As polling officials at Dunne Park opened the doors this
morning, they noticed a difference in the line of people waiting
outside to vote.
As polling officials at Dunne Park opened the doors this morning, they noticed a difference in the line of people waiting outside to vote.
“It was not like other years when they’re waiting in line,” said officer Francis Del Real. “Usually there’s about 20 people. This year there was only eight.”
Polls at 37 locations throughout San Benito County close today at 8 p.m. It’s a long day for the 100-plus workers who assist in the voting process, but this year may not be as hectic as usual because the voter turnout is expected to be low.
County Clerk John Hodges said last week he expects a turnout of less than 40 percent. The March primary elections drew a pit-bottom 36.1 percent of county voters.
“We’ve never had them that low before,” Hodges said earlier.
Many officials attribute voter apathy to the non-presidential election year. Regardless, polling officers Robert Gibson, Daryl Sargeant and Del Real were ready to answer questions and hand out ballots this morning.
All three said the public has expressed widespread negativity about candidates, which also hurts turnout.
Del Real wasn’t discouraged by the sparseness of early voters and said crowds usually pick up around 10 a.m. Much of the day is fairly laid back, she said, with the number of voters picking up around 3:30 p.m. and again before 8 p.m. when many commuters vote on their way home.
Although most officials throughout the state expect low voter turnout – as low as 39 percent, according to some reports – workers with the San Benito County Clerk’s office did not want to make predictions too early today.
“No one can ever tell until it’s done,” said Lillian Pereira, assistant county clerk/recorder.
Local races in this election include a county Board of Supervisors seat, two Hollister City Council seats and three on the San Juan Bautista Council, the county district attorney, Hollister city treasurer and many school board seats.
Statewide races include governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general. Elections for local representatives in Sacramento include the 28th Assembly District and the 12th Senate District.
Del Real, Gibson and Sargeant greeted early-risers at Dunne Park as each walked through the doors.
“We want to make sure they know how to use the booths,” Del Real said.
Dunne Park houses eight booths, each allowing the voter complete privacy.
Del Real also speaks Spanish, which helps the 55 percent of Hollister residents with Hispanic ethnicity.
“Buenos dias,” she said to each Spanish-speaking voter as they came through the door.
The three officers said voters don’t ask many difficult questions. Much of their day consists of friendly conversation with voters and each other.
Hollister resident Ronald Sherman walked in smiling at 7:45 a.m. and questioned his own consciousness that early.
“Why am I voting?” he asked out loud. “Because my wife made me.”
In San Benito County, 26, 896 people are registered to vote; in Hollister there are 16,806. While a total of voters is yet to be determined, Sargeant gave departing voters something to be proud of – a sticker reading “I Voted.”
“We want to first let people know loud and proud that you were a voter,” Sargeant said to a voter.
