We are both very lucky to have been raised by parents who taught us the importance and necessity of voting. Every election matters, and voting is the only way to ensure a participatory democracy. My mother (who walked me down the street to our polling station every election), always said, you can't complain if you don't participate.
While there are barriers to making sure you can safely cast your vote, they are not insurmountable. Important dates for NEW YORK voting are as follows:
- The deadline to register online to vote is Friday, October 9, 2020.
- The deadline for registering by mail to vote is (postmarked by) Friday, October 9, 2020.
- The deadline to register in person to vote is Friday, October 9, 2020.
- The deadline to request a ballot by mail is (received by) Tuesday, October 27, 2020.
- The early voting period runs from Saturday, October 24, 2020 to Sunday, November 1, 2020, but dates and hours may vary based on where you live.
- Election day is Tuesday, November 3, 2020.
Some extremely helpful web resources are:
- https://www.elections.ny.gov/
- https://www.vote.org/
- https://votesaveamerica.com/
- https://fairfight.com/
As we have previously done with causes we believe in, we're raising money to support the right to a free and fair election. You can Pre-Order your 2020 VOTE T shirt now and $10 from each will go to the organization Fair Fight. You can learn more about them here.
We're also going to be closed on November 3rd. Election Day should be a national holiday, and we will take the leadership position by giving our staff the day off to vote and make sure they help their families exercise their right to vote. We encourage all other business owners to do the same.
We can only become the America we want to live in if we all engage and participate in our democracy.
We'll see you at the polls 🗳️
