Godfrey Plata says he plans to pass out flyers about the added vote centers to the predominantly Latino and Asian residents of Koreatown, where he lives.
Plata, a civic engagement consultant with AAPI Equity Alliance, was one of the voting advocates who reached out to the registrar’s office after learning about the lack of polling places in the two neighborhoods after it was pointed out on Twitter.
“My reaction was shocked, not surprised,” said Plata, who explained that civic outreach to AAPI communities has been historically low.
To be a vote center, locations must meet requirements for parking, Internet connectivity and size, which is a challenge to find in dense neighborhoods such as Chinatown and Koreatown. The community leaders worked their contacts to identify sites that may not have been considered.
