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What voters should know when heading to the polls
A woman drops her ballot into a ballot box on Monday at the Los Angeles County Registrar in Norwalk, Calif.
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Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
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Topline:
There are certain rules you need to follow if you plan to vote in-person or to deliver your ballot to a vote center or drop off box.
No electioneering: You’re not allowed to distribute, display, or wear any clothing or buttons that include a candidate’s name, image, or logo “in the immediate vicinity” of a person in line to vote or within 100 feet of the entrance of a polling place or ballot drop box. So no MAGA hats or Harris pins or any other campaign paraphernalia. This applies to ballot propositions, too. It also means you cannot verbally advocate while waiting to vote.
Voter eligibility: You’re not allowed to speak to a voter about their eligibility to vote.
Neutral place: The idea is to create a neutral environment for voters where they don’t feel intimidated or pressured to vote one way or another.
Selfies: You are allowed to take selfies with your ballot and share them on social media. The California Elections Code allows a voter to “voluntarily disclose how he or she voted if that voluntary act does not violate any other law.” At the same time, taking selfies may not interfere with voting, cannot be intimidating to other voters or election workers, and may not compromise the privacy of voters.
Mail-in ballots: Remember, vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 5 and received within seven days to be counted.
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Voter Game Plan: You can find L.A. County vote center and drop box locations via our handy, easy-to-use Voter Game Plan, where you can also find out about all of the races and ballot measures.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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