Resident 5 Minutes Late to Polls, Unable to Vote

An Elk Grove resident says he was silenced Tuesday by the city's traffic.

Anthony Moseley, a soft-spoken bus driver for Elk Grove's e-tran system, arrived at City Hall at 8:05 p.m. and was turned away from the polls, unable to cast his vote.

"I just got off work," Moseley said. "I can't believe all that traffic. Every light in town caught me."

He said he was looking forward to casting a vote for Sophia Scherman, a city council member running for mayor.

"She makes you feel like you're from Elk Grove," he said. "She's not real big city."

Nikeyta Gorman, the Inspector in charge of the polling place, said elections rules stipulate that any voter not in line when polls closed at 8 p.m. must be turned away. She said late voters may insist to vote by a provisional ballot, but it "probably wouldn't count."

Election Day was a very different experience for another voter at City Hall.

Surjit Bhaura said she and her family have lived in Elk Grove for eight years, but just received U.S. citizenship last year.

"This is my first time voting," Bhaura said. "I'm excited to vote."

She declined to say who she voted for, but said she felt good about participating in the country's political system.

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