H o w I t Wo r k s
Get Ready. Get Set. Vote! What you need to know to cast your vote in April by Suzanne Dreitlein
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pring is election season and here’s the dates to know: March 30: Last day to REGISTER before the primary April 21: Attend "Meet the Candidates for State Representative and State Senator." This forum is co-hosted by QVNA and BVNA. April 28: GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION and last day for County Boards of Elections to receive voted mail-in and absentee ballots (deadline is 8:00 p.m.)
GET READY: 1. Are you registered to vote? March 30th is the deadline. Not sure if you’re registered? Call 1-877-VOTESPA or check online at http://bit.ly/Am-I-Registered-toVote. Need to register? You can submit an application online or by mail. • Apply online at http://bit.ly/Register-to-Vote-Phila. • Mail-in applications are available at any U.S. Post Office or public library, or download the application at http://bit.ly/VoterRegistration-By-Mail-Form 2. Decide if you need to vote by absentee ballot or by mail-in ballot.
Queen Village Quarterly Crier \\ spring 2020
If you’re registered to vote in the April 28th election, you can choose to vote by absentee ballot or mail-in ballot. Either way, your ballot must be postmarked by 5:00 p.m. on April 21, 2020. You can also request, complete, and return a mail-in ballot during one trip to City Hall. Learn more at http://bit. ly/Absentee-or-Mail-in-Voting.
GET SET: 1. Find out who is running for office. The April 28th primary includes candidates for office at the national and state levels. United States: President; Congressional Representative. Pennsylvania: Attorney General; Auditor General; Treasurer; Senator (District 1); House Representative (District 175). As of the date this issue went to press, sample ballots were not available. Please check online closer to the election at http://bit.ly/SeeSample-Ballot. 2. Attend the April 21st “Meet the Candidates” Meeting at 6:30 p.m. You are invited to meet the candidates running for the offices of Pennsylvania State Senate District 1 and
Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 175. Queen Village and Bella Vista Neighbors Associations are event co-sponsors. Please check QVNA’s calendar in April for location confirmation: www.QVNA.org/ event/4-21-20 This event will be moderated by Patrick Christmas, policy director for the Committee of Seventy, a nonpartisan civic leadership organization that advances representative, ethical and effective government.
VOTE! 1. Voting by Mail-in or Absentee Ballot? It must be postmarked by 5 p.m. on April 21st. 2. Voting in Person? Double-check the location of your polling place. Recently, Philadelphia’s 2nd Ward increased its number of districts. Locate your polling online at http://bit. ly/WhereToVoteQV or call 215-6861590. Polling hours are 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. (If you’re still in line at 8 p.m. you can vote.) You can find a comprehensive voting guide at www.pa.gov/guides/ voting-and-elections. ■