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Janz Calls for Extra Hour to Vote After Problems at Polls
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By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 5 years ago on
March 3, 2020

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Fresno mayoral candidate Andrew Janz called for Fresno County to extend the time that polls close to 9 p.m. because of voting problems Tuesday morning.
County election clerk Brandi Orth said that polling centers experienced “intermittent connection problems.”
Those computers connected the voting centers to the main county election headquarters and to the Secretary of State’s office.
State officials said that there were glitches in 15 California counties with voting centers.

Janz Says Frustrated Voters Left

Janz said that many people left the voting lines and did not cast ballots. He said the problem could affect people of color more because they tend to vote on Election Day, and before normal work hours. He added that problems were throughout Fresno and not limited to any particular location.
State Democratic Party contemplated a lawsuit, but that is unlikely according to Fresno County Democratic Party chairman Andy Hansen-Smith.
“The only chance would be an individual suing, but it is a long shot I would think,” Hansen-Smith said.
State party chair Rusty Hicks tweeted as much when responding to Janz.


Orth could not be reached to comment on Janz’s request.
Janz made his request at a hastily called news conference during the noon hour at the Fresno County Superior Courthouse.
Other local candidates, such as Bobby Bliatout, Dary Rezvani, and Phil Arballo (all Democrats running for Congress in the 22nd District), as well as Tyler Maxwell (Fresno City Council District 4 candidate) made the same appeal.

Dyer: No Need to Extend Voting Hours

The other major candidate for Fresno mayor, Jerry Dyer, disagreed about the need to keep the polls open an extra hour.
“Provisional balloting was available for all voters during the outage. Thus, those who submitted provisional ballots and are properly registered will have their ballots counted,” his campaign told GV Wire.

Long Lines Anticipated

California’s primary today coincided with several changes aimed at expanding voter participation. Those changes, it was predicted, might confuse some voters or contribute to longer lines than usual.
While casting his ballot at an early voting center last month, Secretary of State Alex Padilla said that election day wait times may be longer than normal given that nearly 21 million Californians are registered to vote. Voters are also weighing in on local races, congressional races, state legislative seats, and a statewide school bond.
“I’m expecting we’re going to see an avalanche of ballots on election day, and it’s going to take a while to figure out the results,” said Kim Alexander, president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation.

There’s Still Time to Register and Vote

A reminder: Under the new rules, Californians will able to register to vote and cast ballots until 8 p.m.

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David Taub,
Senior Reporter
Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email

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