Problems at polling stations reported across L.A. County

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Labor activist Dolores Huerta, left, L.A. County Supervisor Gloria Molina and supervisor candidate Hilda Solis cheer during Solis’ election night party at the Laborers’ International Union of North America Local 300 hall in El Monte. (David McNew / For The Times)

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Long Beach mayoral candidate Robert Garcia greets supporters at the Queen Mary on election night as votes are tallied. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

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Retired undersheriff and sheriff’s candidate Paul Tanaka and supporters watch a TV report on the election results while gathered at Cherrystones Grill in Gardena. (Patrick T. Fallon / For the Times)

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Long Beach mayoral candidate Damon Dunn, left, greets supporter Thaddeus Jackson at The Grand in Long Beach as they await election returns. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

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Bobby Shriver, left, daughter Natasha Hunt Lee and wife, Malissa Shriver, greet the crowd during the L.A. County Board of Supervisors candidate’s election night party at O’Brien’s Irish Pub in Santa Monica. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

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Carolyn Bloch, left, and Carol Bloch, of West Hills support Bobby Shriver during his election night party in Santa Monica. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

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Ted Lieu with wife, Betty, arrives at the Proud Bird restaurant near LAX for his election night party. He is running for U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman’s seat in the 33rd Congressional District. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Outsider candidate Jim McDonnell, greeting a supporter at his election night party Tuesday in downtown Los Angeles, finished well ahead of the field in the race for L.A. County sheriff. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

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Gubernatorial candidate Neel Kashkari speaks to supporters at his election night party in Corona del Mar. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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Supporters of gubernatorial candidate Tim Donnelly pray during election night at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

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Gubernatorial candidate Tim Donnelly appeared with his wife, Rowena, as polls were closing at his election night party at the Roosevelt Hotel. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

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Assistant Sheriff James Hellmold, center, and his son Jacob meet Lorraine McCann after Hellmold’s son cast his vote at a polling place in unincorporated Los Angeles County near Covina, Calif. (Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times)

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Voters cast their ballots inside a garage in Los Angeles County. (Patrick T. Fallon / For the Times)

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Anjoum Agrama, left, 19, of Los Angeles, has her photo taken with Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors candidate Sheila Kuehl during her election night party in Santa Monica. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

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Gubernatorial candidate Neel Kashkari, center, holds hands with his girlfriend, Christine Ong, as he walks to cast his vote on Tuesday in Laguna Beach. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

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Lasbia Batista gives a haircut to Jose Bejarano, right, as voters fill out their ballots during election day voting at Utah’s Barber Shop. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

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Holly Stenson of Venice is a lone voter at the Los Angeles County Lifeguard station in Venice (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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Kevin Gallagher of Venice talks to a poll worker after he arrived on his skateboard at the Venice lifeguard polling station to cast his ballot. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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Tonka, 6, waits for his owners, Michael Brunt and Patrick Marston, and their friend Michael Arnone as they vote at the Venice lifeguard polling station. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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Franca Paganucci’s dog keeps her company as she votes at Saint Anne Catholic Church. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

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Democratic candidate for Congress Wendy Greuel stops to chat with a group of voters while on an election day campaign stop at the Farmers Market off Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles. Greuel is running for Henry Waxman’s seat in the 33rd congressional district. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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Democratic candidate for Congress Wendy Greuel gets her picture taken with Rev. John Cager during a campaign stop on election day at the Farmers Market off Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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California Gov. Jerry Brown leaves a polling area after casting his vote Tuesday in Oakland. At left is his wife, Anne Gust. (Ben Margot / Associated Press)

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A lifeguard enters the polling location at the Venice lifeguard station as Californians cast ballots in races for governor and numerous other public offices. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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A voter casts a ballot at Super Suds laundromat in Long Beach. (Christina House / For the Los Angeles Times)

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“I Voted” stickers wait for voters at Super Suds laundromat in Long Beach. (Christina House / For the Los Angeles Times)

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Voters cast ballots at Super Suds laundromat in Long Beach. (Christina House / For the Los Angeles Times)

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Jim McDonnell, a candidate for Los Angeles County sheriff, and his daughter Megan vote at International City Masonic Temple in Long Beach. (Christina House / For the Los Angeles Times)

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A lone voter at International City Masonic Temple in Long Beach casts his ballot. (Christina House / For the Los Angeles Times)

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Briana Knabe, center, is flanked by her children Kyla, 3, and Kaden, 5, while voting at International City Masonic Temple in Long Beach on Tuesday. (Christina House / For the Los Angeles Times)

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Malari Swierenga votes while her son, Samuel, 2, left, waits inside the Harbor Chevrolet showroom in Long Beach. (Christina House / For the Los Angeles Times)

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California gubernatorial candidate Tim Donnelly grabs election signs after casting his ballot at the Lake Arrowhead Country Club on Tuesday morning. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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California gubernatorial candidate Tim Donnelly, right, shown with his wife, Rowena, and his son, Daniel, casts his ballot at the Lake Arrowhead Country Club on Tuesday. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors candidate Bobby Shriver, sporting his “I Voted” sticker, leaves Carlthorp School in Santa Monica after casting his ballot. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

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Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors candidate Bobby Shriver talks to NBC-TV Channel 4 on Tuesday as his dog, Jack, tries to compete for attention and as Shriver’s 5-year-old daughter, Rosemary, looks on. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

By Veronica Rocha, Alicia Banks

June 3, 2014 2:45 PM PT

Voting in some areas of Los Angeles County got off to a rocky start Tuesday, with voters at several polling stations either turned away or forced to wait hours for ballot stations to be set up.

In Sherman Oaks, more than two dozen voters were turned away at a polling station in the 13300 block of Valley Vista Boulevard that remained closed as of 10 a.m. At Fire Station 99 in Malibu, residents took to social media to voice their frustrations at having to wait more than four hours for poll workers to set up the voter rolls.

At the Eastmont Community Center in East L.A., the only available voting machine went down at around 10:30 a.m., meaning poll workers had to manually insert ballots.

But with voter turnout so low -- just 30 had trickled in by 12:30 p.m. -- precinct inspector Elizabeth Mendez said poll workers had been able to manage.

“We haven’t turned anyone away,” said Mendez, who has overseen the voting site since the 1960s.

Elizabeth Knox, a spokeswoman for the county Registrar-Recorder/Clerk’s office, acknowledged that there were issues at a “handful” of polling stations, including in Sherman Oaks and Venice, but said emergency workers had been deployed to address the situations.

“It is messy, unfortunately,” Knox said. “It doesn’t feel right to the voters because everybody expects something to be up.”

Last week, the registrar’s office announced it was in urgent need of 1,000 poll workers to staff polling places throughout Los Angeles County.

Sherman Oaks was deemed as one of the polling areas in particular need of workers. Other areas in need of workers included Beverly Hills, El Segundo, Glendora, Los Angeles, Pasadena, Studio City, Valencia and all beach cities.

Knox could not immediately say if the polling issues were related to a lack of workers. She added: “They are poll workers; sometimes they don’t show up.”

Shannan Velayas, a spokeswoman for the California Secretary of State’s office, said any complaints received from voters in Sherman Oaks or other problems areas would have been referred to county officials.

Still, she added: “This should never happen.”

Times staff writers Beth Shuster and Abby Sewell contributed to this report.