TRINITY COUNTY, CALIFORNIA — NOVEMBER 6, 2026. In Trinity County’s Mountain Communities Healthcare District election, voters may select up to three directors. The county’s November 3 unofficial report lists Chad Smith 1,586, Marianne Keesee 1,004, Laura Ecklin 995, Sarah Sheetz 720, Jennifer Flint 704 and Dero Forslund 673 candidate selections. The leading third-ranked candidate, Ecklin, is 275 votes ahead of Sheetz in the same report.

Three elected positions, six named candidates

The three highest vote totals in the initial batch are Smith, Keesee and Ecklin. They are not yet certified as elected board members. The county also lists 1,401 undervotes and three overvotes. Multiple selections per eligible ballot mean that 5,682 cast candidate votes are not 5,682 distinct residents participating.

Why a healthcare board matters

District directors are responsible for oversight within the public healthcare district’s statutory authority, including public resources, institutional plans and governance. Those responsibilities differ from county public health services and privately governed medical providers. Readers should evaluate the official board budget and meetings independently of election returns.

Local service boundaries are essential

A healthcare district’s electorate is defined by its district boundaries and does not necessarily include everyone in Trinity County. The countywide election-night turnout of 2,768 ballots cannot be directly assigned to the district, and the incomplete legal canvass prevents a final conclusion about the number of votes remaining.

Official source

The county cumulative results PDF, page 8 lists all six candidates and the Vote for no more than THREE instruction. The county election office is the source for official results after canvassing. The article preserves the exact first-night batch rather than claiming newer figures.

How the official canvass works

The Trinity County unofficial cumulative results are dated November 3, 2026, at 10:27 p.m., and list 16 of 16 precincts reporting. That is not the same as all valid mail, provisional and other ballots being processed. The county election official will complete the canvass and certify local contests; statewide election certification follows in December. The source date is stated to prevent the old batch being mistaken for a fresh November 6 count.

California58 local elections desk. Source: Trinity County Registrar official 15-page report, November 3 batch, reviewed November 6. All electoral results remain uncertified and may change.

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