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Concerns over Skid Row voter registration activities
A federal guilty plea involving payments for voter registration has renewed scrutiny of petition and voter registration activities on Skid Row.
LOS ANGELES - A recent federal guilty plea involving illegal voter registration payments has renewed scrutiny over signature-gathering and voter registration efforts on Skid Row, where some residents say they are routinely offered cash, cigarettes or other incentives in exchange for signing petitions and paperwork.
Earlier this week, Brenda Armstrong pleaded guilty in federal court to paying another person to register to vote, a violation of federal law. According to her plea agreement, Armstrong spent nearly two decades working as a paid petition circulator, often on Skid Row.
The case has prompted new questions about whether similar activity may be occurring in one of Los Angeles' largest concentrations of unhoused residents.
Residents interviewed by FOX 11 on Wednesday described seeing people with clipboards regularly approaching individuals on Skid Row to collect signatures for petitions and other documents.
Some said they had never witnessed such activity. Others said it was common.
"They will pay you to fill out the petitions," said Walter Smith, who lives on Skid Row.
"Cigarettes, here you go. Money, here you go," said another resident, Bryon Evans.
Several residents said petition circulators often seek signatures for political measures or campaigns, though many were unsure exactly what they were signing.
"Petitions and stuff like that," one resident said when asked what kinds of documents were involved.
Others alleged that some circulators provided names or information that residents were instructed to use when signing forms.
"They have a name already set for us, and they just want the signature," Evans said.
FOX 11 also spoke with individuals living on the street near Los Angeles City Hall, about a mile from Skid Row, who claimed they had witnessed similar activity.
One person alleged people were offered money after signing documents, while another claimed individuals were sometimes told what name to use on paperwork.
FOX 11 has not independently verified those claims.
The federal investigation comes as questions persist about voter registration addresses connected to homeless service providers in the area.
According to reporting by the California Post, voter registration records show more than 1,100 registered voters listed an address associated with the Midnight Mission on Skid Row.
The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk told FOX 11 that individuals experiencing homelessness are legally allowed to register to vote by identifying a location where they regularly stay.
Voting rights advocates have long noted that homeless individuals retain the right to vote and may use shelters, service providers or other locations that meet state requirements for voter registration.
Federal prosecutors have indicated their investigation remains ongoing.
It remains unclear who may be collecting signatures on Skid Row, what specific petitions are involved or whether any additional criminal conduct has occurred.
For some residents, the allegations raise concerns about how vulnerable populations may be targeted.
"I think it’s just stupid," said Jessica. "Most people here on Skid Row have nothing they can actually use. So why would you want their information?"