HUNTINGTON CIVIC CENTER with voting drop box in foreground (OC Tribune photo).

From a staff writer

Voters in Huntington Beach are handing the city council a message in the early returns from Tuesday’s special election: hands off our libraries.

Citizen-initiated ballot Measures A and B were both passing by wide margins as of Tuesday night, according to the Orange County Registrar of Voters.

Measure A called for an end to the “community-parent review board” to screen the content of materials available in the children’s library.

While supporters say it’s intended to keep “pornography” from being viewed by children, critics called it a form of censorship, and the issue brought out vociferous public comments at each council meeting.

Measure B called for a ban on the privatization of the city’s library system without a vote of the public. The city council has considered such a plan as a cost-saving measure, but public outcry led the council to drop the proposal from a former member of the council, Mike Posey.

At the conclusion of counting at 9:30 p.m., Measure A was winning by a margin of 58.96 percent “yes “(30,407 votes) to 41.04 percent “no” (21,169 votes).

Measure B was leading 60.95 percent “yes” (31,409 votes) to 39.05 percent “no” (20,120 votes).
All precincts have reported and the Registrar will issue its next update Wednesday afternoon.

See ocvote.gov for more results.