The Ojai Post

I hope with all my heart and soul that the family in the first video is our First Family when we fall asleep tonight... or wake up in the morning...

Obviously this is like my super bowl, so I'm a little over excited.

I helped open the polls at the Chaparral Auditorium this morning at 6 am. I worked the first shift from 7 - 10 am and there were very few problems. There is a huge turnout happening! I've worked the polls since 1998 and I've never seen a turnout like this. While I was there a little over 200 ballots were cast with a spoil rate of about 2.6%. A ballot is "spoiled" if someone makes a mistake. They have to get a whole new ballot and start over. There was a much higher provisional voter rate then I've ever seen, about 6.25%. People are asked to vote provisionally if they are not on the rolls, or if they don't know where they are registered to vote. Ordinarily the provisional votes are not counted unless there is a very close race that could be swayed by very few votes. Then each provisional vote has to be traced to the registration and back to the voter to make sure it is legit. I would urge people to try their best to discover where their precinct is before casting a provisional vote. The poll workers have phone numbers to call to determine where they are supposed to go if they are truly registered to vote. Remember, it is your responsibility to vote and your responsibility to know where you are supposed to vote.

There were also a number of absentee ballots brought in and "cast" at our polling place. If you vote absentee and you have not mailed your ballot in for whatever reason, please bring it by ANY polling place and drop it off, but make sure it is signed first so it will count.

Like I said, the turnout is higher then I've ever seen. We had more then one voter per minute for the morning shift. That's above and beyond the spoil rate and the provisional ballots. But if you haven't voted, don't let the fact that there is a huge turnout lull you into a false sense of security. Get Out and The Vote! Go vote and make sure you are getting your ballot in correctly. It's up to us, all of us.

What an amazing day. I have never been so excited to vote.

Just voted at the church on Foothill, and the workers said they have never seen such a turnout this early in the day! An elderly non-English-speaking gentleman in line in front of me came with his reg. card and DMV ID card with a different address worrying that he would not be able to vote! Only ONE pollworker spoke Spanish (!!), and she graciously assisted him with a provisional ballot. As I voted, I held back tears of joy and prayers, and I made sure the gentlemen was being helped -- THANK YOU POLLWORKERS! I have voted in EVERY election wherever I have lived since I was 18, and I've never been so excited, nervous, etc... I WANTED A RECEIPT SHOWING THAT MY VOTES WERE COUNTED CORRECTLY BY THE "SEQUIOA" OPTICAL READER!!! The worker told me that in a few days, you can check your tear-off receipt number online at the County Elections site -- however, I do believe that an instant verification of my vote is a necessity!

Intersting, Suza, about the coin toss/straw draw in case of tie in Ojai elections. Is that in the City Charter? Who gets to flip it? And who is there the witness? I have a genuine Silver Dollar I'd volunteer, and a collection of straws from Coffee Connection!

Yes, go get your free coffee at Star**cks, BUT BE SURE TO PAY FOR AN ORGANIC CUP AT ONE OF OUR FABULOUS LOCAL COFFEE HOUSES!

Drink, Pray, Love.....

Hi Judy,
I don't know if the election "rules" are in the City Charter. This idea of tossing a coin or drawing straws sounds like something from the 1920's.(Ojai, previously known as "Nordhoff," became a city with 500 residents in 1921).

There have been cases where small town elections were lost by one vote...no ties so far in Ojai... it does seem like a good idea to have a game-plan besides tossing a coin...

With ballot stubs in hand, my husband and I went to the Ben & Jerry's in downtown Vta, but the free scoop is only 5-8pm! An artist is outside on the sidewalk painting a stunning Obama portrait. I asked if he was going to sell it and he quietly said, "Yeah, a thousand dollars."

I'm sorry if this is inappropriate on this thread. I tried to find an open one and this was the closest I could get.

This afternoon I lost my wedding ring either while rock climbing at a climbing spot called The Foot at the top of Foothill Road just after the Pratt Trail turns into a fire road, or on the way down Foothill, across Aliso, down Signal across Matilija down N. Montgomery and east on Ojai ave toward Fox St.

It is a Claddaugh Style band with a sun and moon motif with two small diamonds as well. It is of immense sentimental value. If you find it, please post here on the ojaipost.

Thanks
spk