As the November 5 election approaches, the voting atmosphere is heating up in LA’s Koreatown with the installation of drop boxes for mail-in ballots.
Starting on October 7, major county election offices across California began sending out mail-in ballots. Some voters have already started filling out their choices for candidates and propositions, dropping their ballots into designated boxes.
In LA County, which has a significant Korean population, a total of 420 drop boxes were installed by October 7. Four of these boxes are located in the Koreatown area:
*Pio Pico Library (694 S Oxford Ave) near Western Avenue and 7th Street
*Bresee Foundation (184 Bimini Pl) near 3rd Street and Vermont Avenue
*LA Public Library (149 N St Andrews Pl) near Wilshire Boulevard and St. Andrews Place
*John C. Fremont Library (6121 Melrose Ave) near Melrose and Highland Avenues.
These outdoor drop boxes are available 24/7, and voters can simply insert their completed ballots into the provided envelopes and deposit them.
Early voting centers have also been set up and are now operational. As of October 7, 122 voting centers have been established in the county and will remain open until Election Day on November 5, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The two early voting centers closest to Koreatown are:
*Anderson Munger Family YMCA (4301 W 3rd St) near 3rd and Western Avenue
*Trinity Central Lutheran Church (987 S Gramercy Pl) near Olympic Boulevard and Gramercy Place.
Additionally, early voting is available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Election Headquarters in Norwalk (12400 Imperial Highway, Room 3002, Norwalk). Over 200 voting centers are expected to be set up by Election Day.
To expedite the voting process, the county is offering an “Interactive Sample Ballot” system, which allows voters to fill in their choices online and generate a QR code. This code can be scanned at the voting center for immediate ballot submission, reducing time spent on-site. Voters can access the system at its website.
For those seeking convenience, mobile voting centers are also available, and their schedules can be found on the election office’s website here. The mobile centers aim to increase voter participation by offering flexible voting locations.
BY BRIAN CHOI, YOUNGNAM KIM [ichoi@koreadaily.com]
