Santa Monica's proposed $495 annual parcel tax for public schools trailed in unofficial returns as of Nov. 4, falling short of the simple majority it needs to pass.

Measure ES had 13,521 "yes" votes (47.08%) and 15,197 "no" votes (52.92%) after multiple ballot-processing runs on Nov. 4, the Santa Monica Mirror reported, citing data from the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. No leads by 1,676 votes out of 28,718 counted, a gap of about 5.8 percentage points.

Those figures reflect an increase from election-night tallies. The Santa Monica Daily Press reported initial returns of 47.02% yes and 52.98% no. Santa Monica Next reported 46.96% yes and 53.04% no on election night.

These results are unofficial and incomplete. The LA County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk results page listed its status as "election night tally in progress." County election officials are continuing to process remaining vote-by-mail ballots, provisional submissions and conditional voter registrations, the Mirror reported. No authority has called the outcome or certified the results.

Note on count age: The Nov. 4 figures from the Mirror are the latest verified totals available. Attempts to pull fresher numbers directly from the official county results portal on Nov. 5 were unsuccessful because the site renders data through JavaScript. Readers should check results.lavote.gov for the most current count.

What the measure would do

Measure ES is a City of Santa Monica ballot measure. It would impose a $495 annual tax on each parcel of taxable property in Santa Monica, adjusted yearly for inflation, with no expiration date, according to the city's official measure page.

All revenue would go to the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD). The tax would raise an estimated $12 million a year, according to the Santa Monica city attorney, as reported by LAist. That money would replace funding the city provides through the Master Facilities Use Agreement (MFUA), which expires June 30, 2027.

A yes vote would authorize the tax. A no vote would reject it. If the measure fails, the City Council would face a choice between continuing the $12 million annual payment to SMMUSD or cutting other city spending, Santa Monica Next reported.

Because a group called Santa Monicans for Reliable School Funding placed the measure on the ballot as a citizen initiative, it needs only a simple majority (50% plus one). Government-proposed parcel taxes require two-thirds approval.

What comes next

The Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk planned to process ballots 24 hours a day from Nov. 4 through Nov. 6, according to the city's election page. The county will keep counting vote-by-mail and provisional ballots in the coming days and weeks, the Santa Monica Daily Press reported. Results will be certified later in November.

Updated results will be posted at results.lavote.gov.