Vote. It sounds so simple. But not this year.
How and when you vote has never been so complicated. In person on November 3rd, in person early at a specified location, mail in ballot sent through the Post Office, or mail in ballot dropped in a ballot box?
In person the day of is relatively simple, the address is on the ballot mailed to you. It presents the problem of voting during a pandemic and risking exposure to other people standing in line at a polling place.
Mailing in your ballot requires planning and timing. Not only do you have to fill out your ballot ahead of time, you have to mail it in time for it to be delivered and counted in time for Election Day. The Post Office is recommending two weeks. So your ballot needs to be in the mail by October 20th.
You have the option of dropping your completed ballot in a Drop Box at a designated site. The boxes are bolted in place, or otherwise secured, and the ballots are picked up by teams of two people so there is no question about one person hiding ballots.
Or you could vote early at a designated early voting location. You still get to vote in person, but with the number of people at the location spread out over a few days. If you love voting in person, but don’t want the line on election day, this might be an option for you. Early voting in our local area begins October 30 and ends on November 2.
You can even keep track of your ballot with a unique code that is printed right on it. Tracking your vote-by-mail ballot – when it is mailed, received, and counted – has never been easier. The California Secretary of State is now offering Where’s My Ballot? – a new way for voters to track and receive notifications on the status of their vote-by-mail ballot. Powered by BallotTrax, Where’s My Ballot? lets voters know where their ballot is, and its status, every step of the way.
Just keep that code from your ballot and use it to track the ballot being received and counted. Sign-up at WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov to receive automatic email, SMS (text), or voice call notifications about your ballot.
Locations for early voting and ballot drop off include:
L. Aranoff and Sons 1210 Erwin St., Woodland Hills, CA 91367
Westfield Topanga and the Village Community Center Corner of Vanowen and Owensmouth
Canoga Park High School – Large Gymnasium 6850 Topanga Cyn Bl., Canoga Park, CA 91303
Canoga Park Branch Library 20939 Sherman Way, Canoga Park CA 9130
A.E. Stelle Middle School – Multi-Purpose Room 22450 Mulholland Hwy, Calabasas, CA 91302
El Camino Real Charter High School 5440 Valley Circle Bl., Woodland Hills, CA, 91367
Pierce College – Bldg. 600 6201 Winnetka Ave., Woodland Hills CA 91367
IAC Shepher Community Center 6530 Winnetka Ave., Woodland Hills, CA 91367
Calabasas City Hall 100 Civic Center Way, Calabasas CA 91302
DAV #73 6543 Corbin Ave., Woodland Hills, CA 91367
Eretz Synagogue 6170 Wilbur Ave., Tarzana, CA 91335
St. Paul’s United Methodist Church 5619 Lindley Ave., Tarzana, CA 91356
Winnetka Avenue Elementary School 8240 Winnetka Ave., Winnetka, CA 91306
Agoura Hills/Calabasas Community Center 27040 Malibu Hills Road, Calabasas, CA 91301
Sherman Oaks Elementary Charter School 14756 Greenlaf St., Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
Westfield Fashion Square – Space 162 14006 Riverside Dr., Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
Miliken Middle School – Gymnasium 5041 Sunnyslope Ave., Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
Encino-Tarzana Branch Library 18231 Ventura Bl., Tarzana 91356
Encino Park 16953 Ventura Bl., Encino, CA 91316
Serrania Park 20726 Wells Drive, Woodland Hills CA 91364
Woodland Hills Branch Library 22200 Ventura Bl., Woodland Hills 91364
Woodland Hills Recreation Center 5858 Shoup Avenue, Woodland Hills CA 91367
For more information:
sos.ca.gov/elections/polling-place
lavote.net/home/voting-elections/voting-options/vote-by-mail/vbm-ballot-drop-off
Whichever option works best for you, whichever you choose, remember to VOTE.
Laura Levinsky is a life-long resident of the San Fernando Valley and a writer for the Valley News Group.
