Did you know there are 99 Neighborhood Councils in Los Angeles County, each serving about 40,000 people? According to the official Los Angeles City website, Neighborhood Councils are the closest form of government to the people. This makes them critical spaces for leadership and advocacy for our communities.
CAUSE believes that civically empowering Asian Pacific Americans involves raising awareness for and encouraging participation in all levels of civic engagement, including the Neighborhood Council Elections. Taking part in local elections may seem small but they have the power to better the communities we belong to and deserve the same attention that we put on national politics.
Do you know which neighborhoods you are a part of? You could be a stakeholder in multiple neighborhoods, depending on where you work, live, and volunteer. Since CAUSE’s recent office move, we are now a proud part of the Arts District Little Tokyo (ADLT) neighborhood. In addition to being part of the ADLT Neighborhood, our CAUSE Staff is also a part of whichever neighborhood they live in. This means we can be important voices in multiple neighborhoods and impact change in all of them. Find out which neighborhoods you are a part of HERE.
Did you know making your voice heard through Neighborhood Council Elections has a direct impact on you and your community? Leading by example is CAUSE’s Executive Director, Nancy Yap, who currently serves as the President of the ADLT Neighborhood Council. The ADLT Neighborhood Council supported programs this year that provided much-needed support to the local businesses, residents, and community members while also bringing the neighborhood together through sustainable relationship building.
The impact these programs have made exemplifies the power of a Neighborhood Council that reflects the community’s interests and creates programming that addresses community needs.
CAUSE encourages you to learn more about the neighborhoods you are a part of, either through working, living, or active volunteering. Many neighborhood councils will hold elections next year, as they do every few years. Elections happen on 12 different regional timelines over a six-month cycle. Please visit here to see the 2021 Neighborhood Council Elections Schedule for reference on when your own Neighborhood Council elections may be.
How to Vote in a Neighborhood Council Election:
STEP 1: Find out what Neighborhood you are a part of and are interested in voting in
Stakeholders include:
Residents
Business Owners
Workers in the Neighborhood
Owners of real property
People with Community Interest / Active Volunteers
Find out which neighborhoods you are a part of HERE
STEP: 2 Register to Vote
Register ONLINE: Fill out the online application form HERE
For a step-by-step guide on using the online form CLICK HERE
OR
Register BY MAIL: Print and Mail paper application form HERE
Translated paper application forms available in English, Armenian, Chinese, Korean, Farsi, Spanish, Thai
*Please note that documentation is required to prove that you are a neighborhood stakeholder, please see here for Identification Documentation Requirements.
Voter registration deadline and Election Day vary per neighborhood. Find out your neighborhood timeline HERE
STEP 3: Get educated and vote!
When you application is approved, learn more about the candidates running and vote!
For more information on candidates and voting, visit clerk.lacity.org
How to Run For Neighborhood Council
STEP 1: Determine which Neighborhood Councils you are eligible to run for.
To run for a Neighborhood Council, you need to be a stakeholder for that area.
Stakeholders for include:
Residents
Business Owners
Workers in the Neighborhood
Owners of real property
People with Community Interest / Active Volunteers
Candidates do not need to be U.S. citizens or legal residents to qualify. Participation is also open to the formerly incarcerated. The minimum age to run for most seats is 18, except for the Youth Seats, where candidates may be between the ages of 14-17.
STEP 2: Learn what it means to be a Neighborhood Council Candidate
What it means to be an Neighborhood Council Candidate (Video from Clerk LA City)
For more information and guides, visit: https://clerk.lacity.org/clerk-services/elections/nc-elections#candidate
STEP 3: Fill out the Candidate Application Online or via Paper.
Make sure to find out when the deadline to file for candidacy is in your Neighborhood Council, as they all differ. Candidate filing period will begin approximately 120 days before Election day and will last for 45 days. Please see the 2021 Neighborhood Council Election Handbook for more details.
STEP 4: Begin your campaign!
(Originally posted on March 26)