In a twist that could potentially alter the outcome of the Congressional District 16 recount, 16 ballots that were initially excluded from the original tally are now being challenged in San Mateo County. The recount commenced on April 15th in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, encompassing a total of 182,135 votes cast in the March primary. Former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo holds a lead of over 8,000 votes, with Simitian and Low tied for second place. If the recount results are altered, either Simitian or Low may be removed from the ballot. The challenge stems from 16 ballots that were excluded due to an oversight, including seven mail-in ballots and eight absentee ballots without postmark dates. The attorney representing the challenger maintains that the ballots were received by the county on or before the deadline and should be counted. In response to the challenge, Liccardo’s campaign criticized the attempt to disqualify the ballots of registered citizens, while Simitian’s campaign declined to comment, awaiting the final results.