Aram Ayra led Gracie Torres by 27 votes in the latest reported Riverside City Council Ward 2 runoff tally: 3,821 to 3,794, or 50.18% to 49.82% of votes counted. The Raincross Gazette reported the Tuesday-evening totals, which are not final.
The lead has changed during counting. Torres trailed Ayra by about 170 votes on Election Day, then moved ahead as additional ballots were processed, The Riverside Record reported. The latest tally puts Ayra ahead, but the number of remaining Ward 2 ballots—and how those ballots may divide between the candidates—has not been reported.
The remaining count and the official process
As of the Record’s Tuesday report, the Registrar of Voters estimated that 256,200 vote-by-mail ballots and 11,000 Conditional Voter Registration ballots remained to be counted countywide. The office expected its next results update by 6 p.m. Wednesday, the Record said. Those countywide figures do not show how many ballots remain specifically in Ward 2.
The count reported so far is distinct from the certified result. The California Secretary of State describes signature comparison as part of the official canvass. The Riverside County Registrar says certification follows the processing and verification of eligible vote-by-mail ballots and Conditional Voter Registration ballots.
Why this is a runoff—and a caution about comparisons
The Ward 2 contest reached a runoff because no candidate received a majority in the June 2, 2026, primary, according to the City Clerk’s Office. Only registered voters who live in Ward 2 or Ward 4 may vote in the runoff, the office says.
The city’s ward boundaries also provide important context for comparing this result with older council races. The plan adopted June 13, 2023, applies to Wards 2, 4 and 6 beginning with the 2026 elections and remains in place until the next redistricting in 2031, according to the City Clerk’s redistricting records. Results from earlier elections may therefore reflect different ward boundaries.
For now, Ayra’s 27-vote edge is a snapshot of an unfinished count, not a final outcome. The next county update may clarify the overall tally, but the remaining Ward 2 ballot total has not been specified.
