Politics & Government

VIDEO: Election Poll Inspector Explains Measure H

Jim Bottini, precinct inspector for poll No. 5743 at Christ Child Catholic Church on Summit Road in the Los Gatos Mountains, explains in this short video voter turnout and Measure H on the ballot to support the Loma Prieta Joint Union School District. 

At around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday evening, about 40 voters had visited the polling place in the remote mountainous area off of Highway 17 in Los Gatos.

Some voters had dropped off their ballots at the polling place, Bottini said, while many had mailed them way ahead of today's election deadline to submit them or cast them live at the polls.

"The issue today is funding for schools," Bottini said.

About 3,700 voters in Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties in Los Gatos were eligible to vote for Measure H, according to election officials.

No glitches or problems had been recorded Tuesday evening and the ballots were to be taken to the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters Office in San Jose where they were to be tabulated.

"We might have results for this particular community by the end of this evening," Bottini said.

Working with Bottini Tuesday were Los Gatos residents Raymond and Boni Wendling and Diana Davis, who all served as election clerks.

Their day began at 4 a.m. and on Monday they set up the polling place inside the church's community center.

Several poll watchers visited the polling place Tuesday to contact voters to remind them to come out and cast their ballots.

Measure H supporters campaigned well before the election, Bottini said.

A former teacher who worked in the Loma Prieta Joint Union School District, Bottini lamented California going from drop in ratings nationwide in terms of education.

"California schools are going down in quality," he said. "If we want our future to be a better one we need to make sure our schools are well funded. That's my personal opinion," he said.

Davis also praised the Measure H campaign volunteers for getting their message across the community about the importance of funding the two schools in the district—Loma Prieta Elementary and C.T. English Middle School.

"They did a good job at educating the public," Davis said, adding she's lived in the Los Gatos Mountains on Summit Road for almost 30 years.

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