Dodger Stadium, Hollywood Pantages Among Several LA Landmarks Now Open As Vote Centers
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – Iconic landmarks across Los Angeles County opened their doors Friday to serve as vote centers where thousands of Angelenos will be able to cast their ballots.
The likes of Dodger Stadium, SoFi Stadium, Banc of California Stadium, the Hollywood Pantages, the Hollywood Palladium, the Magic Castle and USC's Galen Center opened Friday, and remain open daily through Election Day.
"It's about the experience for us," Heidi Novaes, a voter who dressed as Wonder Woman to cast her vote at Dodger Stadium, said. "We're excited to be here, and I think it's more important than ever that we demonstrate to get out the vote."
Staples Center, the Hollywood Bowl, the Music Center, the Hammer Museum, Universal Citywalk and The Forum are among vote centers which have been open for several days now.
There are now more than 760 vote centers across L.A. County. About 650 vote centers opened Friday, in addition to another 100 which already opened last week.
"I'm the first generation in my family to have this opportunity to come vote," said Jovanni Ventura Friday outside Banc of California Stadium, home of LAFC. "And then especially, to come vote at the stadium of my home team, that I support since day one, it's cool."
Voters at Banc of California Stadium were also being provided with personal protective equipment if they did not have it.
Meanwhile, at the Hollywood Pantages, voters were walking out with Hamilton-themed "I Voted" stickers.
Any registered voter in L.A. County can cast a ballot at any vote center, regardless of location and the voter's home address. Residents can either use the voting machines at the center or drop off a mail-in ballot.
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According to the L.A. County Registrar-Recorder's Office, nearly 2 million ballots had already been received as of Wednesday, roughly five times the number that were returned by this point in 2016's presidential election.
"Get up and go vote," LaVerne Pearl, a voter who cast her ballot at the Forum in Inglewood, said. "Young people, please, get out and go vote."
And while the office said there were a few voting locations that experienced technical issues Friday morning, they were cleared up by the afternoon.
According to the L.A. County Registrar, a tally of all vote-by-mail ballots, including those deposited in drop boxes, received prior to Election Day, will be released within 30 minutes of the polls closing at 8 p.m. on Nov. 3.
A short time later, a tally will be released of all in-person ballots cast at vote centers ahead of Nov. 3.
Down in Anaheim, a super vote site has opened at the Honda Center, home of the Anaheim Ducks. There are also another 167 voting centers in Orange County.
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According to the California Secretary of State's Office, county election officials this year were authorized to begin opening and processing vote-by-mail ballots up to 29 days before Election Day, although no results can be released until after the polls close on Tuesday.
For a map of voting centers and their hours, click here.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
