Candidate’s Home Is X’d Off as Polling Place in Yorba Linda

Amador Gonzalez Jr. had already dusted, swept out and reorganized most of his garage when he found out Thursday that it could not be used as a polling place this year.

The county Registrar of Voters called him to arrange to pick up the cardboard polling booths already delivered to his house. The reason he’s out after a longtime tradition is this year he’s a candidate for the Yorba Linda Water Board.

Gonzalez, 60, who said he has offered up his garage as polling place for about 20 years, said he assumed it would be all right to continue the tradition, as long as no campaign material was posted within 100 feet of his garage. County Registrar of Voters Rosalyn Lever said, however, that under no circumstances may a candidate’s home be used as a polling station.

“I thought it was OK,” Gonzalez said. “What am I going to do with all the Mexican pastries I bought for the voters?” he quipped. He hadn’t actually bought the pastries yet. But part of the tradition is that he and his wife, Irene, made coffee and put out Mexican sweet breads. Lever said her office caught three earlier instances this year when candidates had offered their homes as polling stations. A new polling station has been established at 5542 Club View Drive, a few blocks from Gonzalez’s home. Lever said affected voters will be mailed postcards notifying them of the change before the election. She could not say how many voters were affected but added that a typical polling place serves anywhere from 300 to 700 voters.

Gonzalez said it was possible the mix-up occurred because his wife has handled all arrangements with the polling precinct representative, so his name was not on any paperwork.

The mix-up wasn’t a total loss, Gonzalez said.

“The garage is already cleaned up,” he said.

Gonzalez, a civil engineer, is one of five candidates vying for two seats on the water board now held by incumbents Michael Beverage and Arthur C. Korn, who are seeking reelection. The other challengers are City Councilman Henry Wedaa and Scott Carroll, an engineer.