Tight race for Congressional District 13

MERCED COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Hundreds of thousands of ballots are inactive being counted crossed the authorities and successful Merced county, arsenic voters await the results of Congressional territory 13.

"I recognize the public's impatience astatine times with wanting to cognize results quickly, but determination are a batch of laws that we person to travel rapidly successful California to marque definite that this number is done properly, is done securely, is done accurately," said Mel Levey, Merced Co. Registrar of Voters.

In 2022, lone 564 votes separated the contention betwixt enactment campaigner John Duarte and politician Adam Gray.

Merced region registrar of voters, Mel Levey says it takes clip for specified a choky race.

"We saw 2 years agone successful this legislature district, this contention wasn't decided until aboriginal December. We saw 2 years anterior to that successful 2020, it took much than 3 and a fractional weeks earlier certification," said Levey.

When signatures can't beryllium verified, candidates tin take to assistance with the cure process ensuring each ballot is counted, careless of knowing who the idiosyncratic voted for.

"Representatives of some Adam grey and John Duarte person requested that data, they are going doorway to doorway successful immoderate cases to talk to voters whose signature has been challenged and asking them to capable retired that affidavit," said Levey.

Incumbent Duarte telling Action News Tuesday, helium knows its not an casual feat to triumph this contention again.

"It's a precise Democrat district. It's got a 14% Democrat registration advantage. Winning it arsenic a Republican is ne'er going to beryllium a ample borderline thing. It's ever going to beryllium a precise choky contention if we win," said (R) Rep. John Duarte.

But helium knows its not over, until everyone has had their dependable heard.

"We're going to enactment diligent and hold for it to get called and hold for it to finalize the close way, and I deliberation the different broadside volition too," said Rep. Duarte.

Action News reached retired to Gray's run team, but helium was not disposable for an interrogation Tuesday, Action News is expecting to perceive from him Wednesday.

California counties person until December 3rd to certify their results with the caput of state.

For quality updates, travel Brianna Willis connected Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.