With lines rivaling those of the Post Office at Christmas time, voters waited patiently to cast ballots throughout Malibu Tuesday in an election many constituents believed not only would determine the future of the nation, but that would hold the future of the city at stake.
Election workers reported turnout to be double that of last year’s election, and spirits of voters built momentum throughout the day.
“Malibu should stay the way it is,” declared Dave Whiteside just after casting his ballot, adding that he had “voted Democratic all the way.
Whiteside said he voted for Proposition P because people are moving in from the city and “they don’t want goats and chickens and horses. What they do want is to speed down PCH at 70 miles per hour.”
But Joe Di Vincenzo, who moved to Malibu in January, charged that Proposition P “creates a kind of constipation.”
He said he voted against Proposition P because he “puts children first,” and believes in responsible, smart growth.
“Malibu should really think about a plan and work with developers,” said Vincenzo, who said putting planning issues into public hands will take the focus away from intelligent and proper development.
Mary Lou Walbergh said she crossed party lines voting for George W. Bush for president and Dianne Feinstein for senator, but when it came to local issues she had stronger opinions.
“There’s such a thing as too much Democracy,” she said. “City residents get involved in too many issues as it is … every time anyone wants to make a development, are we going to put it to a vote? I voted ‘No’ on P and ‘Yes’ on N. The City Council doesn’t listen to the city attorney when he tells them that things are illegal. I was one of those people who was against cityhood and I still think we were better off in the hands of competent scoundrels than we are in the hands of well-meaning but incompetent neighbors.”
Voters appeared to take their responsibility as citizens seriously, though many dressed capriciously for the occasion, wearing coonskin caps and tie-dyed shirts at the Courthouse polling place, and black lace evening gowns and sneakers at St. Aidan’s, further north.
It was the first time Kyle Erickson, 18, voted, as he arrived with his mother, Barbara.
Erickson said he voted for Ralph Nader for president because “I believe that Gore failed to live up to environmental policies, and Bush is incompetent on abortion and the environment.”
His mother canceled his vote, however, by casting her ballot for Gore.
“We need to stick with Democratic policies,” she said. “Nader can’t win and I’m terrified of Bush.”
Although some voters complained they received too much political mail, many of those interviewed said they were abstaining from voting on issues they did not understand which often included the three local propositions, N, O, and P.
“I voted for Gore for president, but I haven’t lived in Malibu long enough to fully understand the propositions,” said Dawn Martel. “There are so many details that seem to conflict with each other. I want Malibu to remain the way it is.”
However well-intentioned they might have been, some voters confessed they made some illogical leaps when they punched their choices into the ballot.
“I voted for van De Hoek for City Council,” said Steve Rosenfeld. “I know that Barovsky is the incumbent. I guess I thought van De Hoek would be more of an environmentalist, but it was an uninformed vote.”
Paula Sumpter said she based her presidential selection not on characteristics of the two major contenders, but on those of their running mates.
“I actually voted for the Vice President,” she said. “I like Lieberman, and the only way he can get in is if I vote for Gore for president.”
On finite details of the complex city development propositions, some voters threw up their hands in a move to let the courts decide.
“I voted for both,” exclaimed Miriam Ippolito. “I know they cancel each other out, but if either of them carries and the courts uphold the vote, the people will have more say than they do now.”
Frank and Carol Thomas, voting at the Duke’s Restaurant precinct, took the opposite approach.
“Given a choice, we would have voted against both,” they said. However, when pressed, they voted for N “because we opposed P even more.”
As cars began whizzing in and out of the precinct parking lot, voting lines became more chatty and excitement began to build. Parents brought children and relaxed and cracked jokes as they signed in at Malibu High School.
“Emma, voted twice,” said Christopher Cooper, holding his young daughter’s hand. “She’s been voting since she was 6.”
Meanwhile, at the balloon-bedecked Republican headquarters, as the telephone tree brigade began winding down, the party was just beginning. Two television sets flickered in the 25- by 40-foot headquarters room in an office across PCH from the Malibu pier.
As they nibbled on smoky links, taquitos, jalapeno poppers, barbecued weenies and chocolates, the mood of the volunteers changed as returns poured in from Eastern states where Republicans were monitoring returns on two television sets. One was tuned to CNN, which was predicting that Bush would win the Presidential race, and the other tuned to NBC, where Tom Brokaw was predicting that Gore would win.
“We are having a fantastic time,” exclaimed Lyllis Hill, chairperson of the Malibu Republican Women, Federated. “But right now, I am preferring to watch CNN.”
Staff writer Sylvie Belmond contributed to this story.