The Rio Hondo Democratic Club hosted a community meeting on Aug. 21 to educate voters on Voting Solutions for All People– Los Angeles County’s new voting system that will be used throughout the county in the 2020 election.
Special guest speakers at the meeting included Congresswoman Linda Sanchez of Norwalk and Phillip Verbera from Los Angeles Registrars-Recorder County Clerk Governmental and Legislative Affairs Office.
The new voting model will move voters away from pre-printed paper rosters and in its place provide real time access to the voter data at all voting locations that will make same-day voter registration easier.
“I fully support any mechanism that will get people to vote,” Sanchez stated.
Voting Solution for All People was designed to make voting easier, user friendly, and accessible to all. The goal is to increase voter turnout and eliminate errors.
Voters will be able to vote at any vote center throughout the Los Angeles County with full language services and expanded accessibility using a touch screen, audio instructions, and a controller with braille labels.
This new system will have flexible options, allowing voters up to eleven days to vote at any one of the vote centers throughout Los Angeles County.
Primotivo Castro, President of the Rio Hondo Democratic Club, said, “Traditionally marginalized communities such as Latinos, African Americans and Asian Americans have struggled to vote during election season.”
“This new voting system will provide these communities with the right to vote as they will not have to worry about taking the day off, finding a sitter and other factors that hindered the right to vote in the past,” said Castro.
The system offers interactive sample ballots that will speed up voting time by allowing a voter to pre-mark their selection on a computer or mobile device and generate a poll pass. Voters then use their mobile device to scan their poll pass at a ballot marking device and review their selections before finalizing their vote.
The new ballot marking devices allow voters to adjust a number of settings, including contrast, text size, screen angle, audio volume and speed.
The new tally system will use an image processing technology to capture and store ballot images to ensure accurate reporting results.
This new voting system will soon take effect, ensuring that the upcoming elections are easier and accessible to all.
Los Angeles County will have one thousand vote centers county wide.
Voters can still Vote by Mail where postage will not be required to vote by mail in Los Angeles County.
The registrars’ office will have 150 drop off locations where voters can drop off their vote by mail ballots.
Rio Hondo Democratic Club has 120 members that range from Pico Rivera to Pomona.