Polling Place Reform Suggested

SANTA ANA — Voters would have an easier time casting ballots if the county put polling places in public buildings instead of private homes, improved its training of election workers and provided better directions to polling locations, the Orange County Grand Jury said in a report released Friday.

The findings, which are now being considered by the registrar of voters, came after jurors visited polling places across the county during the March and November 1996 general elections.

Their goal was not to examine the well-publicized allegations of voter fraud but to look at ways to make the process less confusing and more efficient for the public.

The grand jury concluded that poll operations conformed with county and state rules and that workers “performed their tasks in an efficient and conscientious fashion.”

But the jury said some polling places proved difficult to find, provided limited parking and lacked adequate lighting. Jurors encountered discourteous poll workers at a few locations, while at other voting areas there were not enough workers.

Juror Henry Legere said polling places in private residences were the most problematic because they were not easily identifiable and lacked space. By contrast, voting locations in fire stations, schools, community centers and other public buildings tended to work out better, he said.

As a result, the grand jury recommended that the county try to place more polling booths in public buildings and fewer in private dwellings.

“If we were to do that, many of the problems we identified would disappear,” Legere said.

Registrar Rosalyn Lever said her office uses private dwellings because there aren’t enough public buildings available to handle the election day crowds. The county pays about $30 for the use of each home.

“We use as many public places as we find available. That’s always our first effort because people know where they are,” she said. “But sometimes we can’t get in.”

All private dwellings used in elections are inspected by county officials to make sure they provide easy access and enough room and lighting, Lever added.

Even before the grand jury report, the registrar’s office was working to make polling places easier to find by creating larger signs and flags with a ballot-box logo on them, she said.

In their report, jurors said all poll workers should also receive training that emphasizes “courtesy and efficiency.”

Lever said her office will stress the importance of being courteous in future training sessions. But she said she hasn’t received complaints about such problems at polling stations.

The grand jury began its examination of voting procedures before the contested November congressional election between Robert K. Dornan and Loretta Sanchez.

Grand jury officials said they were prohibited by law from discussing criminal matters and cannot reveal whether the Dornan-Sanchez race will be the subject of a future report.

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The Verdict

Here are some recommendations from the Orange County Grand Jury to improve the voting process:

* Locate polling stations in more public buildings and fewer private dwellings

* Use larger signs and flags to help direct voters to polling locations

* Research possibility of electronic voting system that could be accessed via computer

* Train poll workers to be more courteous

* Recruit high school seniors to help staff polling stations

Source: Orange County Grand Jury; Researched by SHELBY GRAD/Los Angeles Times