Los Angeles County voters can now cast their primary election ballots in person at any of the more than 100 vote centers opening up on Saturday, May 23.
These 122 vote centers will be open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily through June 1, including on Memorial Day, for early voting. On Election Day, which is June 2, the centers will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
In addition to the 122 centers opening this weekend, hundreds more will open with the same operating hours starting Saturday, May 30, bringing the total number of vote centers in L.A. County to nearly 650.
Voters can also return their marked ballots at any of the more than 400 drop boxes found throughout L.A. County.
For vote center or drop box locations, visit locator.lavote.gov. There are links at the bottom of the page to toggle between vote center and drop box locations.
Vote centers provide additional services beyond simply offering voters the opportunity to vote in person or to drop off a completed vote-by-mail ballot.
Eligible voters who haven’t registered to vote can do so there. They’ll cast their vote using a conditional ballot, and once their registration application is validated, their ballot will be counted like all other ballots.
Voters can also request a replacement ballot or a ballot in one of 18 languages besides English, or ask questions before voting, at a vote center.
Because this year’s primary ballot is lengthy, the L.A. County registrar’s office is reminding voters they can save time by filling out an interactive sample ballot before heading to a vote center.
This optional tool allows voters to mark their choices on a smartphone or other electronic device and instantly transfer their votes to a ballot marking device once at a vote center using a “poll pass” QR code. No personal information about you is stored; only your ballot type and selections.
To access this sample ballot or to learn more, visit lavote.gov/home/voting-elections and click on “Interactive Sample Ballot” under “Voting Options.”
A third option for voting, besides going to a vote center or drop box, would be to place your completed ballot in a mailbox.
Election officials encourage voters who choose this option to do so early — some have suggested mailing in your ballot at least seven days before Election Day to ensure your ballot gets counted.
A ballot must be postmarked by Election Day and arrive at your local elections office by June 9, or seven days after the election. In some parts of the state, the U.S. Postal Service might not postmark your ballot until the next day, or deliver your ballot to the elections office on the same day, so it’s advised that you mail in your ballot early.
If you do wait until Election Day to mail your ballot, you’re encouraged to go inside a post office to ask a postal employee to postmark your ballot then and there.
To track your ballot so you know when it’s mailed out, received or counted, sign up for free at california.ballottrax.net for automatic notifications by text, email or voicemail.
California Secretary of State Shirley Weber said Thursday that more than 1.5 million vote-by-mail ballots had already been received statewide.
“This early participation shows California voters are engaged and taking advantage of expanded voting options,” Weber said. “If you haven’t already voted, make sure to vote by the deadline. Complete it, seal it, sign it, return it, and track it.”
Over 286,000 mail-in ballots returned by L.A. County voters had been accepted as of Thursday, according to the secretary of state’s office. More than 5.9 million ballots were mailed to registered voters in the county starting late last month.
For additional information about voting, contact the L.A. County registrar’s office at lavote.gov or 800-815-2666.