A Look at Unique Polling Places in LA
Video by Allen Tian
It's 2014 and people are voting at pools.
Local structures ranging from garages to McDonald's were just a few of the unusual polling places for Angelenos on Election Day. Voters were assigned to different locations, such as Echo Deep Pool located on Colton Street in downtown Los Angeles, to cast their votes. The Luxe Hotel in Hollywood even provided snacks and live music from a harp that allowed guests to feel at ease while voting.
"Its a way to meet here with the neighborhood, and the community is really what it's about to survive in a business. Like ours, it requires reaching out to the community, being part of the community. We are part of the community, so it makes us special," Efram Harkham, President of the Luxe Hotel, said.
These unique voting spots were initially created to compensate for L.A.'s inability to accommodate polling places in every neighborhood.
"The city doesn’t own enough property to have a polling place in every precinct, so volunteers, churches and companies will volunteer to use their space,” Polling Inspector John Benson explained.
Some voters feel these unique polling places have added an element of fun to an otherwise potentially mundane task.
