Voters upset by Oak Park election problems

With thousands of absentee and provisional ballots still being counted by Ventura County more than two weeks after Election Day, concern continues over the voting process in Oak Park.

Although 30 minutes remained before the Nov. 7 polls closed, one precinct reportedly ran out of ballots as about 50 voters stood waiting in line. Many voters became discouraged and decided to leave the fire station on Deerhill Road, according to several residents present.

"One guy behind me said it was important to him to vote but he just didn't have time to wait," said Allen Rosen, who arrived at the precinct shortly after 7 p.m. and waited 15 minutes before being told that there were no ballots.

Voters were directed to use an electronic handicapped voting machine, which takes one person between five and 10 minutes to use, according to Edward Stein, one of four poll workers at the station. Voters could also fill out sample ballots received by mail prior to the election; they could write their choices on a plain sheet of paper and seal it in a pink provisional envelope available at the precinct; or they could go to Red Oak Elementary School and fill out provisional ballots there, according to Gene Browning, Ventura County assistant registrar of voters.

"I don't know if that happened because we haven't gotten to the counting of the sample ballots yet," Browning said. The county has until Dec. 5 to file election results with the state.

Rosen and a friend went to Red Oak where there was no line, but some, like Sandy Kaplan, gave up after going twice to the station.

"I saw the line was huge so I went home because I had to get something done for work and my son had homework," Kaplan said.

Her husband, Howard, stayed in line for 40 minutes until he finally got the opportunity to vote.

Stein, an elections volunteer for six years, has never seen a precinct run out of ballots and feels the county should have been better prepared. Poll workers notified the county as soon as they realized ballots were low, but were told there wasn't enough time to deliver additional ballots. The precinct remained open until 8:45 p.m. to allow those in line prior to the 8 p.m. voting deadline to use the handicapped machine.

"I think they just miscalculated how many people were going to actually turn out," Stein said. "If we were going to have a dinner party we would have more food than needed."

Poll workers told Rosen the precinct received 750 ballots from the county, but had 1,950 potential voters on their list.

The inability to vote was a concern for Tony Knight, the Oak Park school superintendent. Knight said the school bond measure that failed seemed to have the most support from the Chambord and Regency neighborhoods, which voted at the fire station. Although the bond earned more yes votes than no votes it failed to generate the necessary two-thirds needed to pass.

"Probably those 50 votes wouldn't have made a difference, but it may discourage them next time," Knight said. "That kind of thing shouldn't happen. We're supposed to encourage people to vote."

Rosen raises a larger issue.

"If this is a countywide problem affecting 100 votes here and there, that could make a difference in the outcome of many races and measures," Rosen said.