Huge election turnout in Petaluma and Sonoma County
Voters undeterred by the dark and drizzling rain to cast ballots in final hours
A record number of voters may have voted in Sonoma County’s Nov. 3 election, according to Evelyn Mendez, the county’s registrar of voters, whose staff was busy late into the night trying to keep up with overflowing ballot boxes and high turnout.
"Tonight was insane," Mendez said. "This was like nothing I’ve ever seen. I think it is going to be a record number."
She had to send staff to pick up ballot boxes in several locations that were overflowing, not to mention the crates of mail-in ballots. All mail-in ballots must be postmarked by election day and reach her office by Nov. 10, she said.
Just past 7 p.m., about an hour before polls closed at the Petaluma Community Center, about 25 voters, and growing, stood in a line outside in the dark – getting damp in a drizzling rain – waiting to cast their votes.
“We had an exceptionally large turnout. Normally on our early days — ‘cause we're open 11 days — we usually get five to ten (voters),” said inspector Rene Goncalves, from the Petaluma Community Center.
“We had 155 on the first day. Yes. And every day we've consistently had a larger than normal number,” she said. By 7 p.m. over 500 people had already cast their votes on that day alone.
As they waited, voters were asked to stand behind a white line before they could be called in. When one person walked out another could walk in.
“It was nonstop steady from the moment we opened up. Just a constant flow,” Goncalves said.
She said most of the people who arrived were pleasant, and, overall, “everybody really wants to make sure their vote counts.”
When asked about concerns that voters haven’t been receiving their ballots, she said that, yes, they’ve heard from several voters and “we are telling them that that’s not a problem. We can help you here,” she said.
From their posts, volunteers and election workers guided voters to the many stations where they could study voters guides and then fill out their ballots. Goncalves, who has been working in elections for 13 years, said ballot drop boxes and receptacles for mail-in ballots were filled quite early.
“I really enjoy doing this. … I’m being a part of democracy and making it happen,” Goncalves said.
Jennifer Sawhney is a reporter and co-founder of Petaluma Voice. She can be reached at jsawhney@petalumavoice.org.
Tobias Young is an editor and reporter at Petaluma Voice. He can be reached at tyoung@petalumavoice.org.
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