Voters deserve a timely count
The countywide election results appearing on the front page of
this edition likely spell out the decisions you made 10 days ago.
The county elections office published them Wednesday.
While it’s almost certain none of the issues and races on the
Nov. 4 ballot will change as the last few votes are counted, the
protracted vote-counting process sends a powerful message: your
vote isn’t very important.
Voters deserve a timely count
The countywide election results appearing on the front page of this edition likely spell out the decisions you made 10 days ago. The county elections office published them Wednesday.
While it’s almost certain none of the issues and races on the Nov. 4 ballot will change as the last few votes are counted, the protracted vote-counting process sends a powerful message: your vote isn’t very important.
That’s a dangerous message. After years of flagging interest and lackluster turnout at the polls, 78 percent of San Benito County’s voters turned out on Nov. 4, in person or by absentee ballot. And it’s no mystery why. There were no local races or issues that appeared to galvanize the electorate. Instead, given that Democratic Sen. Barack Obama bested Republican Sen. John McCain by nearly 23 percentage points locally, the election appears to have been a referendum on what voters believe to be the failed administration of President George Bush.
Weeks before the polls opened, county elections chief Joe Paul Gonzalez was predicting heavy voter turnout.
But come Nov. 5, among the litany of excuses offered for the protracted local vote count was that turnout was heavy. Furthermore, courtrooms were in use, so the rooms were not available for vote count, never mind that other secure spaces were manifestly available. Then there was the count itself. The county owns only one machine capable of scanning ballots.
That smacks a lot of Mayberry RFD, a vintage television series in which Sheriff Andy Taylor and Dep. Barney Fife had to keep track of their shared bullet.
The fault is not that of the elections department staff. Workers were on the job at 7 a.m. on elections day, and worked through the night. They haven’t stopped, posting updated results almost daily.
The problem, instead, appears to be rooted in a lack of leadership and, perhaps, misplaced priorities.
County Clerk Gonzalez has every right to enjoy homecoming festivities at his alma mater. But when San Benito High sent its annual parade down San Benito Street last Friday, Gonzalez might have thought twice before volunteering to steer a classic convertible down Hollister’s main drag during the parade.
San Benito, one of California’s least populous counties, should not lag behind Los Angeles County when it comes time to tally votes. If anything, a timely vote count is more important here than in more urban counties.
Recent history has shown that the outcome of elections can teeter between a few votes. County supervisor seats, community college trustee seats and city council positions have gone waiting while vote counts dragged on. This is a place where every vote often does count.
That’s all the more reason to count the votes quickly.
