Poll Guard Flap Lingers

Nov. 8 will be the first anniversary of an Orange County election that drew an embarrassing amount of national attention. It was, unfortunately, an Election Day whose reverberations still linger.

When the polls opened that day, reports circulated of uniformed guards posted at 20 Santa Ana precincts in the 72nd Assembly District, scene of one of the hottest battles in the state. The guards had been hired by the Orange County Republican Party at the urging of a political consultant to Curt Pringle (R-Garden Grove), who narrowly defeated Democrat Christian F. (Rick) Thierbach that day.

Reaction was swift. Democrats and Latinos accused the GOP, Pringle and others of attempting to illegally intimidate voters, especially recently naturalized citizens sensitive to insults or fearful of authorities. The guards were removed within hours.

Criminal investigations of the incident still are under way by the U.S. attorney, FBI and Orange County district attorney. A civil lawsuit filed on behalf of six Latinos is set for trial starting Jan. 16. This week one of its defendants, county Registrar of Voters Donald F. Tanney, settled his part by agreeing to pay $20,000 and to better train poll workers to be sensitive to racial and ethnic issues. The firm that provided the guards also settled for $60,000.

Pringle and the county GOP defended their actions by saying that they had heard rumors that Democrats would try to bus illegal voters to the precinct to tip the election. That does not justify their actions. We are waiting, patiently, for justice to be done.