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Tuesday Is Your Last Chance To Register To Vote For L.A.'s March 7 Primary Election
Photo by Darren Shannon via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr
We would like to interrupt your previously scheduled grousing about the fall of the American presidency to remind you that local politics are really, really important, and Tuesday is your last chance to register to vote for the March 7 Los Angeles primary elections.
The mayorship and eight* city council seats are up for grabs, along with school board and Los Angeles Community College District trustee seats. Any race where no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote will be decided in a general election on May 16, according to Ballotpedia. A number of pivotal local measures will also be on the ballot, depending on where you live. Remember that terrible NIMBY ballot measure that we have literally been talking about since last August? It's now known as Measure S, and March 7 is your big chance to vote no fucking way on that mess.
We get it. National politics are about 100x sexier than municipal elections, and local council and school board races might sound a little dry—it's like you're watching Cinemax starring Sean Spicer and we're trying to get you to turn on PBS... but bear with us. Local elections are always important, but because of a scheduling quirk (city elections will shift to being held in even years starting in 2020), candidates elected in 2017 will serve special, longer than normal five-and-a-half year terms.
A pathetic 20.8% of Angelenos turned out for the city's last mayoral primary in 2013, so—lest we embarrass ourselves—please encourage your friends and family to vote. It's super easy to register (or make sure you are still registered). Just visit the L.A. County Clerk's website and click the giant button that says "Check If You Are Registered" and then fill in your information. If you know that you aren't already registered, you can click the "Register Now" button. See image below to dispel any possible confusion:
*Well, technically only seven seats are actually up for grabs, as Councilman Bob Blumenfield is running unopposed for the District 3 seat.
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If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
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.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
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