Escamilla leading in San Luis mayoral primary

Incumbent Juan Carlos Escamilla was leading his primary opposition in the race for mayor of the border city on Tuesday, while two of three incumbents were top vote-getters in the race for three seats on the city council.

Escamilla had 975 votes, while challenger Nieves Riedel had 874 votes, according to unofficial, incomplete returns from the city's primary election. Vote totals for a write-in mayoral candidate, Lilia Quinonez, were not immediately available.

Escamilla was running for a second term against Riedel, whom he previously defeated in the 2006 mayoral race.

Leading the council races were Africa Luna and incumbents Marco Antonio Reyes Jr. and Rafael Torres with vote counts of 840, 823 and 775 votes, respectively, according to unofficial returns.

Vote totals for other council candidates were Marco Pinzon, 758 votes; incumbent Archibaldo Gurrola, 738 votes; Abelina Jaime, 650; David Lara, 387; Carlos Bernal, 332; Monica Borga, 204, and Juan Evangelista, 74.

Each voter was allowed to choose one mayoral candidate and three council candidates.

Any candidate who receives more than half the total votes cast in his or her primary race automatically wins a seat. The candidates with the next highest totals will advance to a runoff or remaining seats in the city's general election in May.

Primary vote totals could change later this week following processing and counting of “provisional” or questioned ballots.

City Clerk Sonia Cuello said earlier Tuesday initial hours of voting were marked by a high rate of provisional ballots being cast, owing to the failure of voters to present identification or other documents verifying eligibility to vote.

Voters failing to present proof of eligibility were still being allowed to cast their ballot, but will have to present proof within days in order for their votes to be counted in the final tally.

Voting also attracted an unusually large number of election observers — 10 representing candidates and two from the Arizona Secretary of State's Office.

The Secretary of State’s Office has sent observers partly in response to allegations of electoral fraud stemming from the mayoral race in 2006.