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Monday, August 09, 2010
Registrar of Voters rescinds OUSD Area 1 filing extenstion
eLECTION Watch 2010
an Orange Net News
Special News and Analysis Series
SPECIAL REPORT
Ramifications of the Nichols Realignment continue…
OC Registrar of Voters rescinds
OUSD Area 1 Candidate Filing extension
The 2008 realignment of Orange Unified Trustee areas, known as the Nichols Realignment (named for OUSD Trustee Kim Nichols-the driving force behind the idea) continues to have wide-spread ramifications, this time causing confusion at the Orange County Registrar of Voters office. The Nichols Realignment of 2008 realigned the Orange Unified Trustee Areas. In doing so, it moved two OUSD Trustees out of their Trustee Areas, Trustee Steve Rocco and Trustee Melissa Smith. Under Orange Unified rules, Trustees must live in the Trustee Area they represent, but are elected by the whole district. The move prevented Rocco from running when his term expired two years ago. (he is running this November in the new Area he is now in). This year, Smith’s term is up in Area 1 and she cannot run again in that Trustee Area. She is not an “eligible” incumbent because she no longer lives in Area 1. However, according to Orange County Registrar of Voters Steve Neal, that information was not put on the form turned into his office from Orange Unified.
State election law requires the candidate filing period for a contested office be extended if the incumbent does not file during the regular filing period. After the filing period closed on Friday August 6, Smith had not filed because she was ineligible to run again, so Orange Unified’s Trustee Area 1 was included on the list of races with extended filing periods that was posted on the Orange County Registrar of Voters website OCVOTE.com. On Sunday August 8, Orange Net News posted the story that the OUSD Trustee Area 1 filing deadline had been extended. OUSD Trustee Melissa Smith posted the following comment to the story:
“I may be mistaken but I believe that the provision for extending the filing period is when an "eligible incumbent" has not filed. Since I am not eligible due to the location of my home I do not believe the filing period is extended. The same would be true if we had term limits.”
On Monday at 8 am Orange Net News personnel contacted the Orange County Registrar of Voters office and explained the situation. Later in the day, Orange County Registrar Steve Neal confirmed that his office contacted Orange Unified and they confirmed the mistake about Trustee Smith. Neal then stated that they were updating their paperwork to show that the Area 1 race was no longer open.
Candidate Chris Nquyen tries to Rocco-up his ballot description
Three candidates have filed to run in Area 1: Anaheim City Planning Commissioner Harry Persaud; Anaheim City Community Center Commissioner and former OUSD LEGCO President Diane Singer; and California State Senate Legislative Aid Chris Nguyen.
Nguyen has himself listed on the ballot as “Education Policy Advisor”. Graduating from USC in 2007 as a Political Science major, and from Stanford this year with a masters in Public Administration, Nguyen’s resume on Linked In shows five political internships over a period of two years and being a Legislative aide only since January 2009. While his resume is heavy on political experience, nowhere does his resume mention anything related to being an “Education Policy Advisor” as he describes himself on the ballot. When former controversial OUSD Trustee Steve Rocco won without campaigning, much of the credit was given to his ballot designation of “Teacher”. His opponent Phil Martinez was a very involved parent who listed his occupation as a Park Ranger. Those ballot designations are widely credited with Rocco winning, a lesson not lost on politicians.
Nguyen’s fellow Board member on the Orange Villa Park Republican Assembly (OVPRA), Chris Enami tried a similar tactic when he ran in 2006 against Trustee Kim Nichols. Enami a walk-on (after school) girls basketball coach tried to be listed as a “Teacher” on the ballot. Nichols went to court and won an order that forced Enami to remove the misleading moniker.
Obviously, Chris Nguyen did well in his Political Science classes as he tries to Rocco-up his ballot description for votes.
For Chris Nguyen’s resume CLICK ON: The REAL Chris Nguyen
Keep up with all Greater Orange updates at ONN TWITTER
eLECTION Watch 2012
is an independent news service of /O/N/N/
Orange_NetNews@yahoo.com “Independent Local Insight”
an Orange Net News
Special News and Analysis Series
SPECIAL REPORT
Ramifications of the Nichols Realignment continue…
OC Registrar of Voters rescinds
OUSD Area 1 Candidate Filing extension
The 2008 realignment of Orange Unified Trustee areas, known as the Nichols Realignment (named for OUSD Trustee Kim Nichols-the driving force behind the idea) continues to have wide-spread ramifications, this time causing confusion at the Orange County Registrar of Voters office. The Nichols Realignment of 2008 realigned the Orange Unified Trustee Areas. In doing so, it moved two OUSD Trustees out of their Trustee Areas, Trustee Steve Rocco and Trustee Melissa Smith. Under Orange Unified rules, Trustees must live in the Trustee Area they represent, but are elected by the whole district. The move prevented Rocco from running when his term expired two years ago. (he is running this November in the new Area he is now in). This year, Smith’s term is up in Area 1 and she cannot run again in that Trustee Area. She is not an “eligible” incumbent because she no longer lives in Area 1. However, according to Orange County Registrar of Voters Steve Neal, that information was not put on the form turned into his office from Orange Unified.
State election law requires the candidate filing period for a contested office be extended if the incumbent does not file during the regular filing period. After the filing period closed on Friday August 6, Smith had not filed because she was ineligible to run again, so Orange Unified’s Trustee Area 1 was included on the list of races with extended filing periods that was posted on the Orange County Registrar of Voters website OCVOTE.com. On Sunday August 8, Orange Net News posted the story that the OUSD Trustee Area 1 filing deadline had been extended. OUSD Trustee Melissa Smith posted the following comment to the story:
“I may be mistaken but I believe that the provision for extending the filing period is when an "eligible incumbent" has not filed. Since I am not eligible due to the location of my home I do not believe the filing period is extended. The same would be true if we had term limits.”
On Monday at 8 am Orange Net News personnel contacted the Orange County Registrar of Voters office and explained the situation. Later in the day, Orange County Registrar Steve Neal confirmed that his office contacted Orange Unified and they confirmed the mistake about Trustee Smith. Neal then stated that they were updating their paperwork to show that the Area 1 race was no longer open.
Candidate Chris Nquyen tries to Rocco-up his ballot description Three candidates have filed to run in Area 1: Anaheim City Planning Commissioner Harry Persaud; Anaheim City Community Center Commissioner and former OUSD LEGCO President Diane Singer; and California State Senate Legislative Aid Chris Nguyen.
Nguyen has himself listed on the ballot as “Education Policy Advisor”. Graduating from USC in 2007 as a Political Science major, and from Stanford this year with a masters in Public Administration, Nguyen’s resume on Linked In shows five political internships over a period of two years and being a Legislative aide only since January 2009. While his resume is heavy on political experience, nowhere does his resume mention anything related to being an “Education Policy Advisor” as he describes himself on the ballot. When former controversial OUSD Trustee Steve Rocco won without campaigning, much of the credit was given to his ballot designation of “Teacher”. His opponent Phil Martinez was a very involved parent who listed his occupation as a Park Ranger. Those ballot designations are widely credited with Rocco winning, a lesson not lost on politicians.Nguyen’s fellow Board member on the Orange Villa Park Republican Assembly (OVPRA), Chris Enami tried a similar tactic when he ran in 2006 against Trustee Kim Nichols. Enami a walk-on (after school) girls basketball coach tried to be listed as a “Teacher” on the ballot. Nichols went to court and won an order that forced Enami to remove the misleading moniker.
Obviously, Chris Nguyen did well in his Political Science classes as he tries to Rocco-up his ballot description for votes.
For Chris Nguyen’s resume CLICK ON: The REAL Chris Nguyen
Keep up with all Greater Orange updates at ONN TWITTER
eLECTION Watch 2012
is an independent news service of /O/N/N/
Orange_NetNews@yahoo.com “Independent Local Insight”
