SCV residents get chance to give input on voter centers next month

A voter puts her ballot into the box at Fire Station 73 in Newhall on Tuesday. Katharine Lotze/Signal
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The November election just ended, but the quest to find the most accessible and convenient vote centers for the 2020 election continues — and local voters have upcoming opportunities to provide their input.

Last month, Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan announced that 33 community meetings would take place across the region, including in the Santa Clarita Valley.

The first meeting, held in the San Fernando Valley on Nov. 17, included focus areas like Santa Clarita and Stevenson Ranch, where residents had the chance to discuss and provide input on potential center locations.

The meeting with a heavy focus on multiple SCV neighborhoods, including Valencia, Canyon Country and San Franciscquito Canyon, is scheduled from noon to 2 p.m. on Jan. 6 at the Newhall Community Center, located at 22421 Market St. A third meeting that includes Santa Clarita is scheduled from 7 to 9 p.m. on Jan. 9 at La Crescenta County Library, at 2809 Foothill Blvd.

“These meetings are really for residents to understand that they’re driving the changes,” said Mary Cusick, the Santa Clarita city clerk.

The community gatherings will provide an overview of the new voting model, which the county is set to implement in March 2020.

This is to comply with the California Voter’s Choice Act that passed in 2016. The new law was set up to modernize elections in the state “by allowing counties to conduct elections under a new model which provides greater flexibility and convenience for voters,” according to the Secretary of State’s office.

The new election model would allow voters to choose when, where and how to vote by mailing them each a ballot, offering an 11-day voting period and allowing the casting of ballots at any vote center within the County.

L.A. County will implement the system in 2020 but five counties used the model for the 2018 elections, including San Mateo, Napa and Sacramento. While certifying results is unlikely on election night, the new system triggered delays in election results due in part to an increase in voter turnout.

“L.A. County would have a different experience because we have such a large voting pool,” said Brenda Duran, a spokeswoman for the office of the county’s Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. “That’s why we are seeking feedback and conducting research to best understand our area so that we’re prepared.”

For more information and for the complete list of vote center community meetings, visit vsap.lavote.net.

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