A mariachi band serenaded citizens voting for the first time on Election Day at Dodger Stadium, one of the many in-person voting locations in Los Angeles County.
The live music was arranged by the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, CHIRLA, for the newly minted voters as they headed to the polls on Tuesday.
“Today’s mariachi serenade was to celebrate a tradition of voting among Latinos, and to celebrate Dodgers fans,” CHIRLA spokesperson Jorge-Mario Cabrera said. “There’s been a high number of Latino voters, which is really good news for us and for the nation. The more involved people are, especially those impacted by social policies, the better it is for us.”
Cabrera said the celebration was for newly naturalized citizens like 73-year-old Salvadora Mártir, who is originally from El Salvador and voting for the first time.
Mártir, an avid Dodgers fan, registered to vote for the first time at Dodger Stadium after recently becoming a U.S. citizen, Cabrera said.
“I’m very excited to cast my first vote at Dodger Stadium, the home of the champions of the World Series,” Mártir said in a statement to CHIRLA. “Voting as a U.S. citizen was already my dream, but voting after they win the World Series is better than a dream.”
Cabrera said new citizens who participated in a Citizenship and Immigration Services ceremony can register to vote in Los Angeles County until polls close on Election Day.
“They should not be intimidated to vote in any way,” he added.
More than 750 in-person vote centers across Los Angeles County opened for voters last Friday morning. L.A. County voters can cast ballots at any vote center in the county, regardless of where their registration address is.
The voting centers will be open on Tuesday, Election Day until 8 p.m. Those who are waiting in line when the polls close, should stay in line, because they still have the right to vote, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.