Community casts votes at Valley

Valley serves as one of the busiest voting centers in the area.

By Star Eisenberg, Editor-in-Chief

(L-R) Nina Choy, Claudette McGhee, Alana Cheuvront, Gloria Mcshall, Amy Mendelsohn, Chelsea Pickens, and Margo Schulz Volunteer and wait for a stream of L.A. voters who may have questions about the voting process in the Monarch Cafeteria. Photo by Milan Rafaelov

Valley College has launched an 11-day voting center for the 2024 presidential primary, extending access for students and community members to engage in the democratic process.

“We are thrilled to host the Voting Center at Valley College,” said Valley President Barry Gribbons. “Voting is central to our democracy and it is not possible to overstate the importance of supporting the voting process.”

College student voter turnout has been on the rise, with a national voting rate of 66% according to researchers at Tufts University in 2020. Colleges are implementing various strategies, such as on-campus voter registration drives and partnerships with student-focused organizations, to further boost participation in upcoming elections.

All active registered voters in California will receive a vote-by-mail ballot for the March 5, presidential primary election, with county elections offices having initiated mailing on Feb. 7. The registration deadline was Feb. 20, however, California residents who failed to meet that deadline can still register up until election day by going into a county elections office or polling place.

Los Angeles County voters now have the option to use Poll Pass, also known as the Interactive Sample Ballot. This digital tool allows voters to make selections in advance, generate a QR code to scan at the polls, and review their choices on a ballot marking device.

“With the Poll Pass, I’ve seen somebody get out of there in a minute and a half,” said Chelsea Pickens, election poll clerk. “If you want to vote in person, but are also not sure how long it’s going to take, you basically have a fast pass to put through there, and that gets it done.”

For those preferring to drop off their ballots, a mail-in-vote drop box will be available at Valley’s Parking Lot G on Burbank Boulevard throughout the voting period. Valley’s voting center is located in the cafeteria and will be open for early voting from February 24 to March 4, between 10 am and 7 pm, and on Election Day, March 5, from 7 am to 8 pm.

Over 60 national elections are scheduled this year, including the United States presidential election on November 5th. The ongoing primary elections have yet to determine the official Republican and Democratic candidates.

Jobs, tax reform, and infrastructure investment are key concerns for U.S. voters. Rising living costs have left many Americans struggling, leading to debates over taxes and government spending. Republicans favor cuts to programs like social security, while Democrats lean toward taxing the wealthy to address deficits.

“It’s called the presidential primary, but that’s just because elections are named after the top race on the ballot,” said Amy Mendelsohn, election poll worker. “Every presidential

primary has state, city, and county elections. There are many, many elections in this ‘presidential primary.”

Registered voters seeking information on voting locations and procedures can visit the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's official website, lavote.gov.