BREAKING NEWS: County seeking more help for presidential primary polling places

By Bill Hess
Herald/Review
Published/Last Modified on Tuesday, Feb 05, 2008 - 09:04:38 pm MST

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SIERRA VISTA — Long lines and not enough poll workers at one presidential preference polling place in Cochise County are leading officials to find more help, County Elections Officer Tom Schelling said.

Precinct 13 at the Sierra Vista United Methodist Church was experiencing problems in processing people who are showing up to vote, Schelling said late Tuesday morning.

Only one person was available to check if people are authorized to vote at the polling place at 3225 S. St. Andrews Drive, he said.

“We’re trying to find more people to help,” he said.

One man left the church’s area claiming he was in line for more than 20 minutes waiting to have his identification check, and the people inside the place, including the polling staff were more interested in socializing instead of processing people.

“I’ve got to get to work,” he said, as he angrily walked away.

Others went into the polling place, only to almost leave immediately because the lines were too long.

Republican and Democratic ballots have more than the nationally known candidates because some Arizonans wanted their names on the presidential preference ballots, Schelling said. As an example, the Democratic ballot has 24 names, including some national candidates who have dropped out — Bill Richardson and Dennis Kucinich — as well as the two remaining, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, and other people like Tish Haymer, Karl Krueger and others.

Schelling said another holdup is that some people showing up to cast votes forget they need to have a photo identification, or are at the wrong precinct, have forgotten to update their addresses or are not Republicans or Democrats.

Only Republicans or Democrats can cast ballots in the presidential preference in Arizona.

Another precinct, No. 14, at First Christian Church located at Highway 90 and Kings Way in Sierra Vista also expressed some backup in processing voters and that is being checked out too, he said.

Look for more on this story in Wednesday’s Herald/Review.

Herald/Review senior reporter Bill Hess can be reached at 515-4615 or bill.hess@svherald.com.

POLLING PLACES

If someone has questions about the location or their polling place, they can call the elections office at 432-8970 during normal office hours, or visit the county election Web site to find your polling precinct on an interactive Google map at www.co.cochise.az.us/elections.

The polling locations are:

• Region 1 — Cochise County Senior Center, 450 S. Haskell, Willcox

• Region 2 — San Pedro United Methodist Church, 636 S. Highway 80, Benson

• Region 3 — American Legion, 225 E. Allen St., Tombstone

• Region 4 — Sunsites Community Center, 1216 E. Treasure Road, Sunsites

• Region 5 — St. Luke’s Parish Hall, 1211 15th St., Douglas

• Region 6 — First Baptist Church of Douglas, 740 10th St., Douglas

• Region 7 — Trinity United Methodist Church, 216 Arizona St., Bisbee

• Region 8 — Bisbee Senior Center, 300 Collins Road, Bisbee

• Region 9 — First Assembly Church of God of Palominas, Highway 92 and Palominas Road, Palominas

• Region 10 — Coronado Elementary School, 5148 S. Coronado School Drive, Hereford

• Region 11 — Fry Fire Station, 4817 Apache Drive, Sierra Vista

• Region 12 — Pueblo Del Sol Elementary School library, 5130 Paseo las Palmas, Sierra Vista

• Region 13 — Sierra Vista United Methodist Church, 3225 S. St. Andrews Drive, Sierra Vista

• Region 14 — First Christian Church, Highway 90 and Kings Way, Sierra Vista

• Region 15 — First Church of the Nazarene, 1215 El Camino Real, Sierra Vista

• Region 16 — Sierra Lutheran Church, 101 N. Lenzner Drive, Sierra Vista

• Region 17 — St. Andrew Catholic Church, 800 Taylor Drive, Sierra Vista

• Region 18 — Huachuca City Community Building, 101 Yuma St., Huachuca City

All presidential preference election locations will be open until 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

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Vote by Mail wrote on Feb 6, 2008 6:58 PM:

" " One way to avoid the cold, long lines, and lack of personnel at the polling places is to vote early by mail. If you request a ballot be mailed to you, for the primary or the general election, the fine folks at the county elections office will send you one. I was going to do that myself but requested it too late. "

Just wondering wrote on Feb 6, 2008 11:26 AM:

" ID Checks, the problem is not of voters producing ID. Everyone in my line had it out. There was only one person checking ID's, and then they would chat while others were waiting to have their ID's checked. Yes, it is only one day but when I am trying to vote on my lunch hour, you would think the polling place would account for peak times by adding additional volunteers. "

FERGERSON wrote on Feb 6, 2008 1:24 AM:

" my wife and i waited for 15 minutes when it was our turn to check in, when we were told we were in the wrong line. so we had to go back and the line was alot longer, waited 30 min. then when my wife sat down to vote, relized she was gived the wrong ballet, was told that she would have to go back in line to get things straigten out, she did not so one of the ladies that did sign her in relized that she made the mistake. Yes we did have the correct ID "

ID Checks wrote on Feb 5, 2008 9:52 PM:

" How hard is the ID check to deal with? i mean seriously do you really leave the house with out a photo ID on a regular basis? If anything the ID law is to lax. I could take my neighbors water bill and birth certificate and go ahead and vote as him. Secure the polls along with the border. I will sacrifice the minor inconvenience of having to carry a Photo ID to vote to ensure the fairness of the democratic process. Grow up Sierra Vista...stop complaning about stuff for just one day!! "

Mike Roller wrote on Feb 5, 2008 8:52 PM:

" I waited for two hours to vote in Benson tonight. I placed my vote at 6:20pm and the ballot machine indicated that I cast the 948th vote. The polling place on Highway 80 had been open twelve hours. It was the only polling place for the voters of Benson, Pomerene and J Six. 948 votes in 12 hours is only 79 votes an hour. The County Recorder in Bisbee is elected and paid to provide the voters and poll workers of Cochise County something better than 79 votes an hour for three cities. "

Pauly wrote on Feb 5, 2008 7:40 PM:

" Polling place at Region 10 doesn’t need more volunteers, just ones with a brain and that know what they are doing. What a joke! I voted late in the afternoon and you would think after doing the same thing all day that someone would exude some sort of confidence. And attention voters - you need a government picture ID with your current address. How hard is that???? "

VOTER wrote on Feb 5, 2008 6:38 PM:

" The lines were long and out the door. I waited for an hour. The issue was not the ID check. That was very quick. The voting was very quick. The lines were long because people want a change! They were making their voices heard and voting like they should. "

Dragoon wrote on Feb 5, 2008 5:54 PM:

" It was at a snail's pace in Benson too. They consolidated a few precincts into one polling place this time to save money. It took a very long time this morning. "

American Eagle Watching! wrote on Feb 5, 2008 5:39 PM:

" I want no illegals voting so great Idea for Voter ID CHecks. Come Legal or leave illegals. "

SDR wrote on Feb 5, 2008 5:24 PM:

" I'm glad to see that the recently passed law is being enforced. They should open more locations. My wait wasn't too long, about 20 minutes from the time I entered until I left. A little prior planning is all that was needed! "

i voted ok wrote on Feb 5, 2008 4:32 PM:

" they closed my usual polling station, and I had to go somewhere else, but I voted! Everyone take your democratic right to vote! This is an important election, and the poll workers are working hard to handle the turnout. "

CSG wrote on Feb 5, 2008 3:29 PM:

" Perhaps the voters could have registered themselves as Independents like I have and be denied the opportinity to vote at all today!!! And Donzo, I hope you weren't serious about getting rid of the voter ID check. You don't want half of Sonora coming across the border to vote, eh? With the long lines, lack of volunteers and the alleged excessive chatting amongst them, I hope Arizona doesn't turn out like Florida of 2000. (Please, we are smarter than Floridians!) "

Just wondering wrote on Feb 5, 2008 3:22 PM:

" Thank you to the volunteers. Your time is appreciated, but I agree that one person checking the list and then chatting with Joe since "It has been so long since I seen you" can hold up that line. Many folks try to do this on their time before work or during the lunch hour. I cannot believe the county has not taken this into consideration and adjust personnel during peak hours. "

Donzo wrote on Feb 5, 2008 2:18 PM:

" Well those that wanted the voter ID checks have caused plenty of grief. Maybe we should roll back that grand plan, and just allow voting like we always have. "

Angry wrote on Feb 5, 2008 12:55 PM:

" Good Grief.... I understand the man's frustration about the socializing. Have you ever seen all the food and drinks these workers bring with them!? "

Voter wrote on Feb 5, 2008 12:46 PM:

" Perhaps they should have opened more polls like they usually have.

Kudos to those who are out working the polls today. Thank you! "