Early Measure A results show San Mateo Co. voters want embattled sheriff gone. What comes next?
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (KGO) -- As votes are still being counted in the San Mateo County Measure A special election, it appears voters overwhelmingly want Sheriff Christina Corpus out of office.
Their ballots are deciding whether to add a charter amendment that will give the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors the authority to remove the embattled sheriff from office.
Passage of Measure A will not automatically result in Corpus' removal from office. First, the county elections department will have to certify the vote, which has to happen within the next 30 days.
After that, the Board of Supervisors will first have to formally accept the results of the special election. Ten days after that, county staff will begin the procedures for the board to consider removing Corpus from office.
In a statement to ABC7 News, Corpus said the results of the low-turnout election is "hardly a mandate for overturning the will of the people."
"With the passage of Measure A, I now have the opportunity to formally challenge and disprove the politically motivated allegations against me and my administration," she said. "...I will not resign. I will continue to fulfill my oath, do my job, and work tirelessly to keep the residents of San Mateo County safe."
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Supervisors Noelia Corzo and Ray Mueller -- who led the effort to get Measure A on the ballot and previously called for Corpus' resignation -- held a press conference Wednesday to talk about next steps.
"Prior to a removal hearing, the sheriff will be served a written statement of grounds for removal," Corzo said. "The sheriff will then be given a reasonable opportunity prior to and during the hearing."
In a removal hearing, supervisors will share the reasons they want to fire her in a public meeting and give Corpus a chance to respond. Four out of the five supervisors will have to vote yes to remove her. In that case, the under-sheriff will take her place before supervisors appoint someone else or hold another special election to choose Corpus' successor.
"The county will implement clear procedures to ensure a public and impartial and lawful process," Mueller said.
The two supervisors did not take questions from reporters after the press conference.
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What are the allegations against Sheriff Corpus?
Sheriff Corpus is accused of fostering a culture of intimidation and retaliation. She's also accused of having an inappropriate intimate relationship with her chief of staff.
Corpus has repeatedly denied those allegations and called the special election a political attack.
"I'm being crucified in the public eye for allegations," Corpus told ABC7 News on Monday.
If Measure A passes, it would then allow the county supervisors to vote the sheriff out. Four of five supervisors would have to vote in favor of removing her.
ABC7 News spoke with Sheriff Corpus's attorney Brad Gage after results started coming in. He said there potentially could be challenges made to the constitutionality of Measure A and how the initial investigation was conducted, but said they are weighing all options right now.
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Election crews were up until about midnight Tuesday counting the votes and there are still more mail-in ballots that are being counted. But based on the latest batch of results reported from San Mateo County, about 85% of voters said "yes" while just under 15% rejected measure A.
The County Registrar's Office said it sent out more than 440,000 ballots to registered voters. Because this is a special election, officials say the turnout will be much smaller.
"Special elections have low voter turnouts as compared to presidential election that may have an 80% turnout; special election can have a 20% turnout -- where we are at right now," said Jim Irizarry, Assistant Chief Elections Officer of San Mateo County.
The next batch of results will be released Thursday afternoon before 4:30 p.m. and some of the county supervisors are expected to respond to the results on Wednesday.
