Politics & Government
Polling Place Updates: Voters "Think it Through"
Voters in Northeast L.A. are making tough decisions on election day.
A steady stream of voters stopped by the Verdugo Community Church voting poll during lunch time today.
“We have been getting about a dozen (voters) an hour,” said Poll Inspector Victoria Jacobs. “We don’t think we will be swamped until later.”
Jacobs said voters will start going to the Eagle Rock voting poll at 3 p.m. and won’t slow down until about 7 p.m.
Find out what's happening in Highland Park-Mount Washingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“There are a lot of important measures (related to the city budget) on the ballot,” she said. “But the voter turnout won’t be as big as the last governor election.”
About 12 poll workers will be helping voters in the poll and will keep the flow of voters moving smoothly, she said. There are also bilingual, Tagalog and Spanish, poll workers who will be available to help voters.
Find out what's happening in Highland Park-Mount Washingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Jacob reminds voters to read the sample ballots and bring it with them to the polls, which will make the process easier and faster.
Margarita Hernandez was one Eagle Rock resident who put in a lot of research to get ready for today’s election.
Hernandez read her sample ballot carefully, listen to debates and watched PBS to help her decide what candidate and ballot measure to support today. She went to the Verdugo Community Church to vote with her husband Ramon before going to the pharmacy.
“I read (the ballot) and looked at what the Democratic Party suggested,” she said. “Then I thought about it and made my decision.”
The 70-year-old resident and her husband take their civic duty very seriously.
“We vote all the time,” she said. “Sometimes is hard to decide who to vote for because they all promise so much (during the campaign). But it’s our duty (to vote) and regardless of the candidates this is the best (country) in the world.”
Hernandez said she supported Rudy Martinez, a Highland Park and Eagle Rock business owner running for City Council District 14, and Luis Sanchez for Los Angeles Unified School District 5.
“(Sanchez) is young and he seems to be in touch with the youth,” she said.
Hernandez also supported Measure L, which would help restore services and shield the library from future cuts.
“We need to educate our kids,” she said. “The more educated these kids are the better citizens they will be when they grow up.”
