Designated polling stations a thing of the past: Here’s where to vote in the March 3 election
La Cañada voters won’t be required to check in at designated polling stations to participate in the March 3 election, as the county debuts a new system that lets people vote for an extended period at a number of locations countywide.
Representatives from the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder’s Office are busy spreading the word about the changes in this year’s election cycle. On Tuesday, civic engagement manager Jeff Klein explained what’s new to members of the La Cañada City Council.
“There are a lot of changes going on, and we’ve been able to improve the way we serve voters in Los Angeles County,” Klein told the council.
Registered voters will still receive sample ballots in the mail but will now be able to cast votes at any one of 250 voting centers throughout the county from Feb. 22 through March 3.
On the last four days of the election, about 1,000 voting centers in Los Angeles County will be accepting ballots. An electronic poll book lets workers search voters by name and retrieve the ballot with races local to the individual.
“It allows us to maintain the integrity of the election and to look up voters in poll books when they show up,” Klein said. “Now we’re able to tap right into our voter database.”
While citizens can check online at lavote.net for the center most convenient for them, La Cañada voters may cast ballots locally at City Hall (1 Civic Center Drive) on Feb. 24 and 25, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., or at the La Cañada Unified School District Board Room (4490 Cornishon Ave.) Feb. 29 to March 2, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Casting ballots now involves electronic “ballot marking devices” that curate voter responses and record them on a paper ballot that is stored inside a safe box in the machine and ultimately counted. Instructions are available in 13 languages, and an audio option with a braille touch pad is available for the visually impaired.
Those who receive vote-by-mail ballots may drop them off on the second floor of La Cañada City Hall anytime between now and Election Day, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday.
Additionally, California is accepting new voter registration until Feb. 18 and, for the first time ever, on Election Day, according to a new law passed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
