NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL ELECTION CHALLENGE
Please note that all information submitted in this challenge is considered public information.

All challenges must be received by the Department no later than five (5) calendar days after the election date. (Deadline is 5pm on the 5th calendar day)

If you require assistance with completing this form, please contact the EmpowerLA Elections Division at (818) 293-8683.
04-07-16
Yes  
Rudy Melendez
4528 Camellia Ave, Studio City, California 91602

(310) 963-6263
Concerns regarding BallotsElectioneering by candidatesVote-by-Mail Process
As a studio city stakeholder, 2016 nc candidate and current scnc board member
I am disappointed and concerned with the empowerla online voting experience in the 2016 studio city nc elections. 
I believe all online ballots should be thrown out as a result of reported cases of widespread online voter disenfranchisement. 
I have documented my own personal experience below:

After registering with the empowerla online voting registration portal on Thursday March 24th I had chosen to vote using the telephone option that was presented to me.
I received an automated email informing me I had registered to vote and would be verified in three days. Unfortunately I was never verified to vote. I waited patiently to receive my unique user ID & PIN#
I called the helpline and left a message and when I was finally contacted on Mar 31 the last day to register to vote online I received conflicting information from empowerla staff regarding my supporting documents but still no user ID & PIN#
For the record I submitted my rental agreement and social security card. Both documents from the empowerla website approved list. It is important to note these same two documents were submitted to the candidate filing portal and my candidacy was approved without delay.

After getting nowhere with a rude and disruptive registration help desk staffer I called Jay Handal the empowerla elections administrator on the morning of March 31 to inform him I had not been verified.  The elections administrator requested I send him email which I did and that I would be verified by noon on March 31. I never received an email reply from him and I was never verified to vote. EmpowerLA made many promises to deliver a fair and equitable election in 2016 but has failed to deliver true online voting

With a week left before election day I still had some faith in the process. I was patient I would be verified but I never was.
On election day I received another email from everyvotecounts informing me I had been registered to vote and I would be contacted but I was never verified to vote. I called and emailed and was told it was too late to be added into the system and that I would have to appear in person at the polls.

At this point my patience had run out after congratulatory emails from empowerla etc I was never verified to vote. I have had my privacy violated and my personal information released without my consent via the now infamous jay handal sgrest email. I now had reason to believe the 2016 online voting process was a failure.

Fortunately my work schedule allowed me to be present at the polls on election day. I was determined to vote in the 2016 scnc election.
At the polling location I witnessed many candidates electioneering and gross negligence by the staff of empowerla to maintain a fair and equitable election. 

At the polling location I was told my voter registration information was lost and I would need to start over which I did reluctantly.
I now had concerns that my personal information may be compromised.  With reservations I was prepared to show my supporting documentation. After completing the entire registration process over again in front of four empowerla staffers I was totally shocked alarmed and in disbelief when I was issued the incorrect ballot.  I had to inform the empowerla staff they had made another mistake. They had no idea I was issued the incorrect ballot. How could this be happening at the polls and how does this equate to a fair and equitable election? It absolutely does not. 
The empowerla staff not knowing I was a candidate and current board member blamed the scnc council for the problems I was facing. This type of empowerla staff behavior in no way creates a fair and unbiased election.  Disparaging remarks and blaming the neighborhood council for the failures of empowerla to deliver a fair and equitable election making  rude and slanderous comments to voters at the polls will not be tolerated and at the least should be grounds for dismissal. It certainly does not create a fair and equitable election. 

The 2016 empowerla online voting system I encountered failed me as a stakeholder every step of the way to election day. 

On Friday Apr 8th the day after the election I received an email with the canvas of voters document attached. The canvas of voters document had inaccuracies printed on it and the many hand written notes and revisions that appear on it make it very difficult for me to believe in its accuracy. There is no indication of the total number of voters in the election and I doubt anyone truly knows. 

The problem to correct here is the complete failure on the part of empowerla to hold fair and equitable elections using online voting which has proven to be a nightmare for many who's personal information was compromised and who's ability to vote online was disenfranchised and as I have heard from other stakeholders and as clearly illustrated above they received incorrect online ballots and in some cases received more than one online ballot and worse never received a ballot at all. 

It is for these reasons the LA city clerk should cast all online ballots out of the system and refer only to those paper and provisional  ballots that have been thoroughly vetted and supported with appropriate documentation before even considering to certify the 2016 scnc election.

Please take a stand and certify the 2016 SCNC election results using only paper and provisional ballots that have been thoroughly vetted out with the appropriate supporting documents.

Online ballot counts clearly can not be verified for their accuracy. 

Sincerely

Rudy Melendez
310.963.6263
Studio City Stakeholder
2016 SCNC Candidate
SCNC VP & Board Membe
Online ballots should be thrown out due to widespread online voter irregularities as supported by stakeholder comments and attached supporting documents
Witness Information
ALL of your Witness information and Witness Statement needs to be included at this time. The Department will ONLY accept and review Witness information included at time of submission. You may have up to three (3) Witness Statements.
You can find the Witness Statement form here.
Witness 1 Contact Information
Witness 2 Contact Information
Witness 3 Contact Information
 
Attach all supporting documentation
Before submitting, please include ALL supporting documentation HERE. The Department will ONLY process and review materials included at time of submission.
Signature
I affirm that I am a stakeholder in this Neighborhood Council who voted in the election and I have personal knowledge of the following challenge.
To submit, please click SAVE on the top right corner
Staff Response
IEA Dismissed
04-14-16
Created on April 12, 2016 at  4:45 PM (PDT). Last updated by Paramazian, Sevak on May  2, 2016 at  7:16 PM (PDT). Owned by Anonymous.
Anonymous
Sevak Paramazian
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