Whistle-blower' election worker fired

[kpete]

Whistle-blower' election worker fired
Clerk says Watt turned voters away
By REBECCA WOLF-DN Assistant News Editor

RED BLUFF - The man who has accused the Tehama County Elections Office of improprieties in conducting the June 6 election was asked not to return as precinct inspector in the upcoming November election.

Ron Watt, who has served as a precinct officer for over a decade and was a precinct inspector for eight years, received a letter from clerk and recorder Mary Alice George saying his services were no longer needed so that other people could have the opportunity to serve in the position.

Watt said the letter, dated Sept. 28, amounted to him being "fired for being a whistleblower."

On Tuesday, George said Watt was asked not to return because he admitted to turning away voters on election day. "He said he turned voters away and that should never happen," George said. "He was trained as a trainer. ... I'm surprised he fouled up the way he did."

Watt said his polling place had problems with the electronic voting machine activators on election day. He said he offered the voters the options of a paper ballot, voting manually or waiting for the machines to reboot. He said they chose to return to the polling site later in the day.

"It comes down to I blew the whistle and I got fired," he said. "A deaf, dumb and blind person would

http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/news/ci_4440368

[april]

1. just sent them a message &asked Why?