters Juan Pablo Cervantes said the late pickup put the county on track for one of its strongest gubernatorial primary showings in recent memory.
The size of that surge mattered because Humboldt has about 86,000 registered voters, and the first election-night results were expected around 8:30 p.m. after polls closed at 8 p.m. on June 2. In a county this spread out, the distance between vote centers and the Elections Office in Eureka can shape how quickly the public gets results, and Cervantes said Hoopa and Garberville were usually among the last places to report because ballots and materials had to travel back to the county seat.
That travel time also explained why the count was still moving well after headlines went to press. Election staff were expected to stay at the Elections Office late into the night, potentially until 2 or 3 a.m., to keep processing and verifying ballots as they arrived from across the county. Cervantes also cautioned that election-night media calls were not the same as final certification, since vote-by-mail, provisional and other ballots continue to be handled during the canvass period.
The broader state picture underscored how Humboldt fit into the June 2 primary. California’s turnout stood at 33.6 percent as of June 8 at 4:59 p.m., and vote-by-mail ballots postmarked by Election Day could still be received through June 9. County elections officials must complete final official results by July 2, with Secretary of State certification scheduled for July 10.
Humboldt’s recent history gives the latest surge more weight. The county’s June 7, 2022 primary finished at 44,936 voters out of 84,620 registered, a turnout rate of 53.08 percent. In the June 5, 2018 statewide direct primary, Humboldt recorded 32,128 voters out of 76,007 registered, or 42.27 percent. The Humboldt County Elections Database, which holds historical election records from 2013 through 2026, will offer the clearest comparison once the count is fully finalized.
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