Voting Solutions for All People (VSAP), is a Los Angeles County initiative that will digitize voting, allow voters to vote in locations other than their local polling station and increase the time frame for when people can vote. Los Angeles County Registrar’s Office announced the new voting initiative at a press conference on Monday.
VSAP is aimed at making voting more accessible and interactive by introducing a digital element. The new system is entirely revamped and allows users to select their choices on a touch-screen tablet. There are 13 languages available and customizable display settings so voters can increase font size, contrast colors or tilt the screen to fit their height.
Mike Sanchez, the public information officer for the County Clerk’s Office, announced that this system is the first of its kind and unique to Los Angeles.
“Voters can customize their voting experience; if a voter wants to prepare in advance and bring in their interactive sample ballot they can do that,” Sanchez explained. “If a voter has language needs, they can customize those language needs.”
The tablets are not connected to any sort of internet network, so there is no risk of someone hacking and accessing the data, officials said at the press conference.
Though Sanchez confirmed that transition to a more digital voting process will result in fewer poll workers, he also assured the crowd that actual human beings will remain present at voting centers.
“We still need clerks, line monitors and staff who will be available to assist and organize the voting process,” Sanchez said.
In addition to digitizing the voting process, VSAP will allow voters to cast their ballots in more than just their local polling station. Starting in 2020, Los Angeles County residents will have the ability to vote at any of the ballot boxes in the county.
Under the new initiative, voters will also have 11 days in which they can vote. However, there will only be 1000 polling locations, instead of the 4500 the county has had in previous years.
The program was developed and championed over the last 10 years by the L.A. County Registrar Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan and is aimed at taking the guesswork out of voting.
The usability of this interface is especially important, because, as Logan emphasized, voters between the ages of 18 and 30 are coming out to the polls more frequently than in previous years.
A mock election will be held on September 28 and 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in 50 locations throughout the county. Officials hope the mock election provides Los Angeles County voters with a taste of the future of voting.