February 8, 2008 - Pressure on to resolve L.A. ballot controversy

Title: Pressure on to resolve L.A. ballot controversy
Paper: San Jose Mercury News (CA)
February 8, 2008
Author: From Mercury News wire services

Pressure intensified on Los Angeles County elections officials Thursday to quickly address the ''double bubble'' controversy over ballots given to independent voters in this week's presidential primary.

Potentially at stake is the county's final delegate allocation for Democratic presidential contenders Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, who are locked in a tight race for the party's nomination. Independent voters in California were allowed to vote in the Democratic Party or American Independent Party primaries.

In Los Angeles County, independents who requested one of those ballots had to fill in an extra bubble stating which party's primary they were voting in. They then made their selection for president. If they failed to do both, the county's scanning machines would not record their selection for president. Los Angeles is the only one of California's 58 counties to use that particular ballot .

Courage Campaign, a Beverly Hills-based voting rights group, asked the Los Angeles County Registrars Office for a full review of all such ballots .

Any review would not change the outcome of the race -- Clinton beat Obama by 396,168 votes statewide and 162,745 in Los Angeles County. But it could affect the allocation of delegates, which is done on a proportional basis by congressional district.

Memo: State News In Brief

Edition: Morning Final
Section: California News
Page: 5B
Dateline: SACRAMENTO
Record Number: 0802090103
Copyright (c) 2008 San Jose Mercury News