Los Angeles County is committed to making it easy and safe for every eligible resident to vote. As part of this, they have initiated a county-wide ‘Make a plan to vote’ initiative that provides voters with simple information on the available options of casting their votes securely. The early vote begins on October 26th and voters are allowed to go to the designated Vote Centers from 10 AM to 7 PM until November 4th, with extended hours of operation on the Election Day from 7 AM to 8 PM.
Vote Centers in all areas of Los Angeles County are designed in such a way that it is easy, safe, and more convenient to cast one’s vote. Besides enabling the voters to vote in person these centers allow the voters to return their mail-in ballots within the premises as well. In advance of each election, early voting is available at the Norwalk Headquarters, right off the Metro, for 29 days before every election and helps residents vote either in person or use the Ballot Drop Box located at the north end of the building. The address for the Norwalk Headquarters is readily located at 12400 Imperial Highway, Room 3002, Norwalk, CA 90650, which is open from Mondays through Fridays from 8 am to 5 pm, and is closed on Public Holidays.
The County has put in place health and safety measures to ensure that voters and election workers are protected. COVID-19 guidelines ask that voters consider wearing face coverings, in addition, surfaces, and ballot marking devices are disinfected after each use. Keeping a distance from one another is also observed in order to keep the environment safe for all the voters. Further, a “Safe Election Plan” and “Vote Center Safety Reference Guide” have also been developed for the purpose of ensuring that all health measures are observed.
To relieve the lengthy waiting in line at the check-in desk, a voter can print out ‘Quick Check-in Code’ available after providing personal details online. This code, printed on Sample Ballots and Vote Center mailers, enables a quicker check-in process by allowing any individual to scan the code at the Vote Center.
Electioneering near polling places including, within 100 feet of the entrance to a Vote Center and around the ballot drop boxes is prohibited. Displaying candidate signs, corridor blocking, idling, handing out campaign materials, and other forms of voter’s intimidation can be fined or even jailed. These restrictions promote a conducive environment for voting where voters can cast their votes without any interference, harassment or intimidation.
In the same vein, any attempts to compromise the process of voting in any way are equally outlawed. Some of these illegal practices include, but are not limited to, fraud in elections, petty corruption, casting illegal votes, campaigning, and alteration of voting machines or results. In addition, they impose restrictions against carrying weapons into the voting sites, except where special cases apply, where brick and mortar or other unauthorized persons are not permitted and prohibited from attending dressed in security outfits around the voting centers. Intimidation of any voter regarding their status, alteration of official ballots, cut out from voting containers, or coercion of the voter especially in cases of guardianship over the elderly and illiterate individuals, is criminalized. It is also illegal for employers to intimidate their employees about how they vote or take ballots home and precinct board members are also prohibited from revealing the votes cast by the electorates.
For any further concerns or help, the locals may reach the Registrar-Recorder’s office at 1-800-815-2666 or send an email to voterinfo@rrcc.lacounty.gov. In these ways, Los Angeles County is working towards ensuring that every resident is able to vote without any hitches and in a safe manner.
