The last two elections held in the city of Compton were filled with controversy. The latest involves city employees cutting down employee signs off city owned property, poll watchers copying information from voter rolls posted on poll location entrances and whether election code and/or the city, allows such actions. There were also discrepancies at many ballots handled at various school sites. City Clerk Alita Godwin has sent out a statement confirming her office fucked up which is why no election results are on the city website. Thank you to our loyal 2 Urban Girls reader who forwarded to us.
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CITY OF COMPTON, JUNE 8, 2017 – As City Clerk for the City of Compton I have charge over all city elections. [Compton City Charter Section 700(e).] On June 6, 2017, the City’s General Election Day, two of my poll workers inadvertently took each other’s precinct supplies to their respective polls. The election supplies for Precinct 45 (Bursch Elementary) were taken to Precinct 10 (Enterprise Middle School), and vice versa.
The polls opened at 7:00am and by 8:30am the error was identified and rectified and the precinct materials (roster and street index) were exchanged so that they were in their proper precincts. However, the ballot boxes (marked as precincts 10 and 45) were not exchanged, because ballots had already been deposited in them. When the red ballot boxes that contained the ballots were delivered to City Hall after the polls were closed, I did not inform the persons tabulating the votes that the precinct numbers on the red ballot box were inadvertently switched. Consequently, on election night when I announced 73 total votes had been cast in Precinct 45, that number was actually the total of votes cast in Precinct 10. Similarly, when I announced 199 total votes had been cast in Precinct 10, that number was actually the total of votes cast in Precinct 45.
As a result of this inadvertent error, the printed election voter totals did not reflect the correct numbers for precincts 10 and 45. I want to assure the candidates and voters that the correct number of ballots were counted and recorded. Although this mishap does not affect the overall voted ballot totals for precincts 10 and 45, in order for the recorded documentation to reflect the correct number of votes and provide complete transparency over the election process, the City will conduct a public re-count of precincts 10 and 45.
This re-count will take place on Monday, June 12, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. in the Compton City Hall Council Chambers located at 205 S. Willowbrook Avenue, Compton, CA 90220. I apologize for any concern this may have caused with the process. California Elections Code Section 17304 allows all voters to view, but not copy, the following five items following commencement of the official canvass of the votes [emphasis added]: Tally Sheets Roster of Voters Street Index Challenge List Assisted Voters List Please note that the provisional and vote by mail votes will be counted on Thursday, June 15, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall. The official canvass will verify the preliminary tally of votes.
Thank you,
Alita Godwin Compton City Clerk
2 Comments
It is time for Compton voters to vote corruption and misrespresentation out of Compton. It is time for full Dias change. If we want better we must vote better. Unlike those who see prentend things are good. I am going to let the facts and history speak for me. None of them are impressive or creative which is why our city is a hot damn mess. LEADERSHIP COMPTON IS CALLING YOU. I am researching. James Hays. I like what he and his wife have said about Compton. They seem to keep it real. Real is what we need.
And your point is, exactly? I think it was handled well, even with the mistakes, which were well explained and apologized for in the city clerk’s letter quoted. Seems like someone who posted this has an axe to grind and in journalism, you never violate integrity by posting personal views, unless you’re a blog trying to pass itself off as a viable source of news, regardless of which major outlet picks up your byline. Not professional and I just don’t think it’s cool, your opening here. Just an observation. Read the NYT to find out how “real” journalism should be written, perhaps. Use of the “F” word, especially, reflects poorly on the writer and the digital portal. “Hackerism” is not journalistic fairness and objectivity in writing articles that will be well received, except for a very limited audience perhaps. Small potatoes, here. Well explained by the letter cited.