At the Helen Albert Farmers’ Market in West Hollywood’s Plummer Park on Monday, past the rows of fresh fruit, vegetables and baked goods, stood assistant city clerk, Melissa Crowder, helping visitors register to vote under a modest yellow tent.

West Hollywood assistant city clerk Melissa Crowder, right, and staff member Dee Sanders work at a pop-up voter registration booth in Plummer Park.
(photo by Brent Giannotta)

“We registered ten people at West Hollywood Gateway Project on La Brea and Santa Monica Boulevard a couple weeks ago,” Crowder said. “We teamed up with the [West Hollywood] Disabilities Advisory Board, it was a really good turnout.”

At this monthly Pop-Up Voter Registration and Education Event to encourage participation in the November 2016 election, the emphasis was on voter education. Most visitors to the booth on Monday had already registered but had questions including “how do I know where my voting station is?” and “what do I do if I work all day on election day?”

“We’re mostly checking people’s registrations because they haven’t received their sample ballots in the mail yet,” Crowder said. “Delivery timing depends on the post office. Some identify them as election material and send them out quickly. Others lump them in with the bulk mail that gets delivered once a week.”

As Crowder was explaining the process, a woman in a green ‘Skyline Flowers’ apron left her stand across the walkway and approached the booth.

“Is voting all day Tuesday?” she asked.

Elizabeth Martinez, who travels from her home in Oxnard to West Hollywood every Monday to vend at the farmers’ market, works every Tuesday until 6 p.m.

“I’m 25 and this is my first time registering to vote. I’m voting because every vote counts,” she said.

Crowder reassured Martinez that election day voting goes from 7 a.m. ­– 8 p.m., giving Martinez two hours to vote in between work and the start of her child development class at a local community college where she’s pursuing a pre-school teaching credential.

“Based on the last two debates, and everything I’ve heard,” Martinez said about what inspired her to register that day, “it’s clear that the time is now.”

“If you look on the back of the sample ballot,” Crowder told Martinez, “it shows you how to vote by mail.”

Signed and completed applications to vote by mail must be received by the county elections office no later than Nov. 1. The county will accept voting packets by mail as long as they are postmarked by election day.

“People use FedEx and UPS, if you can believe it,” Crowder said.

Voters can also drop off their vote-by-mail packets into a lockbox in West Hollywood’s City Hall until Monday, Nov. 7. Additionally, the City will provide transportation to the polls by calling toll-free 1-800-447-2189 or visiting www.weho.org/cityline to reserve a time for pickup any time before 1 p.m. on Election Day.

Crowder sees these added voting services as a win for the city, and for the country.

“Registering people is important, but getting people to vote is the goal,” she said.

The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 8 general election is Monday, Oct. 24. For more information about registering to vote, visit www.weho.org/elections.