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Where L.A. Votes: Polling Places, From the Sublime to the Ridiculous
Did you cast your ballot in a church foyer today? Maybe it was at the local elementary school, recreation center, or senior center. There are plenty of run-of-the-mill polling places at which Angelenos cast their votes, but then we are also home to a few unique places where voters are turning in their ballots.
We've heard about a polling place at a McDonald's, and, from the more ridiculous to the sublime, the 90049's Luxe Hotel, who are making Election Day quite luxurious:
The hotel’s polling station will be located in the festive Luxe Sunset ballroom. Hotel guests and local residents (anyone in the 90049 zip code) who stop by the hotel on November 6 will be treated to Election Day specials that include complimentary valet parking, a voucher for 15% off a future dinner at On Sunset restaurant, special room rates and hors d’oeuvres throughout the day such as coffee, muffins and festive finger foods.
A very famous hotel also served as a polling place today; one reader emailed us about her experience voting at the Beverly Hills Hotel:
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I wasn't sure what to expect: was I going to have to pay for valet parking? Fortunately, they coned off part of the street for voter parking, and the polling location within the hotel was well-marked and easy to find, and not busy at all. There was no line, though a bit of a wait from some confused volunteers trying very hard to get everything just right. Having moved from NYC in 2011, this was my first time ever voting in LA County, and it's the nicest and certainly most luxurious voting experience I've ever had!
We asked readers where they voted today, and, besides the requisite "on my couch" replies from the vote-by-mail camp, and their polling places included: A CoCo's restaurant in Montebello, an old folks home, and a golf club. Someone tweeted that a rug store was used as a polling place.
UPDATED: We're hearing from you about more interesting polling places!
@LAist I moved to #DTLA and today I voted at The Midnight Mission in Skid Row: http://t.co/V6OG8Dwh
— Kirk Diedrich (@KirkDiedrich) November 6, 2012
@LAist I voted in a real estate office that smelled like fish. #patriotism
— Motorhead PRO CHOICE AF Mama (@MotorHeadMama) November 6, 2012
And from our Facebook page: "A residential garage in my neighborhood. It was kinda awesome," said one poster. Similarly, another poster said: "The dining room of a neighbors house. About an hour wait but it was cool."
But this one might take the cake: "mine was definitely on the ridiculous side: a chicken and pizza place on magnolia."
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Where did you turn in your ballot today?
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