LA County vote centers are open now, and 523 more open on Oct. 31 ahead of the Nov. 3 general election. Voters can drop off a ballot, get a replacement or register in person at any of them.
The first group of 123 centers opened on the weekend of Oct. 24, as the Daily News reported. The county registrar lists the full schedule and a locator at lavote.gov.
LA County vote centers: hours and services
Centers keep their doors open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day through Nov. 2. On Election Day, Nov. 3, they open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Hours can differ by site, so check the locator first.
Staff can also issue a replacement ballot or one in your preferred language. They can register new voters and hand out provisional ballots. In addition, they help with other voting problems.
If you missed the registration deadline
The regular deadline passed on Monday, Oct. 19. Still, California allows conditional voter registration. Eligible citizens can register or re-register at a county elections office or vote center and vote the same day. The county counts that ballot only after it verifies the registration.
Mail ballots: the deadline math
A mail ballot must carry a postmark no later than Nov. 3. Election offices accept it for up to seven days after that. Officials suggested mailing by Oct. 27, which is today, so the ballot arrives in time.
The numbers explain the advice. In the June primary, the state attorney general’s office counted 148,241 rejected mail ballots, and nearly two-thirds were rejected because of missed deadlines. After today, state officials recommend that voters ask a post office clerk to hand-postmark the ballot. A drop box or a vote center works even better.
Voters who already cast a ballot can track it with the secretary of state’s Where’s My Ballot service. It sends updates by email, text or phone call. For the city measures on this ballot, see our guide to the Nov. 3 city measures, or browse the Los Angeles and California guide.