Poll Obstacles Discouraged Some Voters, Hahn Says

City Atty. and mayoral candidate James K. Hahn charged Thursday that voters in some areas of the city may not have cast ballots last November because of overcrowded, understaffed or out-of-the-way polling places.

Election officials may have violated federal law if avoidable obstacles kept people from voting, Hahn warned the city clerk in a letter that was short on detail.

It said several individuals and groups have complained to the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People that distant polling places, excessive lines and too few volunteers turned away an unspecified number of voters last fall.

At a West Adams news conference attended by NAACP officials, Hahn urged city officials to open more polling places and increase staffing for the local election April 10.

Hahn’s bid to become mayor counts on strong support from Central and South Los Angeles, where affection for the family name runs high.

The charges of voting irregularities seemed to puzzle City Clerk J. Michael Carey, who runs city elections. For one thing, he said, the Los Angeles County clerk’s office oversaw last fall’s general election. And the city attorney’s letter didn’t give him much to go on, he said, adding: “Without the specifics of the individual complaints, it’s hard to address the issue.”