West Hollywood To Host LA County Mock Election Event

From the City of West Hollywood:

As part of the City of West Hollywood’s continuous efforts to increase voter participation, the City is encouraging community members to participate in the upcoming county-wide Mock Election, in which voters of all ages (from 5 to 105!) are encouraged to be the first to see and interact with Los Angeles County’s new voting system, Voting Solutions for All People. The City’s Mock Election event will take place on Saturday, September 28 and Sunday, September 29, 2019 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Plummer Park’s Fiesta Hall, located at 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard.

Beginning with 2020 elections, traditional “polling places” will be replaced by 1,000 “polling centers” which allow Los Angeles County residents to vote at any one of the polling center locations over an eleven day period.

The County will also be rolling out the custom designed Voting Solutions for All People voting system which combines the benefits of technology for an easy and accessible voting experience with a paper ballot. In this mock election experience, participants will be voting on non-political issues like their favorite song, park, or animal – a completely non-partisan election (unless you get comments from the competing Canine Party or Feline Party who are currently running neck and neck in a non-existent poll).

The new system will feature a Ballot Marking Device which makes it easier for voters to customize the voting experience to fit their needs. Voters can access 13 languages, adjust the touch screen to a comfortable angle, change the display settings such as text size and contrast or go through the ballot using the audio headset and control pad. A paper ballot is required to use the Ballot Marking Device. Security remains a top priority for L.A. County, that’s why this device is not connected to a network or the internet. The easy-to-follow instructions can guide any voter through the voting process without the need for assistance.

Previously, voters with mobility or visual challenges were asked to go to a separate voting booth; not any more. The Ballot Marking Device provides all the accessibility features previously available and upgrades them all into one device.

This new system will also include an optional tool that will help speed up the voting process. The Interactive Sample Ballot is a convenient option for voters who want to access and mark their selections prior to arriving at the vote center. Using a computer, mobile phone, or personal digital device, voters’ can review their ballot information and make their selections. After going through the selection process the Interactive Sample Ballot creates a Poll Pass (QR code) – like an airline boarding pass.

At the vote center, voters scan the Poll Pass to transfer their selections to the Ballot Marking Device (BMD). Then, a review screen will display allowing voters a chance to make changes or cast their ballot. This is not online voting. Voters will still need to take their poll pass to a vote center to complete the voting process.

Another change being implemented is the addition of Electronic Pollbooks (ePollbook) which will replace the printed list of voters and will be used by vote center staff to verify the registration eligibility of a voter in real time. Additionally, ePollbooks will indicate if a voter has already voted anywhere in the County and will not allow voting at multiple locations. The ePollbooks will also allow the option of Conditional Voter Registration, which enables a voter to register and vote on the same day.

The voter information on the ePollbooks is not connected to the Ballot Marking Device or the tally system. They remain independent from one another to protect a voter's personal information. Printed ballots do not contain any voter information.

Voter registration forms may be obtained at West Hollywood City Hall during regular hours and at this mock election event. The City’s elections page, www.weho.org/elections, provides detailed election information and links to the California Secretary of State’s Voter Registration page, the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder’s website, and links to find specific information about how to apply to vote by mail, a polling place locator, and sample ballots.

For more information, please call the City of West Hollywood’s City Clerk’s Office at (323) 848-6409, visit the City’s Elections page at www.weho.org/elections, or call the California Secretary of State’s Voter Hotline toll-free at (800) 345-VOTE (8683). For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496. For up-to-date news and events, follow the City of West Hollywood on social media @WeHoCity and sign up for news updates at www.weho.org/email.