County Will Pay Bonus to Staff for Working at Polls

In an effort to shed the county’s reputation for election day problems, county supervisors approved a plan Tuesday to pay as many as 1,700 county employees to serve as poll workers.

The volunteer program--which would let employees draw their normal salary as well as a $50 stipend--is an effort to pump up a growing shortage of precinct workers, Registrar of Voters Rosalyn Lever said. She said she is hopeful that bilingual employees, particularly those who speak Spanish and Vietnamese, will volunteer to work polls in ethnic neighborhoods.

At least 500 county workers are expected to volunteer by the March primary. It is hoped that as many as 1,700 employees will sign up by the November general election, Lever said. The county employs 17,000 people.

The program, which will cost $119,000, is the latest in a series of changes that have swept through Lever’s department. In September, the county agreed to a $1.1-million budget boost to hire 13 additional employees and bolster an elections department criticized for problems during the 2000 general election.

The county came under fire for problems Nov. 7 that included 40,000 sample ballots being shipped late to Spanish- and Vietnamese-speaking voters, the misidentification of a Libertarian candidate as a Republican on the ballot and a precinct that opened without any ballots. In addition, Spanish-speaking voters complained they were treated poorly or given misleading information in Santa Ana.

Those problems occurred, in part, because of last-minute poll-worker cancellations, Lever said. Lever usually has 7,000 volunteers working at the county’s 1,716 precincts. But the department typically receives about 1,000 cancellations within 30 days of an election and another 300 volunteers cancel less than 24 hours before the polls open.

“This makes it difficult to fully staff all polling places with trained poll workers by 7 a.m. when the polls open,” Lever said.

Supervisor Todd Spitzer, who has monitored reforms in Lever’s department such as technology upgrades, community outreach and training for poll workers, said the next step is to appoint an advisory group to help oversee the department.

“I want that in place before the next election in March so they can check on things prior to the election and after,” Spitzer said. “I believe it’s very important that the county ensures all citizens their right to vote.”

Latino activist Amin David praised the new program as a step in the right direction.

He also said he and other activists will encourage the Latino community to take advantage of the county’s new programs and exercise their right to vote in the coming elections.

Under the new program, each county department will be expected to allow at least 5% of staff to volunteer as poll workers in the March primary election and 10% for the November general election.

Employees will receive their county pay and the $50 stipend, the amount normally paid to precinct workers.

Millard Thornton, Orange County Employee’s Assn. president, said he is excited about the program.

“It’s going to be a very satisfying day for the volunteers,” Thornton said in a prepared statement.