America First Republican Club
by Hope Horning
LW contributor
The America First Republican Club’s information booth continues to be available outside Clubhouse 6 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9-11 a.m. Club volunteers are eager to answer any questions and provide a sample ballot with the suggested candidates’ boxes already marked, as well as the latest Voter Guides for the state-wide contests and county-wide candidates and judges.
The Republican Club Voter Guide distributed in April left the choice for governor between both Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco. However, the club is now recommending Republicans vote for Steve Hilton. As of press time, the two leading candidates are Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra.
Voters who need help filling out their ballots can also stop by the booth, and a club member will help them. People who are unable to come to the booth and need help can call a club member at 714-553-5275 for assistance.
Ballot harvesting is legal in California and the America First Republican Club has already collected and delivered 112 ballots to the voter office. Voters can still bring their completed ballots to the booth if they decide not to use the yellow dropbox in front of the Amphitheater or U.S. mail. A club officer takes the ballots directly to the Orange County Voter Office in Santa Ana.
The nearest Vote Center location is Fire Station 48 at 3131 North Gate Road, starting Saturday, May 23, to Monday, June 1, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. On Election Day, Tuesday, June 2, the hours will be 7 a.m.-8 p.m.
Voters can scan their carefully marked vote-by-mail ballot at the in-person Vote Center by telling the center staffer that they do not need another ballot printed because they intend to scan their own ballot when checking in. Ballots are shuffled amongst various staffers processing and eventually counting the ballot, but scanning a vote-by-mail ballot reduces the number of times it is handled. Then the only hands that touch the voter’s ballot will be their hands, because the staffer takes just the thumb drive from the scanning machine on election night to the Registrar of Voters Office in Santa Ana to be tabulated.
