This month the challenges as well as the opportunities for voter service have continued. The challenge is to gather information and progress that state and county BOEs are making, find out more specifics, and disseminate it to first our local Leagues and then to the voters. The Making Our Democracy Grant we received from LWVUS had enabled us to begin our Early Voting Educational Project. Counties are mandated to begin Early Voting 10 days before the Nov. 5 general election.
Each county BOE was suppose to designate their early voting sites by May 1 to NYSBOE. I am happy to report most of the counties have selected their sites and the hours they would be opened for early voting. Local Leagues have been emailed a spreadsheet of the information provided by the state BOE and asked to contact their county BOE to find out specific information and report back to LWVNY. We will be creating a website along with printed brochures with information specific to each county on early voting.
Early voting offers an opportunity to New Yorkers. Voting can be easier. Early voting offers an opportunity to LWVNY to engage voters this years with local elections where there usually is the lowest turnout. In order to do this effectivley, we need accurate and timely information. In addition to speaking with your BOE, Leagues are urged to update their websites with current information.
- Publicize the June 25 primary date. Remind people of NY’s closed primary. Remember if you are holding a candidate event for one party’s primary race, you need to offer the same if another party in that particular race is having a primary
- Make certain you have the new voter registration form which has Libertarian Party and SAM Party
- Have calendar with deadlines for this year’s Elections dates and deadlines including dates for Early Voting
Learn more about what VS is doing at our workshops at convention. Democracy works best when everyone participated. We can and will educate voters.
