High Desert Races Attract Abundance of Candidates, but Little Attention : Election: Some say the large field--82 seeking eight school board seats and three water board vacancies--is too bewildering to voters.

There are a few signs at heavily traveled intersections and an occasional billboard. Flyers can be found here and there. A couple of candidates have conducted telephone polls of voters.

By the look of things, it’s hard to tell there’s little more than a week left until the local election to fill eight school board seats and three water board vacancies.

Only a handful of candidate forums have been held. In several races, there have been none. Even the hometown media seems to be devoting less space to this election.

Some say the plethora of candidates--82 in all--on the Nov. 2 ballot is just too bewildering. Others contend the controversial Proposition 174, the school voucher initiative, is overshadowing local races.

Marcia Ventura, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County registrar-recorder’s office, said 10% to 20% of registered voters typically cast ballots in local elections. Officials hope the state propositions, such as the voucher initiative, will increase voter participation, Ventura said.

“I’ve got kids in private school. I want to keep them there,” voter Alan Olsen of Palmdale said, adding that his only interest in the election is Proposition 174.

Allan Kurki, superintendent-president of the Antelope Valley Community College District, said that even candidates seem apathetic in this election, despite the large number of names on the ballot.

“I’ve never seen this little activity in all the races in the eight years (I have) been here,” he said.

Kurki said he has been approached by only one of the five non-incumbent candidates. In prior elections, he said, most of the college board candidates contacted him for information.

“It doesn’t seem to me like any of them are taking this very seriously,” Kurki said.

Five are challenging three incumbents for seats on the board.

Incumbent James Valentine DuPratt Jr., who has served two four-year terms on the board, said he is unsure why this election seems to have generated little interest among voters.

“A couple of other candidates that I’ve run into have indicated there just aren’t any issues,” he said, adding that voters might be overwhelmed by the large candidate pool for the 11 races.

The large number of candidates has been detrimental, said Tony Welch, a first-time candidate for a seat on the Antelope Valley Union High School District. Welch also is commander of the Antelope Valley Sheriff’s Station.

Some groups have not held forums in the high school board race because there are so many candidates--14 for two seats, Welch said. Only one forum for candidates in the race has been held and no others are planned.

“What I was told is there was a lot of interest last time because of the (district’s) budget problems,” Welch said. “It appears not to be the concern this time.”

Wendy Sue Kalbacher, another first-time candidate for the high school board, said she is frustrated with the lack of interest in the election.

“The apathy in the area is disgusting,” she said, noting that only about 25 people attended the one forum held for high school district candidates. “It seems like nobody gives a damn.”

Voters, Kalbacher said, seem to be “burned out. Like it’s one more election (and) nothing’s going to make a difference.”

Members of the local media cite a lack of interest by voters in Antelope Valley issues, in addition to the large field of candidates, as reasons they have not paid more attention to the election.

“The school voucher issue is the issue,” said Andy Vierra, program director for talk radio station KHJJ in Lancaster.

In past elections, Vierra said, KHJJ has conducted on-air interviews with candidates in the major local races, such as the high school and college boards, as well as with those running for seats in the Lancaster and Palmdale school districts. This year, the need just wasn’t there, he said.

“As we try to feel the pulse of folks, we just felt people were not interested in the races,” said Vierra, who also hosts a morning news show.

Besides, he said, candidates have not tried to get air time. “No candidates have called,” Vierra said. “Normally, we’ve got folks that are ringing the phone to get on . . . the air.”

Wendy Randall, a reporter for Channel 3, the Antelope Valley cable television station, said the station is covering a few candidate forums and has devoted broadcast time to the voucher initiative.

In prior years, Randall said, the station has done one-on-one interviews with candidates, but is not doing so this year because of the huge number of office-seekers.

The print media is also doing less this year. The region’s community newspaper, the Antelope Valley Press, traditionally has written individual profiles on all candidates. But with more than 80 candidates this year, the paper is just printing an overall story on each race.

Despite the large number of candidates, Melinda White, who is seeking reelection to the Lancaster School District board, said those who are running are enthusiastic.

“There’s been a lot of literature that’s been distributed,” she said. “I think the community is very interested.”

On the east side of the Antelope Valley, Keppel school board incumbent Valorie Gorny said candidates for that school board have appeared at several forums. Even so, there has not been a lot of interest in this election, she said.

Voters are apathetic in the valleywide races--the college and high school district boards--because candidates have failed to get their messages across, she said.

“This is important,” she said. “It affects our local community. It’s one of the last points of local control.”

Donald Ranish, a Lancaster school board candidate, agreed that the propositions are taking priority over the local races and that the large number of candidates is confusing voters. It has been difficult, he said, for candidates to set themselves apart from one another.

But there is still time left before the election.

“In the next (seven) days,” Ranish said. “I’m going to be very aggressive in getting out there.”