Polling stations report ‘smooth as silk’ turnout

Poll workers and voters in Huntington Beach have been surprised by the relative calm and order at the city’s polling places in Tuesday’s election.

“It’s been smooth as silk,” Election Day Coordinator Jay Renkowitz said.

About half of the eligible voters listed at each of three polling places surveyed registered to vote by mail.

Poll workers at Eader Elementary School and the Magnolia Fire Station said many voters filled out provisional ballots at their locations.

The line began at 6:30 a.m. at the school polling place, and workers spent the next hour processing voters before things quieted down.

By 2 p.m., 294 people had voted electronically out of about 1,200 on the precinct list.

At the Edison Community Center, 12 electronic voting machines serviced three precincts.

The poll workers developed a system to assist voters based on their street of residence, which helped hurry them along.

Mother-daughter team Judith and Catherine Clark has made a tradition of working the polls together.

“It’s one of our special bonding days,” Catherine Clark said.

“You make friends here, and you get a chance to see your neighbors,” poll worker Tim Wallace said.

Voters were lined up into the parking lot by the time the polling place opened.

Some voters chose to fill out paper ballots rather than wait in line to vote electronically, poll workers said.

At the Magnolia Fire Station, Georganne Vaughan took her granddaughter Miranda Miller, 13, into the voting booth for Miranda’s first taste of the democratic process.

“It was easy,” Miranda said.

Vaughan said her granddaughter gave her educated opinion on everything from candidates to propositions.

The location’s poll workers met twice on Monday to get to know each other and prepare for the big day.

Jon Ross worked the polls with his wife; now that they’re both retired, he said, they have the time to get involved.

They estimated that they surpassed their primary election turnout numbers by 2 p.m.

The volunteers also noted that they’ve had more provisional and vote by mail submissions than ever.

Tuesday morning, about 80 people stood in the drizzle before polls opened, waiting to use one of 12 electronic voting machines.

“Quite frankly, it’s been very, very smooth,” longtime poll worker Irving Friedman said. “There have been no tremendous lines.”

CANDICE BAKER may be reached at (714) 966-4631 or at candice.baker@latimes.com.