Page 10 - Sanger Herald 1-31-19 E-edition

Lifestyles
SANGER HERALD • 2B • THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019
Life in the Orth lane, keeping elections safe
Sanger
By Mike Nemeth
Sanger Herald
Brandi Orth said she gave a presentation not long ago and was asked about Russian involvement in local elections.
Orth is Fresno County’s clerk and registrar of elections, so her voice on the matter has more authority than most. She was appointed in 2012 by the county board of supervisors and re-elected in 2014 and 2018.
“The Russians are not in Fresno County,” she said, recounting her response that day. But then Orth said a woman in the audience pointed out her error.
“He’s Russian, and he’s sitting right here,” the woman said.
Orth talked about elections, “dead” voters and other issues related to casting ballots recently at a luncheon meeting of the Sanger Rotary club. Her Russian anecdote got a hearty laugh from the audience. Getting ballots correctly counted and the results back to voters is Orth’s job, and she said it’s a role she takes seriously. And she discussed just what it takes to get every vote into the system.
“During her tenure as county clerk, Brandi has successfully administered 26 elections, including presidential elections,” said Lee Delap, a Rotary member, in his introduction. “She has incorporated efficiencies in the election process to the benefit of the voters of Fresno County.”
Orth’s presentation included a PowerPoint that included statistics and videos of the various machines involved, some that print each ballot and others that count them. She said her department has 24
To get an item into the calendar, email details to nemethfeatures@gmail. com or call Mike or Sharon at 559-875-2511.
Veterans of Foreign Wars Community Breakfast is from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Feb. 2 at the American Legion Hall, 1502 O St. Cost is $6. Cub Scout Pack 322 and Boy Scout Pack 322 will assist. The VFW breakfast is usually the first Saturday of the month.
Girls softball, a program by Sanger’s Recreation Division, starts March 16
Prayer for the New Year — Part 2
Last week, we began to look at Colossians 1:9-13. This was Paul’s prayer for the church at Colossae. This is my prayer for the City of Sanger and you in the New Year.
Here is the text: “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life
Mike Nemeth / Sanger Herald
Brandi Orth, Fresno County clerk and registrar of elections, explains the election process.
itmustputupwithalotof expectations.
“The elections process is a very condensed period of time,” Orth said. “We ran 5,500 test ballots to make sure everything was (running properly.)”
That testing process requires a lot of people, she said. And they operate in secure facilities.
Sometimes Orth said she gets calls from voters. “One caller said, ‘You gave me the wrong ballots,’” she said. “’You gave me a Republican ballot and my wife a Democratic one.’”
But Orth said a photographic record of the ballots sent showed that the right ones had been sent. The couple checked and it turned out he had hers and she had his.
Orth said more than half of registered voters opt for the vote-by-mail option. She discussed how signatures are verified and how those that don’t match go for further review. She said a normal change in signature is natural over time, and in those cases she and her staff request that the voter update the county voting records with a new signature.
“I give my staff forensic hand-writing training,” she said. “We’re looking for slant, pressure. We got through this very deliberately and carefully.”
Voting by mail appears to be preferred by those in the elections business since the ballots are returned and can be counted early. However, problems can arise when people vote while eating dinner or a snack. “I don’t know what it is about Fresno County voters,” she said. “They like to eat and drink while they vote.”
That often means the soiled ballots can’t be
machine counted.
Orth also talked about
how records are updated constantly with state data and even local obituaries to make sure nobody’s using a dead person’s ballot. “We go through everything we can,” she said.
“We only work off active rolls.”
Orth also talked about the law, effective at the start of 2018, that allowed anybody to return a ballot for a voter so long as they signed the sealed ballot indicating they were the ones who delivered it. “Never give an unopened ballot to anyone because bad things can happen,” she said.
As for the integrity of elections in this country, the National Conference of State Legislatures had this to say about the system that allows each state to control its own ballot boxes: “This decentralization allows individual jurisdictions to experiment and innovate — to see how elections might best be run for the state and the locality’s particular circumstances. The dispersed responsibility for running elections also makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to rig U.S. elections at the national level. It also holds authorities in local jurisdictions accountable for the management of their own elections, so if something goes wrong citizens can go directly to their local government rather than blame problems on the distant federal government.”
And Orth is available to constituents with questions. She’s busy, however.
The reporter can be contacted by email at nemethfeatures@gmail.com or by phone at the Herald at (559) 875-2511.
staffers and that they “have to be experienced and knowledgeable of the law.”
But that’s just the start. Another 70 workers, call them “extra help,” contribute at the office and county elections warehouse during elections. Add to that the 50 election coordinators who supervise those in the field and the 1,700 precinct officers.
Orth said her department must train and hire about 2,000 for the various roles because about 300 can drop out. And she said these staffers help keep the 10 “voted-ballot drive-through locations” operating.
“That’s a lot of people to find, serve and train,” she said. “Election night at 8 p.m., the day doesn’t end. It kind of begins our swing shift.”
She was full of statistics. And while voting is last year’s news, new requirements pop up all the time. Democratic challengers have even started declaring their intent for running for president and challenging
for a six-week season. It’s open to girls 5 to 14 years old. The program is looking for volunteer coaches. Registration is $55 but goes up after Feb. 8. Details, recinfo@ci.sanger.ca.us or 559-876-6300, ext. 1430.
The Sanger Library has its annual book sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 1, 2 and 4. The library is at 1812 Seventh St. Details, Margaret 559-875-6088.
Nashville-based Christian artists New Legacy Project plan to perform at 10:45 a.m. Feb. 17 at First Southern Baptist Church, 1116 O
worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
President Donald Trump in the next presidential election not even two years away now.
As of June 2018, Fresno County had 440,617 registered voters. Democrats made up 170,384 of that total and Republicans 151,483. Another 96,162 gave no party preference. By the November election, the overall register voter number had grown to 456,891, an increase of about 4 percent. Democrats increased by about 2 percent, Republicans by less than 1 percent and no party preference by 13 percent.
It’s when Orth talked about the scope of the elections in Fresno County that the statistics made her job appear complicated. She said when the candidate filing period closed on Aug. 10, 2018 that it got busy. Real busy.
“We served 368 candidates in a four-week period,” she said. “And some we see multiple times.”
St. in Sanger. Daywind Records just released the band’s latest single, “I’ll Stand,” on radio. It was inspired by the growing number of veterans and their families who aren’t able to find support as they struggle through mental health issues as a result of their service.
The Sanger Community Task Force meets at 8:30 a.m. Feb. 5 at the Sanger Library, 1812 Seventh St. Details, 559-250-6433.
The Sanger Blossom Trail Run launches at 7 a.m. March 2 in downtown Sanger. Registration is open. Details, recinfo@ ci.sanger.ca.us or 559-876- 6300, ext. 1430.
Orth talked about how ballots are assembled and how each one must reflect exactly the right races for each voter. She overlapped the various districts and jurisdictions like a big layer cake. Each ballot this past election included the big races, such as presidential, governor and U.S. senator. Then came divisions with congressional districts Nos. 4, 16, 21 and 22; senate districts Nos. 8, 12 and 14; and state assembly districts Nos. 23 and 31.
There were also 26 school districts with 40 races, 14 cities with 28 races, seven special districts with seven races, 11 state propositions that appeared on all ballots and 15 local measures from schools, cities or special districts.
That’s a lot of different jurisdictions and ballots.
“Our job is to make sure you get the right ballot for you to vote,” Orth said.
And that’s not simple. The hardware is complicated and the software used must meet federal, state and county certifications. And
AMVETS plans to close K Street site
Sanger News & Community Calendar
PASTOR’S CORNER
Now that’s a great prayer! In this prayer Paul asks God for 6 specific things: That they would 1. Be filled 2. Live a worthy life 3. Bear fruit 4. Grow 5. Be strengthened and 6. Give thanks.
Pastor Sam Estes
This is real simple, and it doesn’t require a rocket scientist to figure it out. Examine your behavior and ask this simple question: “Is God pleased with what I’m doing?”
By Mike Nemeth
Sanger Herald
AMVETS is moving out of the space the veterans organization has called home for many, many years.
Just how long remains a question.
“Since about ‘74,” said commander George Willhoite on Tuesday. “Scratch that. I really don’t know. A long time.”
Financial considerations, mostly the monthly rent of about $2,000 a month, led to the decision by the membership, Willhoite said. “I sat down with
our financial officers and others,” he said. “We don’t make enough. We decided just to close it.”
The hall sits among shady trees at 818 K St. The future of the property remains uncertain.
For now, AMVETS will head north and a block east to 225 J St. where the Sanger Eagles reside. The Eagles hall has been recently remodeled and the two groups have worked together on projects over the years.
Willhoite said the two organizations will coordinate their events. Already the Eagles
making a contribution to the overall success of your church and community? Are you primarily a giver or a taker? In other words, do you have something good to show for your Christian life?
Each year, most schools have a “Back to School Night” in which the kids show off their work to their parents. I’ve seen countless projects, art work, and sample assignments that my kids excitedly showed me during these “Back to School Nights.”
What if each year we had a “Back to Church Night” in which we could show off
typically have their taco nights on the first and third Mondays of the month with breakfasts every second Saturday. AMVETS served chili dogs on Wednesdays.
“It’s going to better for all of us,” he said. “We can do more (in the community).”
AMVETS is placing its chili dogs on hiatus until the group gets settled at the Eagles hall. The fish fry will return from 5 to 8 p.m. March 8, 15, 22 and 29 and April 5 and 12 at the Eagles hall.
The membership thanks all who showed up over the past many months.
our work to God? Would you be excited to show God what you’ve been doing this year? Paul prays that we would bear fruit in every good work.
Next Time: No. 4 Grow and No. 5 Be Strengthened.
Pastor Sam Estes is city advance director and facilitates the Sanger Community Task Force that meets the first and third Tuesdays every month. He can be reached at pastorsam51@gmail.com.
Ask yourself as you read, “How am I personally doing in each of these areas?”
Last week, we discovered No. 1: Be filled with the knowledge of God’s will.
Here is No. 2: Live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way.
If the answer is yes, then keep on doing it. If the answer is no, then
stop it!
No. 3 is Bear Fruit in
every good work. Are you doing good and kind things for others? Are you participating in the work of the Church? Are you getting positive results? Are you