Reports of a staff member for Supervisor Katrina Foley interacting with voters at a UC Irvine polling site sparked furor from Orange County Republicans, who accused the staffer Tuesday of violating election law against campaigning.
“The @OCRegistrar needs to take immediate action,” the OC Republican Party wrote on X at around 5.30 p.m. “A staffer for candidate Katrina Foley is approaching and talking to voters in line at UCI and claiming that he’s acting as an employee of the County.
“This is some rank, bush league cheating by @KatrinaFoley,” OCGOP wrote.
The post included a photo of the staffer’s ID and another showing him speaking to voters.
OC Registrar of Voters Bob Page said he received OCGOP’s report and is working on addressing it.
He noted that county election law prohibits explicit political activity within 100 feet of a polling site, including displaying campaign signs and literature, soliciting votes or speaking to voters about ballot marking.
Foley is running for re-election in District 5 against Assemblymember Diane Dixon.
Alyssa Napuri, Foley’s deputy chief of staff, said the staffer was at the polling site only to provide information to voters about where to line up, how to register and cast a ballot.
“He’s not campaigning in any shape or form,” Napuri said. “He’s not telling people to vote for Katrina Foley.”
Napuri said the campaign decided to remove the staffer from the polling site for his own safety after the OCGOP doxed his identity online.
County spokesperson Molly Nichelson said the CEO’s office is aware of the situation with the staffer but did not confirm whether the office took any action.
Editor’s note: The story was updated to clarify the staff member’s role.