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Human Voter Guide: Here's how to get ready for Election Day
FILE PHOTO: Joana Briones places signs into supply tubs on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2014 at Los Angeles County's Elections Operations Center in Santa Fe Springs.
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Human Voter Guide: Here's how to get ready for Election Day
The big day is almost here — voters across Los Angeles County head to the polls tomorrow to vote on key seats and ballot measures.
In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti is on the ballot facing 10 challengers and eight City Council seats will go before voters. City voters will also decide the fate of measures on marijuana regulations, the future of development and harbor department leases.
Los Angeles County voters will also vote on a sales tax measure to fund homeless services.
To help you get ready, we are back with the Human Voter Guide, our question-and-answer feature about California elections. The Human Voter Guide answers your voting questions on KPCC's Take Two and on the Human Voter Guide webpage.
Now on to the questions:
Q: How do I figure out where to vote?
You can check the election materials that came in the mail for your voting location. Your sample ballot pamphlet will have your polling place printed on it. For Los Angeles County voters, look on the back where your address is printed.
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As an alternative, you can look up your voting location online.
And as a last resort, keep in mind that so long as you’re registered to vote in L.A. County, you can walk into any polling location and cast a provisional ballot. Those provisional ballots will be double checked for eligibility, and as long as they are eligible, they will be counted along with all the other votes.
Q: I planned to vote by mail but would rather vote in person. What are my options?
If you have a vote by mail ballot and would rather vote in person, just bring it with you to your polling place.
You also still have the option to mail in that ballot. It needs to be postmarked by tomorrow, Tuesday, March 7, to be counted. One first-class stamp gets it there.
Q: What's new for 2017?
This year is a big one for new election rules. A couple of changes to be aware of:
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• Selfies are now allowed! This was previously illegal in California, but now you can freely take photos of yourself with your ballot.
• Same day voter registration is now in effect in California. If you are not currently registered to vote, you can now register and cast a ballot on election day if you go to the county headquarters. This is a great new option for anyone who missed the deadline to register.
In Los Angeles County, the county headquarter's address is 12400 Imperial Hwy, Norwalk, CA 90650. They'll be open until 8 p.m. tomorrow.
Q: Are same-day registration votes counted the same way as those cast by people who registered in advance?
Same-day registration is called “conditional registration." Those who take advantage of this will be casting a provisional ballot. Election officials will double check their eligibility to vote. Once that's verified, their votes will be counted like everyone else's.
Q: I still don't know how I want to vote. Where can I go for help?
Voter's Edge is KPCC's voter guide and a great online resource. You can plug in your information and get personalized voting help for your ballot. The site has details like the candidates' priorities, professional experience and their endorsements.
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If you find non-partisan endorsements helpful, also check out the Los Angeles Times editorial board's choices.
Q: Any other tips?
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. tomorrow. If you have a question about voting, you can call your county elections office. For L.A. County, that number is 800-815-2666. Check this list for contact information in other counties.
Series: Human Voter Guide
Municipal elections will be held across Los Angeles County on March 7. To help you navigate the way, we revive KPCC's Human Voter Guide, a series of questions-and-answers about California elections.
Have a question? Email our senior political reporter Mary Plummer, tweet her @maryplummer or leave a voice mail or text at 323-538-5722.
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Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
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