LOS ANGELES – April 28, 2020. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion to send every registered voter a ballot by mail in the November 2020 elections today. The move comes partly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to expand options for voters to cast their ballot safely.

In March 2020, California Common Cause monitored vote centers throughout California, primarily in LA County. Shortly after Super Tuesday, California declared a state of emergency due to the first coronavirus death. In light of growing public health concerns as well as expected high voter turnout in the November election, California Common Cause called for LA County to mail all registered voters a ballot by mail in the November 2020 General Election. Today’s decision by the Board of Supervisors demonstrates Los Angeles County’s commitment to expanding voting opportunities.

Statement of Kathay Feng, Executive Director of California Common Cause   
“We applaud the LA County Board of Supervisors’ decision today to expand voting options and protect all registered voters by sending them mail ballots for the November election. In America, voters shouldn’t have to choose between their health and exercising their right to vote.”

As part of this motion, all LA County voters regardless of their permanent vote-by-mail status will receive a ballot by mail. Voters can cast that ballot by mail postage free or drop it off at a designated location. This does not eliminate in-person voting, but reduces the minimum number of in-person locations required under the Voter’s Choice Act in LA County.

LA County is joining the 14 other Voter’s Choice Act counties by automatically sending every registered voter a vote-by-mail ballot. Together, these counties comprise over half of the state’s electorate. While discussions have been brewing on the statewide level whether all California counties should automatically send their voters a ballot by mail, the move today ensures Los Angeles County can prepare to issue, send, and process vote-by-mail ballots for 5.4 million voters.  

The county registrar is planning to contact voters ahead of the November election to ensure that voters are mailed athe ballot in their preferred language. All voters should plan to verify their voter registration status, as well as their mailing address, before the fall to ensure their ballot is mailed to the correct address.