OAKLAND — Outside the Kapor Center Annex, a two-block stretch of Poplar Street was blocked off in anticipation of voters’ arrival at one of three West Oakland polling locations Tuesday.
Inside, staffers gathered and prepared to welcome Election Day voters, building on several days of foot traffic.
“(Monday) we had a group of youth that just came down with a mentor to cast their ballot for the first time,” said Dolimer Rodriguez, a Kapor Center program manager who helped steer efforts that began in the fall to create the voting location. “Our poll workers are from the community as well.
“Around September, we reached out to the county to see what was possible. And the county was super excited. Having them just see the space and feel pride in seeing their community members come out here and cast their ballots, knowing there’s a location that’s safe and available to them for the elections, it’s heartwarming to see.”
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Rodriguez, who also works on a Kapor Center computer-science equity initiative, said she planned to cast her own ballot Tuesday at one of the location’s electronic booths.
“I actually work with a cohort of youth right now in advising how we can make computer science more accessible,” she said, explaining her own interest in Proposition 18, which would allow 17-year-olds to vote in primary and special elections if they turn 18 by the next general election.
“Just seeing their leadership, and how aware they are of the social issues that are impacting them and access to computer science education, allowing them to vote was super important,” Rodriguez said.
Another ballot measure, Proposition 22, would exempt app-based delivery and transportation workers from AB5, keeping them classified as independent contractors and not employees.
“We are in the tech space. We support folks of color, black, Latinx and indigenous folks to not only enter, but advance within the tech sector,” Rodriguez said. “The folks who are doing the work, making these companies successful and diverse and as beautiful as they are, should be protected.”
Kapor Center chief marketing and communications officer Jeanette Jordan said she had cast her own ballot Sunday at the voting center because of her concerns about U.S. Postal Service delays as well as her pride in the center’s efforts.
“We are a social justice organization, making sure people are not disenfranchised,” Jordan said. “Since this is our first time as a polling station to celebrate this historic moment, I wanted to vote here in a place where I know is safe, that my vote will be counted and protected.”
On Tuesday, Jordan said she woke up at 5 a.m.: “I was so excited for today. I am so proud of the organization. I think we are committed to trying to change the trajectory of this country.”
“I’m tired of voting been seen as drudgery. Why can’t it be fun, with food trucks and art and music and energy like Art + Soul Oakland?” Jordan said, referencing a popular yearly festival in the city’s downtown.
Jordan added, “We are willing to wait in line for a lot of things, and I think we should change the narrative around this, like more of a street fair vibe to make it engaging. We talk about engagement, but where is the actual engagement, having food and activities to meet needs?”
On Tuesday, that meant the presence of Oakland’s own Red Bay Coffee beverage van as well as a food truck by a black-owned business, but it also meant making the annex space work for Tuesday, Jordan said.
“Obviously we want to keep everything social distanced and safe, so we didn’t want to pack too many things here,” she said. “We got two black-owned businesses that we wanted to support that were probably hurting given everything that’s going on this year.
“This was meant to be an innovation center, an event space, and we hadn’t finished kind of filling it and building it out. So when COVID happened, we wanted to do something as an organization. We realized this was the perfect space, it’s obviously high ceilings, all of the furniture is movable.”
In a joint statement last week, Oakland assistant city administrator LaTonda Simmons and city clerk Asha Reed praised the center for its efforts, including its focus on civic engagement through entertainment.
“We are delighted as the City of Oakland, to partner with the Alameda County Registrar of Voters and the Kapor Center for this amazing event,” Simmons said.
Reed said, “There’s no doubt that the stakes are high for this critical election. That is why it’s important that we reduce barriers to voting, making voting accessible to everyone, especially during a pandemic. With critical issues on the ballot both locally and nationally, now more than ever, it is important that communities that have been marginalized, engage in their civic duty in their community.”
Contact George Kelly at 408-859-5180.
