Morning Brief: Voting Centers Open Up Tomorrow

Good morning, L.A. It’s May 27.

Whew. It’s been one helluva tough week, y’all. (Deep inhale. Deep exhale.) We’ve finally made it to Memorial Day Weekend. We needed this break. I don’t know about you, but this week made me so angry, especially with all the new developments of the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting story. I’m ready to do something to make things shake, even if it’s just in my backyard. I know I’m not alone in feeling like this. You know how I know?

Yesterday hundreds of high school students at El Camino Real Charter High School in Woodland Hills walked out this morning to demand stronger gun control laws from our nation’s lawmakers. LAist’s Arantza Peña Popo said the protest was led by the San Fernando Valley chapter of Students Demand Action which is a nationwide organization of students fighting to end gun violence. There have been students in Michigan and in Cleveland that have also walked out as a response to the Uvalde shooting.

Right now it seems like everyone wants some action. One way you and I can have a part in making change happen is by voting in the L.A.’s primary election. Tomorrow, Saturday, May 28 is the first day to vote for the primary election at your voting center. Not sure where your closest voting center is? Me neither (even though I’m from here, I haven’t lived here since I was a child and I just moved here from another state). Well, follow me friends. It’s time we both find out!

First of all, you should start at our FAQ guide on how to vote in L.A. for the June 7 primary election. Just a reminder, because we are still in a pandemic, voting by mail is encouraged. If you are a registered voter in California, you should have received a vote-by-mail. Some folks received theirs months ago, but I got mine a few weeks ago. You can check where your ballot is in our guide.

Where To Vote

However, if you prefer to vote in person, here are the vote centers in L.A. County and Orange County. Since I live in a city in South L.A., I was able to type in my address and find a voting center less than a mile away from me! I can literally take a 16-minute stroll in the lovely L.A. sunshine to my voting center. What’s convenient about these voting centers is you can register to vote, get help in multiple languages, replace a lost or damaged ballot and make changes to your registration.

The Candidates And Issues

It looks like there’s a lot to vote on, so I think the next thing I will do is look through the guide and the conversations with some of the Board of Supervisors and L.A. mayoral candidates. The next thing I want to do is see where the mayoral candidates stand on issues I find important like what they plan to do about the homelessness crisis, problems with the LAPD and communities of color and their approach to climate change as it pertains to water conservation, And guess what we have that makes it easy to do so? A Meet Your Mayor Quiz! Take the quiz and let us know your thoughts about it.

One Last Step

Now that I’ve seen what candidates share my same views, I’m going to fill out a sample ballot here. I’m going to print my sample ballot off at my local library and take it with me to the polls!

Just a quick note: My colleague Brianna Lee will be bringing you Voting Game Plan coverage leading up to the June 7 primary election. Stay tuned for her insightful coverage.

As always, stay happy and healthy, folks. There’s more news below the fold.

What Else You Need To Know Today

• Daily COVID Cases have topped over 6,000, Los Angeles County reported. 
• Brittany Mostiller is just one of many women who sought to have an abortion, was denied one and risked poverty. She and her kids suffered through financial hardship. Her story is one of many.  
• More than double the usual amount of passenger traffic are expected to travel through LAX for Memorial Day weekend, said airport spokesperson Heath Montgomery. His advice? Arrive early, reserve parking in advance and continue to follow COVID safety measures. 
• Did you know that deaths among unhoused 18-29 year olds more than doubled in two years according to a study from the L.A. County Department of Public Health? Now there’s a campaign led by a group of young people in the Westlake neighborhood of L.A. that is demanding changes and action.
• Senior Reporter Jill Replogle joined David and Marketa Daley for three days in April as they hiked the entire Pacific Crest Trail…with three of their toddlers in tow. Can you even imagine that? Read about how the Daley family makes it work on a long hike here.
  

Before You Go ... Consider The Palos Verdes blue butterfly

Did you know that one of the world's rarest butterfly species can only be found in Palos Verdes? The Palos Verdes blue is small — about the size of a postage stamp — and, you guessed it, the color blue. During the spring, it can be seen fluttering along the Peninsula.

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Marcos Trinidad

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For years, the PV Blue was believed to be extinct. But then it was found again. Its whole fascinating story can be heard in the LAist podcast Human/ Nature — a beautiful series that explores the outdoors in the city. You can listen to it here and find it anywhere you get your podcasts.

Best things to do this Memorial Day Weekend in Los Angeles and SoCal: May 27 - 30

One of my favorite things to do in any city is bike around town. This upcoming Saturday is a great day to enjoy a breezy 5-mile ride that starts at Victory Park Recreation Center parking lot in Pasadena to wrap up Bike Month Pasadena. Its flat ride ends at “La Pin” where families can enjoy good food and celebration hosted by Pasadena’s Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department.

Check out more events here.