10:54 update: Incumbents Laura Rosenthal and Lou La Monte finished first and second on Election Day Tuesday, winning additional four-year terms by more than 400 votes than their closest challengers.
Rosenthal finished first with 1,427 votes or 26.92 percent of the vote. La Monte came in close behind with 1,399 and 26.39 percent.
Challengers Andy Lyon and Hamish Patterson, running as a slate, and June Louks, finished with 981, 972 and 522 votes, respectively.
For comprehensive coverage of Tuesday night’s election, read The Malibu Times on newsstands tomorrow or check www.malibutimes.com.
9:52 update: Rosenthal and La Monte still lead the pack with 1,265 and 1,254 votes, respectively. Lyon has 777 votes, Patterson has 765 and Louks has 447.
9:30 update: Incumbents Lou La Monte and Laura Rosenthal remain in the lead with 1,067 and 1,070 votes, respectively.
Challengers Andy Lyon and Hamish Patterson are behind with 598 and 588 votes, respectively. June Louks is in last place with 361 votes.
8:33 update: Sitting City Council members Lou La Monte and Laura Rosenthal currently lead their closest challengers in the municipal elections by several hundred votes. As of 8:35 p.m., Rosenthal had received 895 votes and La Monte 894.
Challengers Andy Lyon and Hamish Patterson trailed with 432 and 415 votes, respectively, while challenger June Louks had 291.
6:50 p.m. update: Malibu City Clerk Lisa Pope said the city received 1,570 Vote by Mail ballots this year, nearly 80 more than the 1,494 that were returned in the 2012 election.*
The absentee ballots have been taken from their envelopes and made ready to count once the polls close at 8 p.m., Pope said. City workers estimated about 30 duplicate ballots had to be made for absentee ballots that were bent, smudged or otherwise illegible.
Downstairs at the Malibu City Hall polling location, poll workers Faith Donaldson and DeAnne Joy said 111 residents had cast votes at the booths since voting opened. After a slow period in the morning during which only 10 people came over about three hours, Joy said things had started to pick up.
“It started very slow this morning, but there’s a lot of absentee ballots, and then the provisionals,” Joy said.
Volunteers at polling stations across town have reported lower than usual turnout in this election.
*[Correction: This article originally stated that there were 1,078 absentee ballots received in 2012. The actual number was 1,494.]
The much anticipated Malibu City Council election takes place today, with two sitting incumbents facing off against three challengers. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Check back with malibutimes.com throughout the day for election updates.
Where to vote:
Those unsure of their precinct may go to the Los Angeles County Registrar/Recorder website [www.lavote.net/locator] to locate the polling place their residence falls into.
Precinct 2 – Duke’s Restaurant, the Ocean Room
Precinct 14 – Malibu City Hall, the Zuma Room
Precinct 51 – Malibu West Swim Club banquet hall
Precinct 57 – Malibu High School library
Precinct 59 – Malibu United Methodist Church, Gabrielson Hall
Precinct 60 – Point Dume Elementary School library
Precinct 64 – Bluffs Park, Michael Landon Center
The candidates:
The candidates, in the order they appear on the ballot, are: June Louks, Andy L yon, Lou La Monte, Hamish Patterson and Laura Zahn Rosenthal.
June Louks is a political newcomer and founder of the Malibu Agricultural Society who seeks to encourage more public participation if elected. She is also concerned with keeping Malibu’s local businesses viable.
Andy Lyon, who along with Hamish Patterson is making his second bid for Malibu City Council after falling short in 2012, has been a Malibu resident since 1962 and is in favor of “keeping Malibu a vibrant, livable community,” according to his biography in the ballot.
Incumbent Lou La Monte has been on Malibu City Council since 2010. His platform includes factors such as local control, fiscal responsibility and public safety, focusing around the idea of “bringing Malibu together,” according to his website.
Hamish Patterson, along with Andy Lyon, is in the midst of his second campaign for Malibu City Council, running as an “outsider to the political machine,” who wants to provide better youth facilities such as skate parks and baseball diamonds, according to his interview with The Malibu Times.
Incumbent Laura Z. Rosenthal was elected to the council for the first time in 2010. In her Malibu Times inter view she stated that she hopes to move Malibu forward while protecting its environment. Rosenthal is also in favor of an independent Malibu school district.
