(April 4, 2015) -- In June 2012, official City Clerk data showed that Daryl Supernaw (who'd run a low budget campaign) had beaten Councilman Patrick O'Donnell in traditionally higher turnout Los Altos. However incumbent O'Donnell, running a well-funded campaign and separately supported by independent expenditures from three labor union PACs (L.A. County AFL-CIO, LBPOA, LBFFA) prevailed with an unusually large number of ballots cast from traditionally lower-turnout precincts in the western part of the 4th district.

As reported by LBREPORT.com at the time (June 2012), in eleven historically low turnout precincts (basically east of Cherry Ave. between Anaheim St. and PCH) O'Donnell received over 70% of the ballots cast. In four of those precincts, O'Donnell received over 80% of the ballots cast...and in two precincts he received roughly 85% of ballots cast.

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The change between the April 2012 initial election, when O'Donnell was a write-in, and June 2012, when he was on the ballot, also drew attention. Exact comparisons weren't possible because precinct boundaries changed slightly for the June Countywide election (24 precincts in April were split into 30 precincts for the June election; the percentage comparisons below are approximate within the rough ranges indicated.)

• At the western end of the 4th district, in precinct 3850611A (bordered by 15th St., Temple/Molino, Anaheim & Gardenia) Supernaw increased his ballot total by roughly 211% while O’Donnell's ballot count went from 12 to 100 for a roughly 833% increase.

• To the north in precinct 3850091A (bordered by PCH, Junipero, 15th St. & Gardenia), Supernaw's votes decreased to roughly 64% of April's total while O'Donnell's votes increased by roughly 413%.

• At the eastern end, in precinct 3850625 (bordered by Atherton, Clark, PCH & Ximeno), Supernaw increased his April vote count by roughly 135% while O'Donnell's ballot total increased by roughly 395%, giving him 76 votes over Supernaw.

Similar outcomes occurred in most of the twenty precincts at the western end of the 4th Council district and produced the 690 vote differential for O'Donnell.

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There were separate issues in the April 2012 election when two-term incumbent Councilman O'Donnell ran a write-in campaign seeking a third term, while the names of candidates Daryl Supernaw and John Watkins were both printed on the ballot. In April, Mr. Supernaw finished first; Councilman O'Donnell finished second...and Mr. Watkins didn't make the June runoff and ultimately endorsed Councilman O'Donnell.

As reported by LBREPORT.com in May 2012, two precincts accounted for a disproportionately high number of ballots cast. In a City Clerk ordered hand recount, 56 ballots from those two precincts were challenged for alleged "same voter" [allegedly same appearing voter write-in handwriting] stated in verbal objections by representatives of the Watkins campaign and/or the LB Chamber's "Jobs PAC" (the latter then-supporting Watkins.)

The ballots were publicly visible to members of the media or the general public who wished to observe the process. LBREPORT.com was the only LB media outlet present at both ballot counts.

The average 4th district voter turnout per precinct was 15.03%, while two precincts -- 3850302B and 3850052A -- reported a significantly larger number of ballots turned in: 41.44% and 29.44%.

Tally sheets from the April 14 hand recount indicate a total of 90 ballots were challenged as allegedly by the "same voter," reflecting a verbal allegation (by opponents of O'Donnell) that the name "Patrick O'Donnell" appeared to the challenger to be written-in by a person who had written in O'Donnell's name on one or more other ballots. More than half of those challenged ballots (roughly 62%) were from 3850302B (32 challenges) and 3850052A (24 challenges).

Photography of the ballots counted/recounted was prohibited [City Clerk's office verbally citing legally ensured protection of voter anonymity] but the process was otherwise open to observation. The hand recount process took place at four counting tables simultaneously. If a challenge was verbally stated to a ballot by a candidate, his representative or a representative of a supporting PAC, it was written down by City Clerk staff on a tally sheet and was then visually inspected by City Clerk Larry Herrera, who made an on-the-spot ruling on whether the ballot should be counted or not counted, sometimes consulting with then-Assistant (now 2014 elected) City Attorney Charles Parkin who was on-site during the process.

The City Council certified the results of both the April and June 2012 elections; no party resorted to court litigation.

Unlike the 2012 election cycle, Mr. Supernaw has raised a sizable campaign sum for the now-ongoing 2015 winner-take-all election. As of the end of March 2015, his campaign had nearly as much cash in hand as opponent Herlinda Chico's campaign. Three labor union PACs are supporting Ms. Chico (the same ones that supported O'Donnell in 2012: L.A. County AFL-CIO, LBPOA, LBFFA) but this time an independent expenditure committee, backed mainly by CA Ass'n of Realtors and business interests, is supporting Mr. Supernaw.

(For LBREPORT.com coverage of sums raised and spent on both sides through late March is visible at this link. [A third candidate, Richard Lindemann, didn't spend the sum to submit a voter-pamphlet candidate statement, said he is spending less than $1,000 and isn't seeking contributions.])

There won't be a June 2015 election: the April 2015 election is "winner-take-all." The outcome will impact residents and businesses of all Council districts, since the new 4th district Councilmember will have a co-equal citywide vote on budget priorities, taxes, development, policies...basically everything.

Vote-by-mail ballots are circulating now. Polling place election day is April 14.