No Poll Job for Critic of Registrar

A persistent critic of Orange County election officials and their preparations for using electronic voting machines will not be allowed to serve as a poll worker in the November election.

Darrell Nolta has repeatedly criticized Orange County Registrar of Voters Steve Rodermund since the March elections, in which poll workers struggled with the electronic voting system and gave thousands of voters the wrong ballots. Nolta has urged county supervisors to make it clear to voters that they may vote using either paper ballots or electronic machine. Secretary of State Kevin Shelley has instructed all counties using electronic voting machines in the November election to make paper ballots available.

Nolta, who had planned to work at a polling station in Westminster, attended a training session Friday. He said he grew concerned and began asking questions when the trainer instructed workers to keep the paper ballots off of the registration tables and to provide one only after a voter requests it.

“But how are [voters] supposed to know they have the option unless they’re told?” he said in an interview.

Nolta said Rodermund called him Saturday to inform him that he would not be allowed to work at the polls.

“He was being argumentative and disruptive,” said Brett Rowley, a spokesman for the registrar. The paper ballots are being kept off the tables to ensure their security, he said.