Everyone’s talking about it. The Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters is a mess. Now the Board of Supervisors has ordered an investigation into the “processes, procedures, and technologies used by the Registrar of Voters that may have impeded the timely delivery of a secure and accurate vote tally.” County Executive Jeff Smith has until January to get back to the Board with his results.
Here’s what we’re told he’ll find…or should find: a systemic culture of non-accountability that for years no one bothered to overhaul properly. The Citizens Advisory Commission on Elections is supposed to oversee the Registrar of Voters. Commissioner Sharon Sweeney recently made a public call for an investigation into the painfully slow vote counting process in the recent general election. A letter to the County Board of Supes lays out her fears:
Blaming the problems that occurred on Election Night on outdated systems, vendors, 3-page ballots, lack of polling place scanning and counting machines and other excuses could be leading the Board of Supervisors in the wrong investigative direction. The Board should pinpoint the real issues so that they can be resolved, such as why Joe Le, a long-time employee, resigned on the day of the election.
Sweeny also called attention to what she sees as failures at the “point of entry” for candidates and issues at the ROV, the Candidate and Public Services Division. Sweeney points to that department as the potential source of a $250,000 mistake in the ballot argument for the Library tax, Measure B. She called for a “stand-alone Training and Staff Development structured program” that would ensure a higher level of training and staff development to deal with complex rules and regulations.
Sweeny made these comments, as she says in the letter, “not on behalf of the (Elections Commission,)” but as an individual. But considering the individual has four years of experience watching the hot mess that has been the ROV and feeling powerless to do anything about it, she comes with a fair degree of credibility.
The Board has heard not only Sweeney’s complaints, but many others, loud and clear and they have given the mandate to Jeff Smith to really find out what’s at the bottom of ROV’s abysmal performance. It’s going to take a lot longer than a month and a half.
Do you have a news tip you would like to share? Would you like to contribute to The Left Hook? Email us at LeftHookBlog@gmail.com
No Comments