This Car Dealership Will Turn Into A Voting Center On Saturday

The primary election is in two weeks, but changes to voting regulations mean that hundreds of Los Angeles County’s new vote centers are opening as early as Saturday.

Many are at schools and libraries, but some are not where you'd expect – for instance, shopping malls, art museums, hotels and even Henrick Aghajanian’s IMX car dealership in Burbank. Aghajanian says his dealership is conveniently located for commuters.

“Most people pass by here... going to work,” he said, pointing at busy Victory Boulevard from his car lot.

This week, Aghajanian will clear out the three cars inside his showroom to fit voters for 11 days beginning Saturday. Some other vote centers won’t open until Feb. 29.

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He says he started thinking about doing this in 2016, after being asked by his teenaged twins if he’d cast a ballot.

“I was very embarrassed and said no, and that's when I told myself that, ‘Next time, not only I will vote, but also turn my place into a voting station,’” he said.

Under the new voting regulations, you don’t have to go to a polling place in your precinct. So anyone in L.A. County can vote at IMX, although many residents and nearby workers aren’t aware of the dealership’s plans.

“I think it's very weird, but I'm glad they're doing that,” said Janet Ruiz, who works at an electrical supply store across the street from IMX. “Hopefully some other places open up. Maybe a Starbucks or something.”

GO DEEPER:

• The Voter Game Plan (LAist)
• Los Angeles And OC Vote Centers: Where To Go For The 2020 Primary Election (LAist)