County Clerk-Recorder Candidates Forum

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 Once again, the votes are in and the SLO County Elections Office has two new official “I Voted” sticker designs created by local students. The winning designs, by Del Mar Elementary fourth grader Brynn Smart and Arroyo Grande High School freshman Annie Schwent, were selected from more than 40 entries, and the votes were cast by the mayors of SLO County’s seven cities. The mayors also selected a “Yo voté” design created by third grader Aurelia Shua of Pacheco Elementary, as well as a “Future Voter” sticker designed by Sara Van Horn, who is a resident of Atascadero and homeschooled through Abide Christian School. 

 The SLO County Elections Office has launched a new youth-focused program in partnership with the League of Women Voters. During the 2025-26 school year, students 16-18 will be trained in the fundamentals of voting and voter registration and mentored by advisors as they create and implement peer-to-peer outreach programs. 

 The County of San Luis Obispo Clerk-Recorder’s Office and the League of Women Voters (LWVSLO) announced on Monday, Oct. 7, that Morro Bay High School claimed the title in the inaugural countywide High School Voter Registration Competition, which ran Sept. 16-30, in conjunction with the California Secretary of State’s High School Voter Education Weeks. The goal of the friendly competition was to see which local high school could register — or pre-register — the highest percentage of eligible students.

Morro Bay High School emerged victorious after it was confirmed that they registered 28 percent of eligible students. School enrollment data was used by the Clerk-Recorder’s Office to calculate the rate of participation among students 16 and plus and determine the winner. In all, 560 students countywide were registered or pre-registered as part of the competition.

 When you think of local government, road repairs, sheriff patrols, or zoning meetings might come to mind. But there’s one office that intersects with nearly every resident at some point in life — whether it’s getting married, voting in an election, or recording property documents — and that’s the Clerk-Recorder’s Office.

In San Luis Obispo County, this office is led by Elaina Cano, and its mission is simple but vital: to ensure the integrity of elections and the accurate maintenance of public records, while making these services accessible, efficient, and trustworthy for the public.

 Curious how it all works? Visit our YouTube channel for short, easy-to-follow videos that show how elections and public services are handled—openly, accurately, and transparently. 

 By Stephanie Zappelli

Updated June 8, 2022 2:03 PM

Elaina Cano won the race for San Luis Obispo County-clerk recorder in convincing fashion, posting a nearly 50-point lead with all precincts reporting. As of 1:30 a.m., with 117 of 117 precincts reporting, Cano dominated the race with 66.8% of the vote. Baugh and Jenkins followed with 18% and 15.2% of the vote, respectively.

The clerk-recorder manages three divisions of the county: the clerk’s office, the recorder’s office and the election office. The SLO County Board of Supervisors appointed Cano to the county clerk-recorder post in October, after Tommy Gong resigned for a job in the Bay Area. She’s competing with two candidates for the position: U.S. Army veteran James Baugh and attorney Stew Jenkins. If one of the candidates gets more than 50% of the vote, they win the seat. But if none of the candidates secure a majority vote, the top two vote-getters will advance to the general election in November.