For early voting, new mobile centers opening throughout LA County

COMMERCE, Calif. (KABC) -- Getting people to the polls has often been a challenge, so one group in Southern California is trying to help out by bringing the polls closer to voters.

With the election just days away, the L.A. County Registrar says 13% of registered voters have already cast their ballot.

The AltaMed medical group set up mobile polling places at facilities across the region, including East L.A., South Los Angeles and other parts of the county. At the AltaMed center in Commerce Friday, community members were given the opportunity to either drop off their completed ballots, cast their vote in person or even register to vote.

Officials said since medical doctors are very well trusted in Latino communities, so while they get a checkup, doctors can also urge their patients to out and vote.

At a press conference Friday morning, AltaMed's Dr. Ilan Shapiro drew a connection between your health and doing your civic duty.

"So many things are directly determined by social determinants of health and that's the key of this effort... That's why we're walking around our communities to make sure that they understand their opportunity that they have in their hands to not just vote, but to change the future of their entire families," he said.

Los Angeles County registrar Dean Logan says by Saturday there will be 640 mobile voting centers throughout the county, including the ones at AltaMed sites. Voters can go to any of those locations regardless of where they live within the county. They are open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and then on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

There is rain in the forecast for Monday and Tuesday, so anyone who wants to avoid that hassle on Election Day (Nov. 8) might want to consider that early voting option this weekend.