A behind-the-scenes look at Orange County’s political life

Hard to believe, but Monday, you can vote in the November election. Absentee ballots will begin to be distributed by the registrar of voters office.

If you’ve already applied for an absentee ballot, it will be mailed Monday, said Suzanne Slupsky, election section supervisor for the registrar. Walk-up absentee voters may apply and vote in person at the registrar’s office at 1300 S. Grand Ave., Santa Ana.

Monday is also the final date to register to vote in the November election. As of late last week, nearly 1.25 million people had registered in the county.

For procrastinators who wish to beat the registration deadline, various city halls will remain open late on Monday to accept applications for the registrar. The city halls in Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Irvine, La Palma and Mission Viejo will be open until 8 p.m. Those in Buena Park, Laguna Niguel and Seal Beach will stay open until 7 p.m. And those in Fullerton, Los Alamitos and Stanton will stay open until 6 p.m.

To vote, you must be 18 years old by election day, a U.S. citizen, a resident of California and not on parole or imprisoned for a felony. Further information is available from the registrar at (714) 567-7600.

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Patterson Redux: Quietly entering the political ring after a 10-year absence is former Rep. Jerry Patterson of Fountain Valley, who is now a candidate for trustee of the Coast Community College District.

Patterson, 61, a former mayor of Santa Ana and the husband of former Huntington Beach Mayor Linda Moulton-Patterson, was the last Democrat to serve in Congress from Orange County. Patterson served a decade in Congress before he was ousted in 1984 by then-county newcomer, Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove).

Patterson then finished third in a 1986 primary for county supervisor behind the eventual winner, Don R. Roth, and Jim Beam.

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Help for Sanchez: Emily’s List, the political action committee that supports “viable” female Democrats who are pro-choice on abortion, has decided to back Loretta Sanchez in her race against Dornan, a spokeswoman said last week.

It is not a big surprise, since the committee backed her in the primary with a similar $5,000 donation, the maximum allowed by law in a federal election cycle. However, Emily’s List is known for its ruthlessness in cutting off candidates if they appear to be faltering.

“Sanchez has exactly the profile of what it needs to beat Bob Dornan,” said Sam Smoot, western regional coordinator of Emily’s List. “It is going to be a close race.”

One thing that organizers of the list have yet to do for Sanchez is to send her name out to members on the PAC’s recommended list.

“We mail to our membership profiles of candidates and our members then write checks to the candidate of their choice,” she said. “That is called recommending a candidate.”

So far in California, only the candidacies of Michela Alioto and Ellen Tauscher, both in Northern California, have made the recommended list.

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GOP list: The Orange County Republican Party is mounting a large get-out-the-vote campaign. Using at least $300,000 donated by the Lincoln Club, the state GOP and other donors, officials are opening and staffing offices around the county, said GOP County Chairman Thomas A. Fuentes.

The county Republican Party headquarters is at 245 Fischer Ave., Costa Mesa, (714) 556-8555.

Other offices around the county are:

* Fullerton office, 305 N. Harbor Blvd., (714) 449-9120

* Newport Beach office, 4600 Campus Drive, (714) 250-1996

* Yorba Linda office, 17532 Yorba Linda Blvd., (714) 993-7240

* Orange office, 1714 N. Tustin Ave., (714) 998-0815

* South County office, 28570 Marguerite Parkway, (714) 365-9160

* Huntington Beach office, 16474 Beach Blvd., (714) 843-0502

UPCOMING EVENTS

* Friday: Every Friday until the election, a different proposition will be analyzed by guest speakers at a dinner discussion from 7 to 9 p.m. at the West Orange County Democratic Club, 20800 Beach Blvd., Huntington Beach. Call (714) 374-0213 for details.

Compiled by Times political writer Peter M. Warren with contribution from Times staff writer Len Hall

Politics ’96 appears every Sunday. Items can be mailed to Politics ‘96, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626, or faxed to (714) 966-7711.

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Orange County Party Registration

Republican: 52%

Democrat: 32%

Decline to state: 11%

American Independent: 2%

Libertarian: 1%

Reform: 1%

All others:* 1%

* Includes Peace & Freedom, Natural Law and Green parties

Source: Orange County registrar of voters