> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# County worker delays election
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/county-worker-delays-election/
- Published: 2006-11-08T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T22:03:57.000Z
- Author: Melody Hanatani
- Tags: Government & Politics, Santa Monica, #archive-import

VIRGINIA AVENUE PARK — About 50 ballots cast on Tuesday might not be counted for a month after the election because of delays caused by a county worker who arrived late to the polling place.

A number of early-bird voters left angry and frustrated with having to cast provisional votes. Others opted not to vote at all.

Registered voters that arrived between 7 a.m., when polls opened, and 8:30 a.m., were forced to cast provisional ballots because poll workers did not have a list containing the names of all registered voters from the three precincts serviced by Virginia Avenue Park. The list was instead in the possession of a Los Angeles County Clerk election inspector who arrived one and a half hours after polls opened.

Provisional ballots are normally used by registered voters whose names do not appear on the list. The ballots are placed in an official county pink envelope and are verified after election day. The county has up to 28 days to verify the voter is registered and confirm the vote.

It is unclear why the election inspector arrived late, said Kathy Salama, spokeswoman for LA County Registrar- Recorder/County Clerk Office.

Six years after the presidential election fiasco of the butterfly ballots and hanging chads that left many doubting the election process, some would-be early voters left Virginia Avenue Park on Tuesday without having cast their provisional votes.

“They were upset because they were concerned about their votes being counted,” said Poll Worker Norman Franz. “Some people didn’t want to vote there because of that.”

Joe Deering arrived at Virginia Avenue Park around 7:30 a.m.and saw a handful of angry residents leave without voting.

“They felt they should vote the regular election way and shouldn’t have to vote provisionally,” said Deering, who decided to vote provisionally.

Those who did cast provisional ballots before the inspector arrived were allowed to return later in the day to cast normal votes, which would nullify their provisional votes, Salama said. They also had the option of driving to the County Clerk’s Office in Norwalk, about 30 miles southeast of Santa Monica, to cast votes via touch screen machines.

Provisional ballots are frequently used by voters who are registered in a new area and whose names do not appear on the list. If a voter accidentally cast a ballot in the wrong precinct, their votes cast in precinct-specific issues and candidates are discounted.

Thousands of provisional ballots are cast every election in Los Angeles County. Close to 39,000 provisional ballots were cast during the June primary.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 8, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/110806.pdf?ref=smdp.com)