LOS ANGELES – Many Angelenos may be lining up to get into Dodger Stadium soon - not for a ballgame, but for voting. California Secretary of State Alex Padilla recently previewed what the massive voting center will look like starting October 30. The center has physically distanced ballot-marking machines, stickers indicating a one-way direction for traffic flow, and hand sanitizer for all voters.

For locals like Yennie Lo, who grew up in the shadow of Dodger Stadium, she said she and her parents weren’t planning to vote in person this year.

“We were originally planning to vote by mail because of the pandemic, but now that we are alert and aware of it, I’m most likely going to take them there since it’s so close," she said. 

Lo said she hopes the convenience of a large center with open-air and lots of space will motivate people to hit the polls.

Padilla acknowledges safety is a big concern but said it’s similar to going to a grocery store. 

“Bring your mask and anticipate the signage and calling for physical distancing,” he said. “Election workers, all the poll workers, will be outfitted with all their PPE. They need to keep themselves safe and voters safe.” 

All ballot-marking devices and ePollbooks, or electronic pollbooks, will be sanitized after each use, and there will be separate routes for entering and exiting.

Voting in person might not appeal to everyone, so all 21 million registered voters in California will receive a ballot next month in the mail, Padilla said. They can drop it off at any voting center in Los Angeles County, including the Dodger Stadium voting center, or mail it back without fear of voter fraud. 

“Every county, every election, selects specific paper types with watermarks and other distinguishing features to prevent against fake ballots being inserted into the stream,” he said.

Padilla also noted that ballot signatures must also match voter signatures on file, and voters must return ballots in a prepaid postage return envelope printed with a bar code assigned to each voter.

With all the options this November, Lo said she believes it will motivate people to vote, especially the younger generation. 

“If you are eligible to vote, then you can make a difference for your kids, especially if you didn’t get a chance to do that four years ago,” she said.

The vote center will be located on Dodger Stadium’s top deck. It will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. October 30 to November 2. On Election Day, the center will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

To register to vote, or check your registration status, visit voterstatus.sos.ca.gov. The deadline to register is October 19.