Polls Open Until 8 p.m. for Banning Unified School Board Election Voters

Polls in Banning and Cabazon were expected to remain open until 8 p.m. Tuesday for the Banning Unified School District board of trustees election, inspectors and volunteers at a half-dozen voting locations in Banning said.

Traffic was 'slow but steady' Tuesday at polling locations in Banning, voting supervisors said.

"It's been going ok but not a lot of people," Barbara Patz, an inspector at one of two precincts in the Sun Lakes community, said shortly before 5 p.m. "We have so many that vote by mail. . . . it's a very slow election. We expect many more people next year. As you can see we do have several people still coming in."

Vickie Sellers, 56, a lifelong Banning resident, voted Tuesday evening at the Banning Estates precinct.

"I've been voting since I was 18 in high school, and I've never missed an election, and I take voting very seriously, and everybody else should, too," Sellers said.

"Your vote does count and it does mean something to put on the 'I Voted' sticker," Sellers said. "If you can't drive, absentee voter is the way to go."

The Banning school board election is of special local concern, Sellers said.

"Children are our future and if we stop caring we give up that future," Sellers said. "Our children are everything."

Precinct Inspector Captain Ray, 74, said voter turnout Tuesday was light compared to other elections.

"This is the school board, it is a small election, other elections are very, very busy, so this is slow in comparison," Ray said.

The seven polling places in Banning and Cabazon were supposed to be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, according to the registrar.

The polling places are:

- Banning Senior Center Multi-Purpose Room, 769 N. San Gorgonio Ave., Banning

- Our Savior's Lutheran Church, 1320 W. Williams St., Banning

- Sun Lakes Country Club North Clubhouse, 545 Twin Hills Drive, Banning

- Sun Lakes Country Club South Clubhouse, 5925 Myrtle Beach Drive, Banning

- Banning Estates Clubhouse, 3800 W. Wilson St., Banning

- James A Venable Community Center, 50390 Carmen Ave., Cabazon

- Calvary Church Of God In Christ, 1415 E. Ramsey St., Banning

The total number of registered voters eligible to cast ballots on Tuesday in the Banning school board election is 12,104, according to figures released Monday by the registrar.

The seven Banning school board candidates qualified with the registrar of voters and appearing on the ballot are Alfredo Andrade, Alex Cassadas, Ray Curtis, Deborah Dukes, Larry Ellis, Maxine Israel, and David Vanden Heuvel.

A printable pdf sample ballot for the Banning Unified School District board of trustees election is attached to this report.

For reports on the candidates and views they expressed at forums held in October, start and .