Where did the 3609 votes go in CA-50?

So, in a race this vicious, almost 3% of the people whose ballots were counted didn't vote in this race? Sure, some people must have screwed it up...but 3609 just came to vote for other offices?

And, sure, it's not quite enough alone to tilt the outcome, but WTF?

total ballots: +125K
total votes in CA-50 race: 122k

and how is an independent getting another 3.7%? In a midterm election, when typically ONLY THE MOST POLITICALLY ACTIVE AND INVESTED turn up at the polls, 3.7% chose to cast a vote for a guy who could make no difference?

http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/Special/cd50/elections_cd50_genresults.htm

The Minutemen campaigned for Griffith.

Tend to go up in down ticket races. Additionally the type of voting equipment is important, from what I have heard a good portion of Ca 50 used opscans, typically they have an undervote rate of 2%, while the other voting machine in CA 50 was the DRE.......... from what I have read DREs like the Diebold TSX create undervote rates much higher 3 ot 5% IIRC.

Was the Busby Bilbray race on the top of the ticket?

In the world of DRE vote manipulation.... It might be that..
1) Busby votes were bounced over to the Indie candidate,
2)additional votes were flipped against Busby,
3)while some votes never got counted.

It maybe that spreading the manipulation around using these 3 techniques makes it a little less obvious. On the other hand Busby did make the verbal gaffe about voting, to a group, while she was down in the polls by what.... 2% ?

Of course hand counting the paper ballots migth clear up any doubt.