Updated: Adds additional detail about the vote count protocol on Election Day.

For those who pine for quick results on Proposition 50 in San Joaquin County on Election Day, don’t get your hopes up.

The county Registrar of Voters announced a ballot-count procedure Friday for the congressional redistricting measure that stretches for nearly a month until final certification. Registrar Olivia Hale emphasized how much care will be taken to ensure all have faith in the final result.

“Our primary goal is to conduct an election that is both accurate and transparent,” Hale said in a statement.

The counting process will start when the polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 4, with the tally of vote-by-mail ballots received through Nov. 1, the registrar’s office said.

The office said updates on the vote count will start at 8 p.m. and continue every two hours until every in-person poll ballot is counted. Vote-by-mail ballots dropped off at polling places won’t be counted that night. The staff needs to verify their signatures first.

The next update won’t come until Friday, Nov. 7.

After the Nov. 7 update, Hale’s office said updates will be scheduled for the following Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The process will be laborious because it includes not only remaining vote-by-mail ballots, but provisional ballots and others requiring additional verification. Final certification doesn’t come until Dec. 2.

There’s only one measure on the ballot: whether to enact Proposition 50, which would redraw California’s congressional districts in a way that could switch five seats from Republican to Democratic. It’s the measure put forth by Gov. Gavin Newsom to offset a move already enacted by the Texas Legislature at the behest of President Donald Trump. By encouraging Republican-dominated states to redraw districts, Trump seeks to retain GOP control of Congress after the 2026 midterm elections.

In San Joaquin County, the vote could be especially interesting because voter preferences are much more evenly divided by political party than the rest of the state. Republican Trump edged out then-Vice President Kamala Harris in the county presidential vote in last November’s General Election even as the same voters sent Democrats Josh Harder to Congress and Rhodesia Ransom to the state Assembly.

So, as for the county’s vote count, accuracy is taking precedent over a quick tally.

“We understand the importance of timely updates, but we also emphasize the need for careful and thorough counting procedures. Our dedicated team is committed to ensuring that every vote is counted and that the results reflect the will of the voters,” Hale said.