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Precinct Nightmare

By Judy Hess

June 6 2006 Primary

Summary of Events at Polling Place for San Diego County
Precinct Numbers 532870 and 533120 

My name is Judith A. Hess, and I am the Democrat Party Precinct Leader for San 
Diego County Precinct number 532870.  It is my custom to be a poll watcher at the 
polling place for this precinct, namely the Auditorium of Olympic View Elementary 
School.

In the June 6, 2006 Primary, at the Auditorium, a second polling place had been 
added at the far end of the auditorium.  It was the sole polling place for Precinct 
Number 533120.

I arrived at the auditorium in time to perform the specific duties of poll watcher 
required prior to the polls opening, and my polling place opened in a timely 
manner and appropriately.  We had a crew of poll workers with a supervising 
person who had served there in the November election.

  Poll workers were also present for Precinct Number 533120, but their equipment 
and supplies had not arrived.  Two items were there—the disabled voting equipment. 

  However, the voting stalls, the optical scanner, the ballots, and all other supplies 
needed by the pollworkers had not arrived.  This was a new team of poll workers who 
seemed completely willing, but somewhat unsure of themselves in their roles.  

  I inquired of them what they had done, and was informed they had called the 
Registrar of Voters to report the absence of the necessities to do their jobs.  They 
were told that the person who was to deliver these supplies was a substitute, and 
she was lost and looking for the school.

  Part of the instructions for a poll watcher included bringing a video or still camera 
to document irregularities, and I had brought my digital camera with me.  I 
immediately began to photograph the clock in the auditorium and the poll 
workers and equipment of my precinct along with our voters, and the bereft 
poll workers of the companion precinct-- to illustrate the contrast at different 
intervals.

As the morning unfolded, developments took on a more ominous “feel”. 

First, the poll workers learned that the substitute did not have a working 
cell phone with her.  She had to operate through the Registrar of Voters by 
calling them or her mother (another poll worker elsewhere) to coordinate.

Next, it was arranged that she was to meet 2 poll workers from the precinct 
in the parking lot of Lowe’s store, perhaps a mile from the polling place.  
Two poll workers went to meet her, but came back later without the 
equipment.  The substitute had not shown up at Lowe’s.

Some time later, a new rendezvous point was set up, this time at the parking 
lot of the International House of Pancakes Restaurant.  Again, she was a 
no-show.

The third attempt was at the parking lot of a 7/11 Store across the street 
from a large Community College Campus.  Again, there was no sign of this 
person and the equipment.

At intervals, workers from the Registrar of Voters would arrive at the polling 
place, speak with the poll workers, and leave.  I asked, at about 
mid- morning, why the ROV did not bring substitute equipment, and new 
prints of the needed voter lists.  The poll worker told me she had been told 
the ROV had no equipment to spare. 

By the time 11 o’clock came, I heard a rumor from a pollworker that the 
ROV might be having the police put out a BOLO (be on the lookout) for 
the substitute and her vehicle.

I should also mention I had called the Democratic Party Emergency 
phone number at intervals and alerted them to the situation.  They 
advised they were in touch with the ROV as well.

Finally, at 11:17am, the equipment arrived.  I was so relieved that I did not 
ask for details.  But I did photograph and document the arrival of these 
“lost” machines!  I also observed that the count on the optical scanner 
was “0”, as I had done for my own precinct.  However, as we know, 
these are so capable of hidden hacking, we don’t know whether to trust 
what they say or not.

The polling place for San Diego County Precinct Number 533120 opened 
at a few minutes after noon.

In summary, this was a set of machines that had not only a sleepover, but 
also quite a morning’s adventure—of unknown nature—to the great 
disservice of the San Diego County voters.

I believe the precinct in question was predominantly Republican.  That does 
not matter to me.  Their right to vote must not be compromised—nor must 
anyone’s.

Finally, and very fortunately, our precinct was able to accommodate the 3 
voters who came to the polls that morning from that precinct—a surprise 
number in itself.   Poll workers from “my” precinct had them cast provisional 
ballots, and those were housed in our provisional and absentee ballot box – 
since that was just one more piece of equipment missing from the polling 
place.