Oakland organizations team up to provide childcare at polling locations
OAKLAND, Calif. (BCN) - Two organizations teamed up to provide childcare for families voting in Oakland during today's California primary election.
National women's advocacy group UltraViolet and National Domestic Workers Alliance sponsored the program, providing childcare at two polling locations, as long lines are predicted due to an increase in voter registration, according to event organizers.
Childcare is available at Manzanita Community School in Oakland, located at 2409 E. 27th Street, as well as at another location in East Los Angeles.
The two locations were chosen because they are in low-income neighborhoods, where the high cost of childcare may hinder people from leaving their house to vote, event organizers said.
At the polls, children were entertained with games and toys, as well as mock voting booths for kids, as their parents waited in line to vote.
"Our goal is ensure that everyone gets a chance to vote regardless of whether they have access to childcare. All too often, we see polling locations in districts across the country plagued by long lines, which women with children may not have time to wait in," according to UltraViolet employee Nita Chaudhary.
"To stand in line, trying to vote with a toddler is difficult, so providing child care at the poll is a great way to get people vote," Lindsay Imai, spokeswoman for Hand in Hand, an affiliate of the National Domestic
Workers Alliance, said.
"We all deserve the right to vote as well as having access to affordable childcare," Imai said.