Voting centers opened in LA County and across California ahead of the primaries
California Politics
Taryn LunaFebruary 24, 2024
With California’s March 5 primary less than two weeks away, voters in Los Angeles County can now begin casting early votes.
–
person at one of the 119 polling stations that opened on Saturday.
The ballot includes a long list of state and local candidates and ballot measures, including party nominations for president and an open contest in the U.S. Senate to determine the top two winners who will advance to the November election.
In California, county elections offices were required to begin mailing ballots to all registered voters by Feb. 5. Voting centers, which open 10 days before the election, are one of several options for voters to return mail-in ballots or vote in person. through Super Tuesday.
Voters can also submit completed ballots by mail or return their ballots to local ballot drop boxes.
People who want to vote but have missed the voter registration deadline can fill out a conditional voter registration form at a voting center to cast a ballot. This form is counted after election officials confirm voters’ eligibility.
The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk said voting centers will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. through March 4. Voting centers and polling places open earlier on Election Day, while polls across the state close at 8 p.m.
At the suggestion of then-Secretary of State Alex Padilla, who now represents California in the U.S. Senate, the state Legislature expanded voting rights under a law passed in 2016, the California Voter’s Choice Act. The law allowed counties to mail ballots to all registered voters and required voting centers to be open for 10 days
before before a
election.
The changes were implemented in response to historically low voter turnout in 2014 and part of an effort to make it easier for Californians to participate in elections.
According to the California Secretary of State’s office, 22.3 million registered voters received their ballots in the mail on Thursday and more than 1.4 million were returned. The vast majority of returned ballots, nearly 1.2 million, were submitted by mail.

Fernando Dowling is an author and political journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. He has a deep understanding of the political landscape and a passion for analyzing the latest political trends and news.