Walnut group wins award for longest name ever

I am officially giving the Leftovers blog “Longest name in the San Gabriel Valley” award to…
drum rollllllllllllllllllllll:

“Citizens for Free and Fair Elections, A Committee to Increase Voter Turnout by Consolidating Walnut City Elections with November General Elections.”

It’s a group in Walnut whose members want the county to take over Wallnut’s elections.

Here’s a story about them:

Group files paperwork to campaign to have Walnut’s city-run elections handled by county
By James Wagner
Staff Writer
WALNUT — Citizens have kicked off an effort to change the way the city handles elections.
A handful of residents filed paperwork with the city last week to form a political action committee, which would campaign for Walnut’s elections to be run by the county.

The group, named the Citizens for Free and Fair Elections, A Committee to Increase Voter Turnout by Consolidating Walnut City Elections with November General Elections, turned in its paperwork for state approval, said Walnut City Clerk Teresa De Dios.

To accept donations for a campaign, the leaders of a political movement must file with the state.
The city currently conducts elections, but Mayor Tom King wants it to contract with the county to provide that service, which he said would reduce the chance of fraud.

King’s most vehement criticism has been aimed at the city’s practice of placing an absentee-ballot drop box outside City Hall.

He claims campaign organizers help voters fill out their absentee ballots and submit them in bulk, which is against the law.

King, a former Los Angeles police veteran, also wants to end an election practice in which candidates are e-mailed a daily list of voters who have requested absentee ballots and but haven’t returned them.

A county-run election would be more secure and save Walnut hundreds of thousands of dollars, King said.

King said he is not part of the political action committee, however.

The group’s secretary, Santa Ana- based campaign services consultant Lysa Ray, did not name the members of the political committee.

Most San Gabriel Valley cities pay the county to conduct elections in November, except for some, such as Walnut and Irwindale.

King’s seat is one of two up in April’s elections, along with Councilwoman Mary Su’s.
james.wagner@sgvn.com
(626) 962-8811, Ext. 2236