L.A. makes history, the first vote center at a transgender support facility

When Los Angeles County opens more than 500 additional Vote Centers on Saturday, March 2, for the presidential primary election, one of them will make history — the first voting location in the United States ever located in a transgender support facility.

The Connie Norman Transgender Empowerment Center (CONOTEC) in the Fairfax area will be used as an official vote center beginning Saturday and continuing through Election Day on Tuesday.

“I couldn’t be prouder that L.A.’s Fifth Council District is now home to the first voting center in the nation located in a transgender facility,” City Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky said in a statement.

“As extremists across the country continue their endless attacks on both the LGBT community and our democracy, Los Angeles must stand as a beacon of hope,” she said. “I want to thank CONOTEC for opening this voting center and for the critical work they do every day to support the needs of the Los Angeles transgender and nonbinary community.”

California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis was among the dignitaries who visited the center on Thursday to celebrate the vote center, calling it “a significant milestone in our efforts to champion equality, inclusivity and LGBTQA+ rights in California.”

“By providing a safe and affirming space for the transgender community to exercise their fundamental right to vote, we are breaking down barriers and ensuring every Californian has equal access to the ballot box,” she said.

The Empowerment Center, 1001 N. Martel St., is named for Connie Norman, the “AIDS Diva” transgender and AIDS activist who died of the disease in 1996. The center opened in 2021.

A total of 119 vote centers opened across Los Angeles County last weekend, allowing residents to cast ballots at any location, regardless of their place of residence. On Saturday, 525 more centers will open, including the CONOTEC location, to make it easier for people to cast their ballots ahead of Tuesday.

“Our vote center model gives us the flexibility to locate vote centers in facilities and communities that give voters options that convey the significance of being heard through the act of voting,” Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan said.

Vote centers will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Election Day Tuesday, they will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.