GWNC Elections: Request a Mail-In Ballot by Tuesday, 4/11…or Vote in Person on Sunday, 4/30

One of the best ways to get involved with local issues that affect your daily quality of life is to get involved at the most basic grass roots level of Los Angeles city government – our local Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council.  And you don’t have to join the GWNC to make a difference – even just attending meetings and, especially, voting for your elected GWNC representative(s) can be hugely important.  This month, you’ll have a chance to do just that, with all 21 board seats up for election.  A list of candidates running for the board is available here. The official in-person election day is Sunday, April 30, but mail-in ballots are also available…if you request one by Tuesday, April 11.

Voting in the GWNC Election

Eligibility – Stakeholders who live, work, own property in the GWNC area, who have ties to one of five special interest categories in the area (Business, Education, Religion, Renters, Religion, or Other Non-Profit Organizations), and who are 16 years old by election day, are eligible to vote in up to two categories in the election – Geographic Area plus one of those community special interest categories…or the At Large seat. People who do not live, work, or own property in the area, and who do not qualify for one of the six special interest categories, but who do claim some other sort of stake in the neighborhood, can vote only for the At Large representative.

To verify stakeholder status and eligibility to vote for all board seats (including the At Large seat), voters  must submit a drivers license (or other picture ID with age and address). In addition, for the special interest seats (Renters, Non-Profit, Education, Religion, Business) stakeholders are required to provide one additional piece of evidence to support their eligibility as part of that constituency. Please check the City Elections site for examples of required documentation.

Voting

You can vote in the this year’s election in one of two ways:

1. Vote by Mail (VBM.) The Vote by Mail application period began on March 1, 2023 and the City will mail out ballots until April 11. Ballots must be postmarked by Election Day (April 30) and received by the City by May 11 in order to be counted. Stakeholders can apply either online for a ballot or by submitting a paper application. (See instructions below.)
2. Vote in Person.  In-person voting will take place on April 30, 2023 at the Barking Lot, at 336 N. Larchmont Blvd., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Voters must bring a drivers license (or other photo ID showing birthday and address) and, if voting for any of the other board seats, some sort of evidence of participation in that particular constituency. (See the City Elections website for specific examples.)

Vote by Mail (VBM)

Stakeholders interested in voting by mail must complete a VBM Application through an online portal or with a paper application. The City Clerk will use this form to determine the voter’s eligibility and which ballot(s) to issue to the voter. When completing a VBM Application, stakeholders must provide the following information:

1. Neighborhood Council name;
2. First, middle, and last name;
3. Stakeholder status (live, work, own property, or other type of community interest) and documentation of that status
4. Qualifying address;
5. Date of birth;
6. Mailing address;
7. If submitting a paper application, a signature is also required.

Online VBM Ballot Applications

Voters who wish to complete a VBM Ballot Application online must first create an Angeleno Account at https://angeleno.lacity.org/. After creating the account, voters can access the NC Portal to apply for a ballot. To access the NC Portal, complete the following steps:

1. Click on the ‘Register Today’ button and enter the following information:
   a. Email Address
   b. Password
   c. First and Last Name
2. An email will be sent confirming creation of the account. To activate the account, click “Activate Account” in the email.
3. Once your Angeleno account is activated, log in and click “Services” to enter the NC Portal, then choose the “Neighborhood Council Election Portal,” select “Voter,” and then click on “Create Voter Application” to get started.

Paper Ballot Applications

Paper applications for VBM ballots are also available at https://clkrep.lacity.org/election/ENG_2023_NC_VBM_Paper_Application.pdf through April 11. Again, GWNC stakeholders MUST SUBMIT DOCUMENTATION AS PROOF OF STAKEHOLDER STATUS with their paper application for a VBM ballot. Please consult the 2023 Neighborhood Council Elections Documentation Guide at https://clkrep.lacity.org/election/2023_NC_Documentation_Guide.pdf for examples of appropriate documentation.

City Clerk staff will enter the information included in the paper VBM ballot application into the NC VBM Application Portal for processing. Paper applications for VBM ballots may be submitted by:

• Paper mail to:
  Office of the City Clerk
  Election Division
  C. Erwin Piper Technical Center
  555 Ramirez Street, Space 300
  Los Angeles, CA 90012
• Email to [email protected]
•  In person at the City Clerk’s office (same as mailing address, above)
• Or by fax at (213) 978-0376

All VBM ballots must be mailed back to the city with a postmark no later than April 30.

Election Timeline

• Last day to request a vote-by-mail ballot – April 11
• Last day to vote (in person, or postmark date for mail-in ballots) – April 30
• ELECTION DAY – Sunday, April 30
• Deadline for the city to receive ballots postmarked by April 30 is May 11

For more information about the GWNC election, see https://greaterwilshire.org/2023-elections/  contact the GWNC’s Election Committee chair at [email protected] and/or see https://clerk.lacity.org/elections/neighborhood-council-election.