SOE to Share Info on New Law & Plans for Voter Outreach, Engagement
Duval Supervisor of Elections (SOE) Jerry Holland will discuss the impact of Florida's new voting law, and his plans for voter outreach and engagement Tuesday, September 19 at a community forum organized by the Democratic Women's Information Network (DWIN). The event will be held at the IBEW hall from 6 - 7:30 p.m. RSVP here to attend. Holland will respond to questions gathered by event organizers from community groups and advocates. He will also take questions from the audience, time permitting. Among the topics:
Youth/Student Engagement (College and High School)
Early Voting Sites
Maintenance of Voter Rolls
Election Security
Impact of New State Law on Voter Registration and Vote-by-Mail, and
General Questions about Poll Watchers, Precinct Changes and SOE Priorities.
Holland recently outlined plans to add five new early votes sites, including one at Edward Waters University which was closed by the previous SOE. The goal, according to Holland, is to have 75% of voters cast their ballots during early voting. The trade-off, however, is a reduction in the number of precincts open on Election Day. The SOE is proposing to reduce the number of precincts from 186 to 161, and change their distribution in response to a lawsuit filed by a group of voters in June charging inequity in poll locations. Under the SOE's proposed plan, the number of Beaches precincts would be reduced from 14 to 11, with the Beaches Library as the sole Election Day voting site in Neptune Beach. On the Northside, zipcodes 32208 and 32209 would lose a total of eight voting sites, while 32218 would gain a precinct. Find information on proposed and current precincts on the home page of the SOE website, under News & Notices. The SOE has not announced the locations of other new early voting sites. The NAACP Legal Defense Fund is currently analyzing voter data to identify underserved areas. Studies by the Florida ACLU underscore the impact of poll location on both election turn-out and voting behavior. During its last session, the Florida Legislature adopted a law imposing significant restrictions on third party voter registration by groups like BAM. The law is currently being challenged in the courts. The state also implemented annual renewal requirements on all Vote-by-Mail requests. Both efforts are widely viewed as overt voter suppression tactics by voting rights advocates. This is Holland's second stint as SOE. He was originally elected in 2019, and was elected again without opposition in 2023 city election.
Beaches Democratic Club Hosts Nate Monroe
If you'd prefer to stay on this side of the ditch, join the Beaches Democratic Club on Tuesday, September 19th at 6:30 p.m. at the Beaches Branch Library to hear award winning Florida Times-Union journalist and Beaches resident, Nate Monroe. Topics that Monroe will cover include the Deegan Administration's first months, redistricting, Jax Councilman Rory Diamond's absence, Shad Khan's purchase of the Seahorse and Lemon Bar and other current issues. RSVP here to attend
Young Voters Growing in Impact, Influence
Gen Z and Millennial voters are growing in significant numbers, increasing their impact and influence on election outcomes in Jacksonville and nationally. That was the message shared by guest speakers Millie Leeds, president of the Jacksonville Young Democrats, and Era Gashi, president of the UNF Dems, at last week's BAM meeting. Gen Z includes those born between 1997 and 2012, while Millennials include those born between 1981 and 1996. These two groups currently make up nearly 40% of registered voters in the county. Unlike older voters, both favor issues, particularly around social justice, over party loyalty. What can progressive organizations like BAM do to activate and engage young voters? Here are some suggestions from Leeds and Gashi:
Provide space - like this meeting - for young voters to talk about their generation and its concerns.
Meet young voters where they are by attending social justice events and non-political gatherings like the Riverside Arts Market and downtown Arts Walk,
Help organizations focusing on young voters find the resources - legal, facilities, marketing - they need to work with this critical electoral group,
Avoid partisan language in outreach to young voters - focus on the issues they care about, and
Donate!
If you missed this informative and engaging meeting, here are links to a copy of the presentation, the report Understanding Gen Z Vote and useful resources.
National Voter Registration Day Activities
National Voter Registration Day is Tuesday, September 19th! The Jax Young Democrats and UNF Dems are organizing voter registration drives at Edward Waters University and UNF as part of a national Day of Action. Contact Millie Leeds at 904-673-7668 or Era Gashi at 904-403-4201 if you can donate an hour or two to help their efforts to register young voters. The Florida Democratic Party will also hold a press conference in Jacksonville at 1 p.m. to launch the day's activities. RSVP here to get details.
Some Fun: Indulge Your Inner Campaign Manager!
For those of you who think you have the answer to mounting a winning Presidential campaign in 2024, there's a game for you! Politico has created an online interactive, You Be the Campaign Manager, that allows you to try your hand at putting together a winning combination of votes and voters. Check it out and learn more about the challenges ahead in the 2024 election!
A Few Jaw-Dropping Reads (that don't mention impeachment, indictments or Biden's age)
Why a Single Senator is Blocking Military Promotions and What it Means for the Pentagon. The Cost of Ron DeSantis's Ideological Purity.
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