Riverside County: Grand jury finds problems at polling places

Report derails broken ballot box seals, polling places with the wrong address and inexperienced poll workers

With about a month to go until California’s primary election, a new Riverside County grand jury report details problems observed at polling places during a 2015 election.

A broken ballot box seal, incorrect polling place addresses and poorly trained poll workers were among the problems identified in a report issued by the grand jury this week. The jury consists of 19 citizens empaneled by a judge every year to investigate public agencies’ inner workings and suggest improvements.

County Registrar of Voters Rebecca Spencer said her office has received the report and is preparing a response that will be delivered within 90 days. The next election will be the statewide presidential primary June 7.

According to the report, jurors were invited by the registrar to observe polling places for the Nov. 3, 2015 election. Local offices, including city council members for Perris and Norco and seats on the Riverside Unified School District board, were on the ballot.

Voting materials listed inaccurate locations for three polling locations in Perris – City Hall, The Hunt Club Apartments and Lake Perris Fairgrounds, the jury found.

The fairgrounds, which cover 11 acres, had no address at the entrance or on any building, the grand jury’s report read. In the past, voters have cast ballots at Harrison Hall on the fairgrounds, but that building was closed with no notice posted for where to vote, the report added.

Tower lights at the fairgrounds were not turned on, leading to a lack of adequate lighting and “an unsafe environment for both voters and poll workers,” the report read.

The grand jury also found fault with poll workers, saying they were inexperienced and training was inconsistent. The report also said that precinct captains were not trained to document issues accurately on the election officer’s comment sheet.

At two polling locations, a blue ballot box had one of two red seals broken and was unlocked, the jury found.

“At another location, (jurors) observed a poll work get a new red plastic seal and replace the broken one,” the report read. “This issue was not reported to (elections) officials nor was it documented on the Election Officer’s Comment Sheet.”

Precincts observed by jurors did not have equipment ready to go to provide audio guidance for voters who have poor reading skills or are visually impaired, the jury found.

“At one polling location, the audio control box and head phone were still in the storage location; there was no signage display available for the visually impaired,” the report read.

To fix the problems, the jury recommends making sure the addresses for polling locations are accurately listed in materials sent to voters.

“The (registrar’s) survey team is to coordinate and meet with representative(s) of polling locations to confirm all aspects of how the site will be utilized,” the report read. “Polling locations are not to be used unless adequate lighting, signage, and accessibility can be provided.”

Precincts should have poll workers with a mix of experience levels, and broken ballot box seals should be immediately reported, the jury recommended. And the jury concluded that the registrar should take steps to ensure that equipment for voters with vision or literacy problems is properly in place.

May 3, 2016

The Press Enterprise

By Jeff Horseman