Voting snafu trips up California governor

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger showed up Tuesday at his Brentwood polling station on the west side of Los Angeles to cast his ballot in the special election — and was told he already had voted. In Pasadena.

Elections officials said a Los Angeles County poll worker had entered Schwarzenegger's name into an electronic-voting touch-screen station in Pasadena on Oct. 25. The worker, who was not identified, was testing the voting machine to prepare for early voting that began the next day.

Schwarzenegger's name then was placed on a list of people who had voted, said Conny McCormack, the Los Angeles County registrar.

Schwarzenegger's aides learned of the problem when they arrived Tuesday to survey the governor's polling station.

When the governor showed up later, a poll worker said he would have to use a "provisional" ballot that allows elections workers to verify later whether two votes were cast by the same person.

Schwarzenegger insisted on using a regular ballot and was allowed to do so.

McCormack said she apologized to the governor's staff and would investigate what happened. She said the governor's vote will be counted.