Though the 2020 election is nearly two years away, Santa Clarita and Los Angeles County residents will have the chance to provide input for the new vote centers at a meeting to be hosted Sunday at the Newhall Community Center by Black Women for Wellness.
“This is their opportunity to explain what’s convenient for them in terms of voting,” said Gloria Coulanges, communications and marketing coordinator at Black Women for Wellness. “Ways of getting to the polls aren’t always easy, so this is the chance for everyone to make their voices be heard and create a seamless process.”
Following an initial announcement last year for meetings to be held across L.A. County, community groups, including Black Women for Wellness, were asked to conduct meetings and receive input.
This meeting will focus heavily on Santa Clarita Valley neighborhoods, including Valencia, Val Verde, Sand Canyon and Castaic. Attendees will have access to maps and transportation information in making their decisions, Coulanges said.
Within an 11-day window that includes Election Day, ballots will be submitted digitally or through ballot marking devices at centers. Locations for vote centers will depend on their accessibility near public transportation routes for voters with disabilities, according to the law.
“New vote centers could be at restaurants, churches, schools,” Coulanges said. “Anywhere as long as it’s accessible.”
Though other meetings include an interpreter, Sunday’s meeting will only be presented in English. Those who are unable to attend and still wish to provide their input on vote center locations or the locations for future meetings can go to vsap.lavote.net.
A third meeting set on Jan. 9 at La Crescenta County Library will also focus on Santa Clarita.
The vote center model is set to be implemented in March 2020, coinciding with the California primary.
