Homeless people on Skid Row say they were paid $2 to vote.

A video report shows people receiving tiny cash payments to vote for Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Nithya Raman.

When you have nothing, a couple of dollars can buy a meal. But in Los Angeles, those few dollars may have bought votes from people who do not even have a bed to sleep in.

WHAT HAPPENED

A new report by the New York Post shows videos of homeless residents on Skid Row. These residents claim they received cash payments of $2 or $4 to vote for current Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Nithya Raman.

The report also points to massive numbers of voters registered at addresses that cannot hold them. One shelter with only 120 beds has more than 1,100 registered voters. Another day center with no beds has 185 voters registered.

These events happened during a tight local election. The late mail-in ballots changed the final rankings of the candidates.

What the money/evidence shows

• Some voters said they were paid $2 or $4 in cash to cast their votes.
• Over 1,100 voters are registered at a Skid Row shelter with only 120 beds.
• A drop-in center with 0 beds has 185 voter registrations.
• The drop-in center received funding linked to Councilmember Raman.
• Videos show residents claiming they were told who to vote for.

THE BIGGER QUESTION

The real issue is how easy it is to use poor people for political power. When a city has thousands of people living on the streets, those people become easy targets for anyone with a little cash.

Are we doing enough to protect the voting rights of people who have nothing? Or are we just letting their voices be bought for the price of a cheap snack?

THE OTHER SIDE

There is no proof that the campaigns of Karen Bass or Nithya Raman paid these voters directly. Homeless advocates say that shelters often act as mailing addresses for people who live on the street, which explains the high registration numbers.

This defense makes sense for the high voter numbers, but it does not explain the videos of cash hand-outs.

WHAT HAPPENS NOW

This story makes people doubt if local elections are fair. If people believe votes can be bought for pocket change, they will stop trusting the system.

For regular people, this means local leaders might get elected through cheap tricks rather than real votes. City officials will face more pressure to check voter rolls on Skid Row.

WHAT WE STILL DON'T KNOW

Who exactly handed out the $2 and $4 cash payments to the voters?

• Did the political campaigns know about these payments, or did outside groups act on their own?
• How many total votes were cast using these false registrations?