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BY ADRIANA HERNANDEZ
Daily Post Staff Writer
A Redwood City woman says a voting center in Belmont was left open to the public after it was supposed to be closed for the day, sparking concern that ballots for tomorrow’s election were left unattended.
Madelyn Quinol and her husband went to drop off their ballots at the voting center at Notre Dame de Namur University’s Taube Center on Sunday evening, and were able to walk right into the voting area, she told the Post today (June 1).
Quinol said signs advertising the voting center were still up and many cars were parked outside, so she expected the center at 1500 Ralston Ave. to be busy. To her surprise, the room was empty, she said.
“We saw election materials on the table. Everything was in order, but no one was there,” Quinol said. She pressed a help button several times, but no one came, even though the center’s doors were open.
Quinol saw a black box that may have contained ballots and emailed Chief Elections Officer Mark Church to let him know that the center was unmanned, she said. Church did not respond to her email.
Quinol was at the voting center around 6 p.m., an hour after the center was supposed to be closed.
The center closed by 5 p.m., but despite being there past business hours, Quinol said she was still concerned.
“The door should’ve been locked. We want our votes to count and to be safe,” she said.
Church’s chief deputy, Jim Irizarry, who is on tomorrow’s ballot running for his boss’ seat, said there were no ballots left in the center. Employees from the center delivered the ballots collected to the elections department at 40 Tower Road in San Mateo after 5 p.m., he said.
Election officials investigated the complaint, and found that all ballots, voting equipment and other election materials were secure on Sunday night, Irizarry said.
Notre Dame de Namur’s security is in charge of opening and closing the center to the public and elections employees, he said. All supplies are locked and stored in military-grade cabinets at the end of each day, Irizarry said.
Opponent outraged
County Supervisor David Canepa, who is running against Irizarry, said this mistake is an embarrassment to the county.
“This is not how the public should be served, but it’s emblematic of the dysfunctional management in the office. How do you leave a voting center open? How hard is it to lock a door? This is just ridiculous,” Canepa said.
The voting center being left open is another example of the office’s pattern of dysfunction, he said.
Alicia Garcia, a management analyst for Church’s office, filed a lawsuit against the county, Church, and Irizarry last year, alleging a hostile work environment, discrimination and retaliation. Additionally, former employee Mary Hill filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the department that was settled in 2023.
“This is the cherry on top of a sundae. This office has screwed up so many things. But to do this a few days before the election, this doesn’t breed confidence,” Canepa said.
Being a leader means being held accountable, and Church should’ve responded to Quinol, Canepa said.
Belmont Councilman Tom McCune said the center’s lack of after-hours security is a concern, even if it doesn’t affect the outcome of the election.
“Elections are the most basic element of our democracy, and the process needs to avoid even the appearance of any irregularity to maintain the public trust and confidence,” McCune said.
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