Community

New Vote-By-Mail Features on IWillVote.com

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

On Monday, learn important inforSept. 14, the mation about the votJoe Biden for ing process in their President campaign state as they make and the Democrattheir plan to vote. ic National ComPreviously, an inmittee (DNC) have dividual could use announced new feathe site to check or tures on IWillVote. update their registracom – the DNC’s tion and find voting voter participation locations. The new website – that will user experience will help voters easily realso guide a voter quest and return their through their best ballot by mail. voting-by-mail op

According to the tion based on their campaign, the site state and county regwill also help visitors ulations, including:

Requesting a ballot online. A voter will be directed to their state’s online vote-by-mail request form.

Requesting a ballot by email. A voter completes a vote-bymail request form, including uploading a picture of their signature (where required), oncom. The form is automatically emailed to the state.

Printing and mailing their request. A voter completes a vote-by-mail request form on com. The voter then prints, signs, and mails the request form to the state.

Requesting a prepaid return envelope: A voter completes a vote-by-mail request form on com and requests a prepaid return envelope. The voter will then receive their completed request form via mail to sign and return in a prepaid return envelope.

Additionally, IWilVote.com has been updated with new state-specific voter education pages and resources – to help voters easily find their states’ deadlines to vote by mail, early, or in person, as well as other important information about their states’ voting process.

“How ever voters choose to cast their ballots, these updates to the IWillVote.com site provide the tools necessary to exercise their right to participate in our democracy and ensure our community’s voice is heard in this critical election,” said DNC National Press Secretary Brandon Gassaway.

“Our lives and our livelihoods are at stake this November, and we’re doing everything in our power to ensure every voter has all the information they need to make a plan to vote and send Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to the White House,” Gassaway declared.

HARLEM COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS COMMUNITY Hope For Harlem Food and Supplies Giveaway Event on September 12th

On September 12 from 12:00PM - 3PM on Saint Nicholas Avenue between 118th and 119 th volunteers gave food and supplies to the community. , “Hope for Harlem.” Is an initiative that seeks to feed the mind, body, and soul of the Harlem community by providing groceries for families, care packages of essential items to children and adults, and lastly, hot packaged meals for families & individuals in need.

Groceries and care packages were provided that included hot packaged meals, baby supplies, back to school supplies, job recruitment, voter registration, census information, mental health resources, an ice cream truck and music by Doctor Bob Lee & crew of WBLS radio station.

The event was hosted by FCBCNYC, DC9 and Senator Brian Benjamin.

Photos by Seitu Oronde

COMMUNITY HARLEM COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS Harlem End of Summer Labor Day Weekend

Photos by Nadezda Tavadova Tezgor

Labor Day marks the end of the summer. Last weekend residents of Harlem enjoyed the

parks in small groups, the pools, playgrounds and biking. Everyday you see more and more people feeling comfortable enough to come out to the parks, with masks, adjusting to the new normal.

MBP Gale Brewer Office: Indoor dining is coming back

Indoor dining is coming back, finally. Restaurants will be allowed to reopen on Wednesday, 9/30 with these caveats: • Serve customers at a maximum of 25% capacity, with tables spaced six feet apart • Conduct customer temperature checks at door • Collect Test & Trace data from at least one customer at each table • Close bar tops for seating • PPE for all employees • If the city’s COVID positivity rate hits 2%, the City will immediately reassess.

Call 833-208-4160 or text VIOLATION to 855-904- 5036 to report capacity violations. (Open Restaurant outdoor dining will continue through 10/31, though I’m urging the Mayor to extend it until at least 11/30 and announce that as soon as possible so that restaurant staffs can plan for colder weather.) ---

The Dept. of Education has released the 2020-2021 school year calendar, which lists fully remote days, closures and parent-teacher conferences.

The NYS Dashboard for COVID-19 in Schools will be updated daily with data about positive COVID tests in each school, as reported by school districts.

NYC school families can join The New School’s InsideSchools+ to help navigate the school system and this year’s extraordinary challenges. The website offers discussion forums and classes, such as “How to Support Online Learning at Home,” which is free and open for enrollment now.

As in-person school instruction resumes, GetFoodNYC Grab and Go meal locations will continue Monday - Friday at 200 schools in high-need areas starting 9/21. To view updated locations later this month, see the GetFoodNYC map. Some will be dedicated kosher locations, and others will serve halal protein options.

Students learning in-person at a public school will receive both breakfast and lunch in school, and students at Learning Bridges locations will also receive breakfast and lunch on site. Families of students learning remotely can pick up free Grab and Go meals from any of the 200 schools, 9 am - 12 pm. Adults can pick up meals from 3 - 5pm.

I’m staying in touch with my Panel for Educational Policy (the old Board of Education) and Community Education Council members as the reopening approaches.---

Due to Rosh Hashanah (9/18 - 9/20), seniors and adults scheduled to receive GetFoodNYC kosher home-delivered food on 9/20 will instead receive their delivery on 9/21.---

Gov. Cuomo added Delaware, Maryland, Ohio and West Virginia to the self-quarantine list if their residents visit New York State. ---

Free rapid COVID tests are available at these Test & Trace Clinic locations: • Central Harlem: 2238 5th

Ave., 1st floor • Chelsea: 303 9th Ave. • Riverside: 160 W. 100th

St. • Washington Heights: 600

W. 168th St., 3rd floor

Schedule an appointment online. Appointment slots are available up to a week in advance.---

To apply for an absentee ballot, download an application at vote.nyc or call 1-866-VOTE-NYC. Check “temporary illness” as the reason for requesting a mailin ballot on the application. Absentee ballots will start being sent 9/18. Return it by mail, with the back of the envelope signed, postmarked no later than 10/27, or return it by hand to the Manhattan BOE offices (200 Varick St.) during business hours before 11/2, or before 9 pm on Election Day 11/3.

Track your absentee ballot using the NYC Board of Election’s new tracking system. The tracker confirms if the BOE received your ballot request, mailed your ballot and accepted your ballot-- or how to fix your ballot if it wasn’t accepted.

Early voting will be available 10/24 - 11/1; locations are still TBA, but I’ll share them once they’re announced. ------MBP Gale Brewer