With only 75 days to prepare, LA County’s Dean Logan says he’s ready for the Nov. 4 special election

With only a short window to prepare, will L.A. County’s Registrar Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan be ready to successfully hold the upcoming special election on Nov. 4?

The question was put to Logan during the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 7 at the Hall of Administration in downtown Los Angeles, during a special appearance by Logan who responded to supervisors’ questions and concerns.

He emphasized that normally his team would have a year to set up an election. But this is a special election with a single statewide ballot measure that involves changing five congressional districts. He had just 75 days to prepare.

Logan has secured about 1,800 community workers and almost 1,600 county employees to run the Nov. 4 election in the largest county in the state. He’s established 251 in-person Vote Centers and 418 ballot drop boxes scattered throughout the county at City Halls, police stations and in front of county offices.

The number of Vote Centers is “significantly fewer” than in the last election in November 2024, he explained. Vote Centers begin opening Oct. 25. Another 140 are added for the four days before the election.

“We have met our target for this election,” he said. Well, except that he’s still looking for a few community workers with specific language skills to place at some Vote Centers.

Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger said she always used the ballot drop box to deposit her ballot. Logan said they are emptied and checked every day. “There should be no excuse for people voting. There’s been a hustle to get it together and you’ve done it. I commend you and your staff,” she told Logan.

The only item on the ballot is Proposition 50, which was placed on the ballot by Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state legislature. A yes vote authorizes temporary changes to congressional district maps in response to Texas’ partisan redistricting, according to the official ballot language.

The measure was a response to the Texas Legislature partisan congressional redistricting that changes the boundaries of five congressional seats that will most likely flip then from Democrat to Republican. The effort was prompted by President Donald Trump as an attempt to increase the number of Republicans elected in the 2026 mid-term elections in order to keep the Republican majority in the U.S. Congress.

Newsom and California Democrats are asking voters to implement gerrymandered maps for the next three congressional elections, starting in 2026, to counter similar these partisan redistricting actions in Texas, as well as similar efforts in other Republican-led states.

Because the issue of re-drawing congressional districts to favor one party or the other is controversial, the topic of safety at the Vote Centers was raised by Fourth District Supervisor Janice Hahn.

“I am a little concerned in this era of increased political violence, so we might need to take more action for security. I want to make sure people are safe when they exercise their right to vote,” asked Hahn.

Logan gave this advice to voters: If they see something strange or threatening, let a poll worker know. If it is much more serious, call 9-1-1. He added that his staff is being trained to de-escalate thorny situations. Also, they are meeting with the LA County Sheriff’s Department and local police departments for briefings.

“We recognize that,” he told Hahn. “It is a challenging situation because under state law, voting locations are a neutral location,” he said. with no campaigning within a certain distance from the polls.

Hahn also shared concerns with some who called her office, asking if they need to bring their passport as proof of citizenship. Logan said the proof of citizenship is established when the voter registers to vote and is not required at the Vote Center. “That is more of a personal choice, if that makes you feel more secure going to a Vote Center,” he said.

For those who speak another language besides English, each Vote Center is equipped with ballots in 18 different languages, Logan said.

Second District Supervisor Holly Mitchell said she always use a vote-by-mail ballot and drops it in the U.S. mail. If a voter does that on Nov. 4, Logan advised going into the post office and up to the counter to ask that the ballot gets postmarked. Anything postmarked after Nov. 4 is not valid.

To avoid trouble or possible confrontations, Mitchell said voters should avoid voting in person and fill out the ballot at home. A voter can drop it into a ballot drop box or mail it. “That way you avoid potential conflicts,” she said.

In a report to the board, Logan lists the following actions he has taken to ensure a smooth Nov. 4 election:

• Every county registered voter was mailed a vote-by-mail ballot on Oct. 2. All registered voters should get one by Friday.

• 418 ballot drop boxes are open and will remain open through Election Day, Nov. 4.

• 251 Vote Centers are open starting Oct. 25. Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Election Day: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• The cost to run the election in LA County: $67 million. It was paid for by the state of California.

• The last time there was just one measure on the ballot? When California voters decided one proposition on the March 2024 primary ballot — Gov. Gavin Newsom’s mental health measure.

• For more information, go to: LAVOTE.GOV.