claudia de la cruz – J.T. the L.A. Storyteller

In the first official update from yours truly since our special Election Journey to El Salvador, let’s get into some final details for L.A. County’s March 5th Primary Elections and how to vote–including at the last minute–between now and then. Plus, we rebroadcast the Launch Party for Claudia De La Cruz and Karina Garcia’s campaign out of New York City with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, which was initially broadcast on January 28th, 2024. You can vote for the pair in California–including at the last minute–through the Peace and Freedom Party ticket and keep up with De La Cruz and Garcia’s campaign on IG. Check back soon for the official show-notes!

(0:33) Hey, what’s going on Los Angeles? It’s J.T.
(1:00) I’m back from El Salvador
election Journey out to my father’s homeland of El Salvador this past January late January through early
(1:25) Thanks again to each and every single supporter whether you donated online or whether you came out to our spectacular movie night out with Midnight Books in Boyle Heights
(1:55) Now, Election Day is just 7 days away, and generally speaking, they’re low turnout affairs
(4:04) Nonetheless, let’s go over some key notes for voters to keep in mind about the process
(4:32) Firstly, you do not have to vote in every race for your ballot to be counted
(5:35) You also do not need to wait until Tuesday, March 5th to vote! You can do so now, right away! I myself voted this past Sunday
(8:13) Next up, a brief note about Write In Candidates and say, the Democratic Party process for this versus that of the Republic Party
(9:47) Now, consider Claudia De La Cruz’s campaign with the Peace and Freedom Party in California
(11:49) Last minute voting, also known as Conditional Voter Registration
(13:57) With this said, let’s consider tracking your vote
(14:04) Re: the lesser of two evils argument when it comes to the Presidential Race
(15:16) Voting with pride and enthusiasm instead of with shame and embarrassment
(18:30) In that vein, this episode features a rebroadcast of none other than Claudia De La Cruz and Karina Garcia, who are Democratic Socialists running for President out of NYC. Enjoy!
(20:02) P.S. Did you hear about my first-ever Vote By Mail party? In East Hollywood; Wednesday February 28th
(21:06) With that said, from Los Angeles to New York, it’s J.T.
(21:21) Carla Reyes: Good morning to the West Coast…
(28:03) Lucy Ceballos Felix out of Texas for Claudia De La Cruz and Karina Garcia
(31:40) Miya Tada, out of the People’s Forum in New York and New Jersey
(33:40) Stephanie Weatherbee, International People’s Assembly
(41:49) Juana López out of Bed Stuy, Brooklyn, pre-gentrification; Latina Institute
(45:21) Amari Butler, pro Palestine student organizer with the Harvard African and African-American resistance organization
(51:26) Nathali Hrizi, Public School Educator, San Francisco
(59:15) Dr. Jared Ball, Black Power Media; author of The Myth and Propaganda of Black Buying Power
(1:04:45) Nisreen Muntasser, Mamas for Palestine
(1:11:20) Vijay Prashad; author of Red Star Over the Third World
(1:14:18) Eugene Peryear, PSL Central Committee Member
(1:23:16) Karina Garcia, Vice Presidential candidate for the Vote Socialist 2024 Campaign
(1:36:07) Claudia De La Cruz, Presidential Candidate for the Vote Socialist 2024 Campaign

Last but certainly not least, to make a one-time donation to my team and I’s Vote By Mail Party in East Hollywood this Wednesday, February 28th, please do so here. To support the production of J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast, check out my PATREON.

J.T.

On Your Ballot

You do not have to vote in every race.

Vote-by-mail ballots can be returned by mail, at a drop-off location, or your county elections office.

Vote centers open for early in-person voting in all Voter’s Choice Act counties (which applies to L.A. County) beginning on February 24, 2024.

Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by March 12, 2024.

Write-In Candidates

A voter is entitled to cast a vote for a qualified write-in candidate for any party-nominated, voter-nominated, or nonpartisan office by writing, on the write-in portion of the ballot, the name of the qualified candidate.

To add a candidate, fill in the circle to the left of “Write-In Candidate” and write the name on the dotted line.

A list of qualified write-in candidates is available eleven days before the election here.

Additional Note On Last Minute Voting

Here’s an example to consider. If you’re registered with California’s Democratic Party, but between now and Election Day on March 5th, you have a change of heart regarding your choice for the Presidency and actually want to vote for say, Claudia De La Cruz, of the Peace and Freedom Party. Can you can write her name on the dotted line below the “Write-In Candidate” bubble on your Vote by Mail ballot and have that counted as an official vote for De La Cruz? NO, YOU CANNOT. However, you can still manage to vote for De La Cruz under Conditional Voter Registration (CVR).

Find De La Cruz’s name and other Qualified Candidates whose names will appear on L.A. County ballots, including for the presidential race and more here.

Conditional Voter Registration

From the L.A. County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s Office:

Any eligible voter can go to any Vote Center in the County during the 11-day voting period.

Once at the Vote Center, the eligible voter [can] complete the CVR application.

The voter is then issued a CVR ballot to take to the new fully accessible Ballot Marking Device (like a voting iPad).

The voter’s experience reading and marking their ballot will be the same, however after the voter prints their paper ballot they will be instructed to return their paper ballot to an Election Worker.

As soon as the CVR application is verified, their ballot will be counted and the registration will become active.

The voter may then vote in any future election in which they are eligible to participate.

Tracking Your Vote

After submitting your vote, you can sign up to know the status of your ballot on the California Secretary of State’s part here.

For other questions, comments, or concerns, you can reach out to your local Vote Center, which should have more specific details on any of these particulars.

Otherwise, happy voting, Los Angeles!

J.T.