enewsletter 2015 Municipal Elections At a Glance New Accessibility Services for Voters with Disabilities

Transcription

1 January 2015 edition, Vol. 1 enewsletter 2015 Municipal Elections At a Glance PAGE 2 New Language Services Provided for the 2015 Municipal Elections PAGE 3 New Accessibility Services for Voters with Disabilities PAGE 4 In This Issue 3 City Clerk Hosts Various International Delegations L.A. City Votes! Voter Outreach and Education Campaign Important Dates and Community Calendar of Events PAGE 5 PAGE 6-7 PAGE 8

2 2015 Municipal Elections At a Glance By: Maria de la Luz Garcia Senior The Office of the City Clerk - Election Division is currently preparing for the 2015 Municipal Elections. Scheduled to take place on Tuesday, March 3, 2015 and if necessary, May 19, 2015, the City of Los Angeles Municipal Elections will include contests for Los Angeles City Council Districts 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14; Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Board of Education Districts 1, 3, 5, and 7; and Los Angeles Community College (LACCD) Board of Trustees Seats 1, 3, 5, and 7. Ten incumbents will appear on the March ballot including current City Council Members Paul Krekorian (Council District 2), Nury Martinez (Council District 6), Herb J. Wesson, Jr. (Council District 10), Mitchell Englander (Council District 12), José Huizar (Council District 14), LAUSD Board Members George J. McKenna, Tamar Galatzan, Bennett Kayser, Richard Vladovic, and LACCD Board Trustee Scott Svonkin. All other offices are open races. The largest pool of candidates will compete in Council District 4, where a total of 14 candidates have qualified to appear on the ballot. All City Council and LAUSD races require fifty percent plus one vote to declare a winner. A runoff election will be held on May 19, 2015 for any of those races in which no one candidate wins a majority of the vote. The LACCD Board of Trustees races only require a plurality of the vote to declare a winner. So, whichever candidate gets the highest number of votes on March 3, will win the seat outright. Voters will also be asked to vote on two measures, Charter Amendments 1 and 2. Charter Amendment 1 would: 1) change the City s primary and general election dates to June and November of even-numbered years beginning in 2020 so that City elections are held on the same dates as Federal and State elections; 2) provide that, in 2015 and 2017 only, candidates be elected for a term of 5½ years to transition to the new election dates; 3) adjust vacancy election schedules and allow temporary appointments to fill vacant offices until an election is held; 4) enable initiative and referendum elections to be scheduled at either the next City or next State election; and 5) allow initiative proponents to withdraw their measure prior to scheduling an election. Charter Amendment 2 would: 1) change the LAUSD Board of Education s primary and general election dates to June and November of even-numbered years beginning in 2020 so that LAUSD elections are held on the same dates as Federal and State elections; 2) provide that, in 2015 and 2017 only, candidates be elected for a term of 5½ years to transition to the new election dates; and 3) adjust vacancy election schedules and allow temporary appointments to fill vacant offices until an election is held. The Election Division encourages everyone who is eligible to participate in the electoral process to register and vote. The deadline to register to vote for the Primary Nominating Election is Tuesday, February 17, Individuals can register to vote online at the California Secretary of State s website: or voter registration forms can be picked up at any public government office such as libraries, post offices, and the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Page 2

3 New Language Services Provided for the 2015 Municipal Elections By: Horacio Arroyo The Office of the City Clerk - Election Division is excited to announce that the 2015 Primary Nominating Elections will feature language assistance services in three new languages: Armenian, Farsi, and Russian. This year, the Election Division will translate all election material and provide verbal language assistance in these new languages including the Official Sample Ballot and Voter Information Pamphlet, and recruit bilingual poll workers. The addition of these three new languages is part of the City of Los Angeles s ongoing goal of providing fair, accessible, and transparent municipal elections. Since 1993, the City of Los Angeles has provided translated election materials and language assistance in six federally-mandated languages which are Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. Following the results of the 2010 Census, the Office of the City Clerk with assistance from the City Attorney and the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk determined that Hindi and Thai should also be added beginning Additionally, in 2012, the City Council approved a motion to voluntarily add three other language groups that weren t covered under Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act: Armenian, Farsi, and Russian. The motion aimed to phase-in Armenian in outreach materials for the 2013 Municipal Elections, with the intent that by 2015, the Election Division would fully incorporate all three languages. The process for determining the needs in these languages involved analyzing the 2010 Census data and the American Community Survey (ACS) 3-Year Estimates. This was to determine if either five percent or 10,000 people in Los Angeles s voting age population belonged to these language groups that according to the U.S. Census Bureau are limited-english proficient, and experience a higher illiteracy rate than the national average. The City of Los Angeles now offers translated election material and language assistance in 11 non-english languages more than any other municipality in the U.S. to help ensure that these communities in Los Angeles have equal access and materials to make informed decision when they are voting. Should you require assistance in English or in Armenian, Chinese, Farsi, Hindi, Korean, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese, please contact the Election Division at (213) between 8:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M., Monday through Friday. Page 3

4 New Accessibility Services for Voters with Disabilities By: Maria de la Luz Garcia Senior The Office of the City Clerk Election Division is expanding its accessibility services for voters with disabilities. For the March 3, 2015 Primary Nominating Election, voters with disabilities will be able to view a public service announcement (PSA) and obtain an informational brochure of available services. Those that vote at the polling place on Election Day may find a curbside voting call bell or threshold ramp, placed at select locations, waiting to make their voting experience all the more accessible. These services are in addition to the services and equipment already provided at each polling place. Finally, the Office of the City Clerk Election Division will be equipping select polling places with a curbside voting call bell and/or threshold ramps to enhance a voter s voting experience at the polling place on Election Day. For more information on available accessibility services for voters with disabilities, call the Office of the City Clerk Election Division at (888) Or, visit our website at A telecommunications device for the deaf, TTY is also available to receive calls. The TTY number is (213) For City of Los Angeles residents, dial 311. The PSA, released earlier this month, includes information about the various services and voting equipment available to voters with disabilities. It covers such topics as accessible polling places including equipment supplies, curbside voting, and vote-bymail options. It will be available in English and the 11 federally- and City-mandated languages of Armenian, Cantonese (Chinese), Farsi, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin (Chinese), Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese. All videos will also be closedcaptioned. Those interested in obtaining a copy of the PSA can contact the Election Division at (213) The PSA will be on display on the City Clerk s Election Division website and YouTube channel, #L.A.CityClerk. To enhance voter outreach and awareness of its accessibility services, the Office of the City Clerk Election Division has also developed an accessibility services brochure. The brochure lists useful information for voters with disabilities and is available in English and the 11 federally- and City-mandated languages. Developed in partnership with the City s Department on Disability, the brochure will be distributed to service providers, community organizations, and other government agencies. It will also be available for download on the City Clerk s Election Division website. Page 4

5 City Clerk Hosts Various International Delegations By: Horacio Arroyo and an advisor to the Ministry of Energy and Water. Their visit to our offices exposed them to new ways that mayors and municipal administrators can work towards improving how municipal services such as municipal elections are delivered to diverse constituencies. Lastly, the department had the privilege of hosting a delegation from Taiwan that was visiting the United States to better understand how the U.S. promotes independent living for people with disabilities. While here, Division staff provided a presentation on how the City of Los Angeles complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure that municipal elections are accessible to all voters. Staff also had the opportunity to learn about the delegation s project in Taiwan called Protecting the Rights of the Disabled. The Taiwanese delegation left very satisfied and impressed with the level of coordinating and planning to ultimately ensure that all voters with disabilities have an equal opportunities to cast a vote on Election Day. In 2014, the Office of the City Clerk - Election Division welcomed three international delegations that visited our facility to learn more about how the City of Los Angeles conducts its municipal elections. The City of Los Angeles welcomes international visitors that value the importance of voting and strong civic participation as part of a participatory democracy. The department benefits from these professional and cultural exchanges by allowing us to share and lift up our models and practices for administering successful elections. Last year, the department worked closely with the International Council of Los Angeles (IVCLA) to host international delegations from Sweden, Afghanistan, and Taiwan. The City Clerk and Election Division staff met with a delegation from the Ministry of Justice of Sweden, who were eager to learn how the City of Los Angeles coordinates municipal elections. In turn, the City Clerk staff learned more about Sweden s models for early voting. The City Clerk and Election Division staff also met with a delegation representing several provinces from southern and eastern Afghanistan that included two mayors, a deputy governor, a community elder, Page 5

6 L.A. City Votes! Voter Outreach and Education Campaign By: Sandra Mendoza In anticipation of the 2015 Elections, the City of Los Angeles, Office of the City Clerk - Election Division launched its 2015 L.A. City Votes! Voter Outreach and Education Campaign with a press conference. The City s Election Division s outreach effort includes a program inclusive of partnerships with 24 community based organizations (CBOs), social media pages, mainstream media advertising, outdoor advertising, community outreach events throughout the City, and comprehensive collateral outreach material available in English and 11 non-english languages. The L.A. City Votes! Voter Outreach and Education Campaign officially kicked off on November 18, 2014 with a press conference. Over 14 media organizations attended, most servicing ethnic or monolingual communities (other than English), and 16 community partners were present to speak to media in the respective communities they serve. At the conference, the Election Division Chief, Jinny Pak, presented this year s Get-Out-The-Vote poster. The City Clerk, Holly L. Wolcott, spoke of the races on the ballot and the addition of three new City-mandated languages (in addition to the eight federally-mandated languages) for a total of 11 non-english languages serviced by the Election Division s voter outreach services. In addition to English, the City now provides comprehensive voter services in the following languages: Armenian, Chinese, Farsi, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese. A second press conference prior to the Primary Nominating Election is scheduled for February 12, The voter outreach material developed for this year includes: Voter Guide (which includes information and deadlines on registering to vote, applying for a voteby-mail ballot, services for persons with disabilities, and how to access multilingual voter information); Get-Out-The-Vote Poster, Poll Worker Application, Poll Worker Flyer, Poll Worker Recruitment Bookmark, and Accessibility Services for Persons with Specific Needs information sheet. Outdoor advertisement includes billboards, and bus shelter ads. Other advertising includes ads in 11 non-english languages announcing the arrival of the Official Sample Ballot/Voting Information Pamphlet in the mail and ads seeking bilingual poll workers in 13 newspapers. Content for the social media pages are continuous, particularly to announce deadlines and outreach activity. The YouTube channel has closed-captioned videos in all languages. Additional electronic content includes Election Day banners, bilingual posters (English plus a second language), and a I vote because social media campaign flyer. For 2015, there are six public service announcements (PSA): Ballot Buddy (voting by mail), Poll Worker Hero (poll worker recruitment), The Bride (InkaVote voting equipment), Low Rider (it s cool to vote), Bollywood (where-to-vote). The Election Division has developed additional material and acquired equipment for voters with accessibility needs. The material includes an Accessibility Services PSA and an informational sheet (published in English and 11 non-english languages). New equipment at the polls includes a Call Bell to ease curbside voting convenience and threshold ramps for polling places lacking accessibility. Continued on Page 7 Page 6

7 L.A. City Votes! Voter Outreach and Education Campaign By: Sandra Mendoza (Continuation from page 6) Community partner participation increased by 20% from 20 partners last cycle to 24 this cycle. Following is a list of the L.A. City Votes! Campaign partner CBOs: 1. Armenian National Committee of America, Western Region (ANCA) 2. Asian Americans Advancing Justice 3. California Common Cause 4. Central American Resource Center (CARECEN) 5. Chinatown Service Center 6. Community Health Councils, Inc. (CHC) 7. Confederacion Centroamericana (COFECA) 8. Filipino American Service Group, Inc. (FASGI) 9. Iranian American Muslim Association of North America (IMAN) 10. Korean American Coalition (KAC) 11. Korean Resource Center (KRC) 12. Koreatown Senior Center (KSC) 13. Koretown Youth Community Center (KYCC) 14. League of Women Voters, Educational Fund (LWV) 15. Little Tokyo Service Center (LTC) 16. Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) 17. Los Angeles Department on Disability (LADOD) 18. Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) 19. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Los Angeles (NAACP LA) 20. National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educations Fund (NALEO) 21. Russian Advisory Board 22. South Asian Network (SAN) 23. Southwest Voter Registration Education Project (SVREP) 24. Thai CDC Outreach activities include attending community events throughout the City and in target locations at venues that service bilingual or ethnic communities in the serviced languages. Venues include, but are not limited to, farmers markets, churches, libraries, colleges, supermarkets, health fairs, and malls. Voter presentations are scheduled for the Braille Institute, Korean community senior centers, churches and colleges. For the list of the Outreach s Team community events, please visit: lacity.org/elections/voters/index.htm, then click on Community Calendar of Events. The Election Division is committed to increasing awareness of City elections and in increasing voter participation and will continue to enlist partnerships with communities and civic engagement organizations throughout Los Angeles. For more information or inquiries on joining our outreach efforts for the L.A. City Votes! Voter Outreach and Education Campaign, contact Sandra Mendoza via at sandra.mendoza@lacity.org or by phone at (213) Remember to follow us on social media: Page 7

8 Important Dates and Community Calendar of Events Upcoming Events and Announcements By: Sandra Mendoza J A N U A R Y The Election Division began mailing the English version of the Official Sample Ballot/Voter Information Pamphlet beginning the week of January 20, following Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Holiday). The L.A. Votes Committee (LAVC) met on January 29, The City Clerk, Holly L. Wolcott, and the Election Division Chief, Jinny Pak, were present to update community partners on the proposed charter amendments, offices up for election, and important dates related to the March 3, 2015 election. F E B R U A R Y Starting February 2, 2015, voters can request a Vote- By-Mail ballot. Voters can also early vote in person with a Vote-By-Mail ballot on demand at the Election Division office at Piper Technical Center, 555 Ramirez Street, Room 300. Media Day is scheduled for February 12, The City Clerk will be present to offer information to media on items related to the March 3, 2015 election. Starting February 23, 2015, voters can also early vote in person with a Vote-By-Mail ballot on demand at the City Clerk s office at City Hall, 200 N. Spring Street, Room 360. The deadline to register to vote in the March 3, 2015 election is February 17, Remember to follow us on social media: enewsletter EDITORS Holly L. Wolcott Gregory R. Allison Jinny Pak CONTRIBUTORS Horacio Arroyo Maria De La Luz Garcia Sandra Mendoza M A R C H March 2, 2015 is the last day to vote a Vote-By-Mail ballot in person at the Election Division and the City Clerk s office at City Hall. Election Day for the Primary Nominating Election is March 3, O T H E R A C T I V I T I E S Poll worker training has begun. It is not too late to sign up! To submit an application online, visit: Outreach staff is attending community events including after church services, candidate forums, farmers markets, City of Los Angeles libraries, and other venues. Bilingual Outreach Specialists are registering voters, recruiting bilingual poll workers, and providing information regarding the upcoming municipal elections in English and the 11 non- English languages the City provides for Angeleno voters. For a monthly list of community events, visit: htm and click on Community Calendar of Events. The Election Division is committed to increasing awareness of City elections and in increasing voter participation and will continue to enlist partnerships with communities and civic engagement organizations throughout Los Angeles. To invite us to a public event, or inquiries on joining our outreach efforts for the L.A. City Votes! Voter Outreach and Education Campaign, contact Sandra Mendoza via at sandra.mendoza@lacity.org or by phone at (213) For more information on the Los Angeles Votes Committee e-newsletter or upcoming committee meetings, contact Maria de la Luz Garcia, Senior, at (213) or at maria.garcia@lacity.org ASSISTANT EDITOR Sharon Lee GRAPHIC DESIGN Lauren Claro Page 8