With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Local Dems Concerned Too Few Voters Know About LA County’s Election Changes
Assemblyman Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles) speaks at an L.A. County Democratic Party press conference on Fri., Feb. 28, 2020. Local Democrats worry many Angelenos are unaware of changes affecting where they will vote. (Kyle Stokes/LAist)
()
You have just a few days left to cast a ballot in California’s March 3 primary, and L.A. County Democratic Party officials are asking this: Do you know where you’ll be voting?
This election, L.A. County has opened almost 1,000 “vote centers,” which are replacing traditional polling places. Voters can cast their ballot at any one of these centers, not just the location closest to their home. And many of these locations are already open; there’s no need to wait until Election Day.
But that also means many of the roughly 4,800 neighborhood precinct locations from past elections aren’t open this year.
On Friday, Democratic party officials said they’re concerned by public polls suggesting many L.A. County residents remain unaware of this overhaul in the voting system.
Support for LAist comes from
Voters “don’t know that you can vote [for] a longer period of time,” said Mark Gonzalez, chair of the county Democratic party. “They don’t know that you can vote at any location, because we’re used to voting near our home.”
On Wednesday, Loyola Marymount University released poll numbers showing more than half of L.A. County residents were completely unaware of the switch to vote centers. Roughly one-third of respondents said they “had heard about it, but do not know the details.”
As part of its switch to the vote center model, L.A. County has rolled out new touchscreen ballot marking devices. (TAKE A LISTEN: We took one of the new voting machines out for a spin the other day.)
Gonzalez stressed that in races with more than four candidates, voters will have to press the “More” button in order to advance through the full list of choices.
WHERE CAN I VOTE? HOW HAS VOTING CHANGED? WE CAN HELP:
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
What do stairs have to do with California’s housing crisis? More than you might think, says this Culver City councilmember. -
Yes, it's controversial, but let me explain. -
Doctors say administrator directives allow immigration agents to interfere in medical decisions and compromise medical care. -
The Palisades Fire erupted on Jan. 7 and went on to kill 12 people and destroy more than 6,800 homes and buildings. -
People moving to Los Angeles are regularly baffled by the region’s refrigerator-less apartments. They’ll soon be a thing of the past. -
Experts say students shouldn't readily forgo federal aid. But a California-only program may be a good alternative in some cases.
Best of LAist