Controversy Over Celebrity Voter Registration in Los Angeles
A growing controversy is unfolding in Hollywood regarding voter registration practices in Los Angeles.
Stars like Jennifer Aniston, Jenna Dewan, and Nicolette Sheridan have reportedly used addresses of financial management offices in West Hollywood for their voter registration instead of their actual residences.
Reports indicate that 36 individuals are linked to Suite 600 of a building on Sunset Boulevard, which is the office for financial advisor Michael Ullman and his firm, Platinum Financial Management.
The issue centers around whether these addresses are legitimate residences or merely mailing addresses, as noted by a news outlet.
Among the celebrities identifying with this registration issue are Aniston, Dewan, Katheryn Winnick, Sheridan, Laura Harrier, Matt Cucuri, Debbie Gibson, and Hamish Linklater.
Ullman acknowledged that his celebrity clients use the office for mail but contested the idea that they live there. “They don’t live here,” he stated. “It’s just a mailing address, but it’s not their residential address. So it’s mailed here, but they voted in their area.”
However, election officials in Los Angeles County assert that the registrations are recorded as residential addresses, not merely for mailing. Ullman appeared surprised by this, expressing, “That’s strange. That’s not my understanding.” The county registrar is reportedly looking into the situation.
Guidelines from Los Angeles County specify that voters must register where they actually live while allowing business addresses and post office boxes only for mailing purposes.
It’s essential to be registered at one’s place of residence. The county’s FAQ states that using a business address or PO Box for anything beyond mailing is not allowed. However, it seems some celebrities may have incorrectly listed their manager’s work address as their primary residence, raising concerns about potential perjury and the possibility of voting in areas where they do not reside.
Election expert Matt Klink remarked on the irony, saying, “Hollywood celebrities have spent years preaching to America the sanctity of democracy and the importance of every vote. Now we find that dozens of them don’t care about the most basic rules of voter registration.”
Election attorney Amber Hulse added that state law mandates voters identify their actual residence, asserting that if a celebrity like Jennifer Aniston claimed the office as a residence, it would be deemed illegal. This could lead to consequences for those signing the voter registration forms.
None of the 36 individuals connected to this firm hold confidentiality exemptions to safeguard their home addresses in public records.
Michael Sanchez, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Department of Registration and Records, mentioned the agency is currently reviewing the registrations. “Under California law, voters must register at an address that identifies them as their domicile or residence,” he said, noting that the county continues to examine records associated with the address.
The building in question does also contain a residence, adding another layer of complexity to the registration issue.
Klink speculated that there might be a slight consequence for the involved parties, suggesting it could lead to a public acknowledgment of the wrongdoing and a call for changes going forward. Importantly, there’s no indication that any of the individuals mentioned voted in recent elections from the West Hollywood office.
