In the small yet lively first floor of the Homeboy Industries building in Boyle Heights, staff and voters alike crowded to cast their ballots. Jessica Sanchez works in Homeboy’s Government Relations Department. She explains what flex voting is and how it benefits their Black and Brown community.
Sanchez: “So flex voting is just you coming over here and exercising your right to vote. You’re going to it’s a pop up center where we we create a flex center for people that aren’t able to drive off for miles or stand in long lines. We made it here at home, was a safe place for our community to come and vote.”
Homeboy Industries was founded in 1992 to help high risk youth and those who are incarcerated or recently released from prison. They provide free programs such as counseling, job training, civic education, and now voting. First time voters like Irma Montes, who works in the Finance Department at the 1st Street Homeboy location, came out to let her voice be heard.
Montes: “This would be my first time. I’m excited and angry at the same time because I think everything’s going so bad, so crazy. But I’m going to do my best to pick the best candidate. You know, all these props and stuff. But I’m ready. I have some stuff here ready to tell me what to vote for and what not to vote for.”
Jose Echeverria, another first time voter and trainee and technician at the Homeboy Recycling Center expresses gratitude after casting his ballot.
Echeverria: “I feel support important because I really didn’t know how to like the voting process and everything. And I feel when you guys come over here, you guys give us an opportunity to learn.”
Ruby Rodriguez, a lead for the Flex and Mobile Vote Centers for Los Angeles County explains how anyone can come to Homeboy Industries and vote.
Rodriguez: “It doesn’t matter what area from L.A. County you are in, you can come and vote. Now here, we’ll look you up. We give you a ballot, we’ll get everything going.
Sanchez says Homeboy Industries is making a difference in the communities they serve.
Sanchez: We were a part of the system. A lot of us still know our bookie numbers more than we were ever called our names. You know, we were called our numbers more than anything else. We have been taken on a lot has been taken away from us. And when you’re voting, you’re giving back. You’re giving back that person, their power, the power that they never even knew they had.