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Los Angeles baseball fans starved for a visit to Chavez Ravine, take heart: Starting Oct. 30, the Dodgers are opening the gates to the Top Deck for voters who want to cast their ballots with a view of the diamond.
“It was a no brainer [for the organization],” said Dodgers President and co-owner Stan Kasten during a Thursday morning tour of the site. “All the players were super supportive about this. They’re very interested in being a part of the solution, and I’m proud of them for that.”
I’m at Dodger Stadium for a preview of their Top Deck @LACountyRRCC vote center, opening Oct. 30. Dodgers were 1st MLB team to lend their facility to voting. The whole concourse will be filled w/voting machines. Plenty of parking & space for distancing. & you can’t beat the view pic.twitter.com/Qt4uxxxiDX
— Libby Denkmann (@libdenk) September 24, 2020
Masks will be provided to voters who don't have one. Other safety precautions include hand sanitizer, one-directional foot traffic, cleaning of equipment after every use, and physical distancing on the outdoor concourse.
A number of L.A.’s professional sports venues have volunteered their cavernous spaces, mostly empty due to the COVID-19 pandemic, to serve as vote centers. They include Banc of California Stadium in Exposition Park, Staples Center and the new SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. The Pomona Fairplex is also hosting in-person voting. In Orange County, the Honda Center will be a vote center.
“We needed larger facilities to accommodate physical distancing and other public health guidelines to keep the voting experience safe and healthy,” said Secretary of State Alex Padilla.
A full list of L.A. County’s vote center locations will be available in early October, according to the Registrar-Recorder’s office.
The Dodger Stadium vote center will be open Oct. 30-Nov. 2 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Tuesday, Nov. 3 (Election Day) from 7 a.m. until the polls close at 8 p.m.
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