Voters to make terminal decisions

Alicia Robinson

For the first time in Orange County, and possibly the nation, busy

travelers looking for a time-saver can vote before they fly.

Early voting for the Nov. 2 election began Tuesday at John Wayne

Airport and 26 other locations in the county. Officials held a press

conference next to the airport’s statue of John Wayne to kick off

what they believe is the first opportunity in the country to vote

early at an airport.

“We want to give every opportunity for people to vote prior to

election day if they are unable to vote on that day,” Orange County

Supervisor Chris Norby said.

Nearly 5,000 people took advantage of 16 early-voting stations

before the March primary, according to the Orange County Registrar of

Voters office. Registrar Steve Rodermund chose the airport for early

voting because he wanted a site with more foot traffic than malls,

city halls and other sites used last election, spokesman Neal Kelley

said.

More than 19,000 people use the airport each day, and at least 65%

are Orange County residents, Kelley said. The airport has four

electronic voting machines in the north terminal and four in the

south terminal, and both stations are staffed by trained poll

workers.

The machines are in the secure area that can only be reached by

ticketed passengers.

Problems with voting machines in the March election included

voters getting the wrong ballots and casting ballots before they were

ready, but those problems have been addressed by making sure poll

workers are consistently trained, Kelley said.

Some travelers passing through John Wayne Airport Tuesday said

voting at the airport sounds convenient to them.

“Yeah, I think it’d be a wonderful idea since people spend a lot

of time standing around at the airport,” said Jim Ahlers of Sioux

Falls, S.D., who was waiting for his luggage.

One worker at the airport wanted to know how to register because

he had never voted before. Voting at the airport will be a good idea

for busy people, said Eladin Flores, a shift manager for the

airport’s Avis car-rental office.

“If this is here, I’ll take a quick break and go do it,” he said.

Only voters registered in Orange County can use the machines, but

they can use them at any of the county’s 27 early-voting sites.

Newport-Mesa voters who don’t plan to pass through John Wayne

Airport in the next month can cast ballots early at Costa Mesa City

Hall or the Harbor Boulevard Albertsons, but they won’t be voting at

Newport Beach City Hall.

Few people used the voting machines in Newport Beach for the March

election, and the city clerk’s office is busy with everything the

city has on its ballot this fall, Newport Beach City Clerk LaVonne

Harkless said.

“I know that the last time, with just the minimal turnout we had,

sometimes it was difficult for us with just a limited amount of

staff,” she said.

While early voting was new in March, and some people didn’t know

about it, Costa Mesa City Clerk Julie Folcik said she expects a good

turnout in the next two weeks.

* ALICIA ROBINSON covers business, politics and the environment.

She may be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail at

[email protected].