L.A. voter experience getting better, but there is room for improvement, according to LMU's Center for the Study of Los Angeles

LMU Press Release
October 24, 2003



Analysis of October 7 Recall Election Finds Reasons to Cheer, Moan



October 24, 2003 -Angelenos voting in the recent gubernatorial recall election had a fairly good experience at local polling places, but problems persisted - including poor signage, limited parking, malfunctioning machines, and lack of adequate access for those with disabilities - according to a survey by researchers at Loyola Marymount University's Center for the Study of Los Angeles.

"During the October 7 recall election, higher turnout combined with precinct consolidations added up to heavy demand at polling locations," said Mara Marks, associate director of the Center. "Although there were many fewer locations at which to vote, the polling locations tended to be of higher quality than those used during the citywide elections last March In LA County."
Marks said that by the measures of facility size, number of voting machines available to voters, and number of poll workers, polling locations were of higher quality than in previous elections.

The LMU study, "Precinct Quality and Voter Turnout: Race, Income, and Civic Participation," was conducted at 400 polling locations by 50 researchers. The study found that in the election just held, there was on average one polling place per 1,179 voters -- as compared with one polling place per 357 voters during the 2002 presidential election. This study is part of ongoing research by the Center for the Study of Los Angeles to examine how the quality of polling places varies across the city and how the quality of polling places impacts voter turnout in different neighborhoods.

"Lowering potential barriers to voting is critical to the practice of democracy in diverse urban areas such as Los Angeles," said Marks in discussing the survey. "We need to answer some key questions if we are to create a fair and equal voting environment."
Among key findings, the study indicated that:
· Voters surveyed for the report said that 20 percent of the polling locations were 'somewhat' or 'very' difficult to find, a problem that potentially impacted 300,000 of the city's registered voters.

· Although the addresses of 96 percent of the precincts were correctly listed in official voter information packets, at 26 percent of polling locations the address was not in clear sight.

CSLA VOTER STUDY/ADD ONE
· A sign, flag, or banner marked 94 percent of the precincts, but at 19 percent of the locations, these markers did not make it obvious that the location was a polling place.

· 80 percent of precincts had been used before in a recent election. Precincts in predominantly white, upper income areas were less likely to be new polling locations, a factor that may have made them easier to find.

· 42 percent of polling locations lacked adequate parking.

· The entrances of 18 percent of polling locations were not handicap accessible. The study found that precincts in areas that are predominantly white and higher income were more likely to be handicap accessible than precincts in areas that are predominantly minority and lower income.

· Citywide, 10 percent of polling places had voting machines that were not functioning properly at the time they were visited by researchers, a problem that could have impacted as many as 150,000 of the city's registered voters. Only 4 percent of precincts visited by researchers during the elections held last March experienced problems with their voting machines.

· Precincts in predominantly white and higher income areas were more likely to have 10 or more voting machines for voters than precincts in more minority and lower income areas.

· Four or more poll workers staffed 93 percent of precincts, but there was considerable variation in their familiarity with the precincts to which they were assigned and with their knowledge of voting procedures.

· 21 percent of poll workers interviewed by researchers did not live in the precinct to which they were assigned.

· Researchers asked poll workers, "If I live in this neighborhood, what form of ID do I need to vote here when I check in?" 30 percent of poll workers mistakenly believed that some form of ID would be required. Poll workers assigned to precincts in predominantly white areas were less likely to mistakenly inform researchers that some form of ID would be required.

Using Los Angeles as a laboratory for understanding the urban experience, the Center the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University has become an academic leader in developing multidisciplinary courses, producing highly regarded applied research, and promoting civic involvement. Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles is the largest Catholic university in Southern California. With a strong base in the liberal arts, the university serves more than 5,300 undergraduates and nearly 3,000 graduate students. For more information, visit the LMU website at www.lmu.edu