Concerns Arise Over Voter Participation on Skid Row

Spencer Pratt’s volunteer team claims to have discovered numerous ballots sent out in Skid Row, yet the actual voter turnout in the Los Angeles mayoral election appears disappointingly low.

A group from the California Post spent several hours with four representatives from the Platt Pack on Sunday, exploring the challenging conditions of the area.

They engaged local residents in conversations about their experiences with voter registration, mail-in voting, and the activists who have worked in this neighborhood for years.

This inquiry followed closely after Karen Bass’s victory, which effectively knocked Pratt out of the mayoral race, as Nithya Raman collected a significant number of mail-in ballots.

Susan Collins, a former California Senate candidate and Platt Pack member, shared with the Post, “What we’re finding is that many people are registered to vote, many ballots are mailed, but actual voter participation is quite low.”

The California Post’s investigation revealed thousands of voter registrations, with a public records search indicating over 7,600 registered voters linked to shelters, housing projects, and social service agencies. Notably, 1,160 of these registrants were associated with the Midnight Mission in Skid Row.

A long-time resident recounted knowing a woman from Marina del Rey who was recently charged for allegedly paying homeless individuals to register to vote.

This woman, Brenda Lee Brown Armstrong, also known as “Annika,” was indicted in May for these actions.

Federal authorities stated that Armstrong, who had worked as a paid petition circulator, agreed to plead guilty.

Thaddeus Brown recounted how individuals in the area were often offered money or cigarettes to sign documents, claiming that Armstrong would pay between $2 and $5, with some offering less. Yet, this raised a recurring theme—many individuals remembered the registration process, but not the act of voting itself.

Volunteers traversed through tents, shelters, and service centers, speaking with residents about their voting experiences.

Brown mentioned, “There are many who have never cast a vote. They’ve registered, but it seems it was just for appearances.”

For Collins, who has expressed concerns about ballot collection practices for some time, the most striking aspect of the visits was the consistency of the stories from residents across different blocks.

She noted, “What I’m hearing from many is they’re registered to vote but haven’t encountered anyone who actually voted.”

Collins posed a pressing question, “What happened to all these ballots? People recall receiving their ballots but not actually voting. So where did they go?”

Ann Giuliano, visiting Skid Row for the first time, found the experience both intense and illuminating, saying it motivated her to engage more actively rather than remain at a distance.

Giuliano described witnessing alarming scenes, like a man attacking another with a shovel, which underscored the urgent realities people face in that area.

She expressed her desire to uncover the deeper layers of the election narrative, saying, “The numbers alone are puzzling; that’s why I’m committed to looking beyond what’s merely presented.”

Giuliano concluded, “I believe this election may have changed Los Angeles for good. At least, I hope so. It’s essential for people to feel empowered to pursue the truth and advocate for it.”