Santa Ana, CA - January 2008 - Voters that are not listed in a polling place roster find themselves having to vote a provisional ballot.  Provisional voters include those that are not registered to vote or not at the correct polling place.  More than 60% of all provisional ballots cast are from from out of state voters or those who are not registered at all.  This causes congestion at poll sites where voters are voting in their home precinct.

Provisional voters are required to fill out forms prior to receiving a ballot that assist the Registrar of Voters in determining the voters’ eligibility to vote. If the voter is eligible their ballot is counted for every contest they were eligible to vote in.  The City of Irvine has a high percentage of provisional ballots cast from students at nearby UCI.

“Provisional voting can be frustrating for voters and slows down the voting process at the polls,” said Neal Kelley, Registrar of Voters. “Based on our analysis we determined that students at UCI had an above average rate of provisional voting in the county,” he continued.

The Registrar of Voters has made reducing lines at the polling places a top priority. Based on the Department’s analysis, a large number of voters at UCI and the surrounding area vote provisionally. Students from outside of Orange County are encouraged to contact the election official for their home county to obtain a vote-by-mail (formally known as an absentee) ballot.

In addition to providing voter education through the UCI’s Student Union, the Registrar of Voters and the University will send an educational email to all students and faculty.

Registrar of Voters Neal Kelley will be participating in a panel discussion regarding elections at UCI on Monday, January 14, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. The event will take place at UCI’s Crystal Cove Auditorium.

The Registrar of Voters is also reminding voters to register to vote on time. The deadline to register to vote for the February 5, 2008 Presidential Primary Election is January 22, 2008. He also reminds people to look at the back of their Sample Ballot for their polling place location prior to heading to the polls. Their polling place location may have changed.

# # #