Just days before the Nov. 4 election thousands of Angelenos lined up to vote early at the LA County Registrar-Recorder's Office in Norwalk. With record registration and turnout expected, Microfilm Technician Chris Navarette is at the center of this historic vote.

Across the country, more people are voting early for this election than ever before, and LA County expects record turnout.

"Just the people who are coming out to our office to vote — there have been huge lines every day," Chris said. "It's good to see that people are encouraged."

'If you do vote, it is going to be counted'

With four days to go, Navarette and his team of eight microfilm techs were finalizing registrations — close to 375,000 new and updated voters in October alone. They scan them and give them to the dozens of clerks racing to capture and update all new voters before Nov. 4.

"If you do vote, it is going to be counted," Chris said. "Some people have the attitude that 'It’s just one vote, it’s not going to be a big difference, it’s insignificant.' Can you imagine if a lot of people had that attitude? That’s a lot of votes."

Election Day Goes Around the Clock
The deadline to register was Oct. 20, but even if you filed after the date your vote may still count. "The people that registered too late if they have a prior registration and they changed their name or address, they will still be eligible to vote. That won’t stop their ballots from counting."

Navarette will start processing these "provisional ballots" on election night. He expects to be there until 2 or 3 in the morning. "Then go home, sleep for a few hours, and be back at 7."

The upside to a 20-hour shift? He'll be one of the first to know the winners in LA County's hot races — and maybe even the presidential election.