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Golden Day: NYC sees highest turnout ever for early voting

Golden Day: NYC sees highest turnout ever for early voting
Golden Day: NYC sees highest turnout ever for early voting
Golden Day: NYC sees highest turnout ever for early voting
Golden Day: NYC sees highest turnout ever for early voting

Golden Day — the last day to register to vote in New York State and the first day of early voting — kicked off this past Saturday with the highest turnout at the polls in New York City history.

Local social justice organizations, such as National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Brooklyn Branch as one of many making themselves visible, didn’t miss the opportunity to get the vote out in Brownsville. NAACP Brooklyn Branch President L. Joy Williams and Councilmember Darlene Mealy led their on-the-ground efforts. They were joined by sorority and fraternity members, Medgar Evers students, and the New Grassroots Democratic Club.

“This is a historic time,” Mealy said.

Volunteers poured into the basement of Mount Ararat on Howard Avenue, ready to text, phone-bank, and street-canvass in Brownsville to let voters know about the start of early voting and the last day of voter registration. Their goal was to reach at least 30,000 New Yorkers and remind them to get to the polls. After Golden Day on October 26, voter’s ballots will not count toward the general and presidential election on November 5, 2024.

“It’s called Golden Day, and being a part of Sigma Gamma Rho, ‘we are golden’ — our colors are royal-blue and gold, so it speaks to who we are and what we are,” said Alyssa Abernathy-Boston, founder of the Life Equip Group and a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority. “I’m absolutely passionate about giving back and being a part of such a momentous time in history. I would not have it any other way. [B]eing here is me contributing to change.”

Golden Day is a new practice in the city. Assemblymember Robert Carroll introduced the Bill S. 5984-A/A. 6132-A to create a “Golden Day” on the first day of the early voting period so New Yorkers could register to vote and cast their ballots at their polling places on the same day without hassle.

It was introduced in 2023 as a part of a larger legislative package designed to strengthen voting rights and was signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul last September. Bills in the package that were passed included protections for absentee ballots counting, forcing “faithless electors” to resign, establishing a deadline for changing location of a polling place, establishing an early voting by mail system, disseminating voter registration information at city jails, training programs for poll workers, and promoting student voter registration and pre-registration.

“It’s a progressive piece of legislation, and last year was the first opportunity to see it at play,” said Assemblymember Latrice Walker, who volunteered her time on Golden Day to help the Brooklyn NAACP text-bank voters throughout the state. “We were standing outside of a poll site and people were walking by and we [would ask], ‘Are you registered to vote?’ We got a number of people who said no, so the immediacy of ‘I can register to vote and vote’ will heighten the chances of a person actually voting, because it’s not like you have to be reminded to come back or something.”

Ariama C. Long photos

In an effort to capture the attention of more Black and Brown youth and get them to cast their ballots on Golden Day, Williams and Mealy asked the Brooklyn United (BU) youth band to escort voters to the early voting poll site at Weeksville’s Heritage Center. They played music, marched, danced, strolled, stepped, and promenaded through the streets with volunteers in tow chanting, “Fired up and ready to vote!”

Elijah Reddick, 21, a Brooklyn native who attended George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School,registered and voted for the first time on Saturday. He said that while he cares about the shortage of jobs and housing among his friends, he was not particularly “inspired” to vote.

“I feel like it’s a duty,” Reddick said. “Like people should vote, but I’m not really inspired to do it.” He was much more excited about walking with the band to the polling place and thought that was a cool experience.

Voter turnout overall has continued to improve.

On Oct. 26, the New York City Board of Elections (BOE) announced that this year’s first day of early voting was the “highest day” ever for turnout. Early voting lines in Brooklyn were down the block at times from when polls opened to when they closed, said line clerks.

As of Tuesday, Oct. 29, early voting check-ins were up to 495,478 throughout the five boroughs (unofficial and cumulative as of close of polls), posted the BOE. The most votes were cast in Brooklyn (150,805), Manhattan (136,206), and Queens (112,350). The fewest were cast in the Bronx (50,830) and Staten Island (45,287).

“It’s kind of like we’re back in an Obama moment, right?” said Abernathy-Boston. “Because when Obama was running it was such a huge response to us, people of color, minorities, feeling like we had someone who identified with us going into this space.”

Early voting ends on Nov. 3. Election Day is on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

The post Golden Day: NYC sees highest turnout ever for early voting appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

Jaywalking is officially legal in NYC

Jaywalking is officially legal in NYC

Jaywalking is a fact of life for impatient New Yorkers who simply don’t have the time to wait for the pedestrian light to turn green. Let’s be honest, did you even know that the practice has technically been illegal for years? Things are about to change, though: NYC has been jaywalking legal at last. 

According to the Associated Press, jaywalking has been banned since 1958, affording disobeyers a fine of up to $250. The outlet explains that the measure was put into place to reduce the likelihood of accidents in a city where pedestrians and motorists are in constant competition. 

Unfortunately, though, data shows that 90% of tickets related to jaywalking in 2023 were given out to Black and Latino residents

The effort to legalize jaywalking has, in turn, really been about the reduction of interactions between the police and the lower income residents who have been disproportionately affected by the practice’s illegality.

RECOMMENDED: Here are some free things you can get in NYC with your “I voted” sticker

The City Council first introduced the bill to decriminalize jaywalking in February of this year. The measure was approved by the City Council and then sent to Mayor Eric Adams on September 26. We’re not giving him any credit for this win, though—Adams failed to take action on the bill, which means that the bill automatically became law, reports PIX 11

Even though jaywalking is now legal, it’s important to make sure you’re not acting a fool. 

There are unspoken rules to the art of jaywalking we all need to follow to stay safe: always look at both sides of the street before crossing and never assume a cyclist or driver will see you. Make eye contact before you walk in front of any vehicle to alert the driver that you are, indeed, there. 

With all of that in mind, you can jaywalk to our heart’s content starting today. 

* This article was originally published here

Accessibility at the ballot box

People with disabilities and the elderly often face unique challenges getting accessible voter information that others may not encounter. It’s important to remember heading into Election Day on November 5 that interpretation services and assistance can be made available for those in need.

“I am deafblind,” said New York DeafBlind Advocates founder Marc Safman, who was recently awarded a REVUP! microgrant to help register more disabled voters ahead of the 2024 presidential election. He is also an Accessible Voting Advisory Committee (AVAC) member for the New York City Board of Election (BOE).

According to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s (EAC) latest report, voter turnout among those with disabilities increased in the November 2022 elections. The EAC reported about 15.8 million disabled citizens across varying demographics — like gender, race, ethnicity, age, and region — helped close but did not eliminate the turnout gap.

A big factor in boosting the vote was the decision by multiple states to make it easier to vote by mail between 2018 and 2022. New York State attempted to follow suit in 2021 by making mail-in voting permanent through a state constitutional amendment but it was voted down. The state’s lawmakers tried again in 2023, passing the No-Excuse Mail-In Voting law. Republicans filed a suit against the law, but it was upheld by the state’s Supreme Court this year.

The EAC’s 2022 post-election survey found that “14% of voters with disabilities had some type of difficulty voting” at a polling place or with a mail-in ballot. These individuals are also less likely than people without disabilities to have access to the internet for voter information, and are more likely to use non-internet sources such as printed mailings or TV, said the report.

Using the grant, Safman created a series of print voter guides in Braille and using quick scan QR codes that he’s worked to distribute to schools and organizations for the deaf and blind. The NYC Campaign Finance Board (NYCCFB) does provide a braille version of their voter guide but it’s only upon request.

“With the younger generation, there’s an emphasis on screen readers and audio,” said Safman. “And it’s not very helpful if your power goes out or if you actually want to walk away and review what you just heard.”
Safman noted that many candidate’s campaigns struggle to have adequate American Sign Language (ASL) and tactile ASL interpreters for their intended audience. Some rely on free audio description, transcriptions found on social media platforms, screen readers, or widgets and overlays on websites to be compliant with accessibility standards, said Safman, but very few invest in tools that help their message reach voters with different kinds of disabilities.

“There’s just a huge shortage of interpreters, qualified interpreters. There’s a very severe shortage of nonwhite, culturally appropriate interpreters,” said Safman. “So it’s very, very challenging.”

The NYC BOE has made strides toward meeting interpretation and language needs for disabled residents.

“We strive to provide in-person interpretation for a two-hour window during the time frame the voter plans to cast their ballot,” said the BOE’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Unit Director Ariel Merkel in an email response. “If we are unable to secure in-person interpretation, we will provide video remote interpreting (VRI) for the designated time frame.”

Voters with disabilities may request ASL or tactile interpreters by submitting a request in advance to ASLRequest@boenyc.gov. Safman suggested that voters give the BOE 48 hours notice to find an interpreter and to email at least 48 hours prior to voting with your full name, email address, phone number, date and time frame you plan to vote, and your assigned poll site.

Merkel added that voters should be able to ask poll workers on site or request a Ballot Marking Device (BMD), if they need assistance reading the ballot. Voters with other print disabilities — like blindness, low vision, dyslexia, dysgraphia, learning disabilities, and physical disabilities that limit writing abilities — can apply for an accessible ballot electronically and vote using their phone or tablet at home, however the deadline to request one online was October 26.

Voters can still apply for one in person at a county BOE through November 4, 2024.

“Voters also have the right to have someone they trust help them read and mark their ballot, as long as that person is not the voter’s employer, union representative, poll watcher or a candidate on the ballot,” said Merkel.

Lastly, Safman said that voters with mobility challenges could use discounted Uber and Lyft rides to get to the polls on Nov. 5 if they can’t arrange other transportation.

For more in depth information on how NYC BOE ensures the voting process is accessible to voters with disabilities, watch lighthouseguild.org/accessible-voting-know-your-rights/

For more information on requesting sign language interpretation at the polls, visit vote.nyc/important-notices/sign-language-poll-sites

For more information on the BMD, visit vote.nyc/page/ballot-marking-device

The post Accessibility at the ballot box appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

The Knowledge House celebrates its 10th anniversary

The Knowledge House (TKH), a non profit dedicated to strengthening the education-employment pipeline, is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Founded in 2014, the primary objective of the Knowledge House is to close the gap in employment in the technology field by providing training in technology for students in underserved or lower-income communities across the South Bronx.

Over the last 10 years, the Knowledge House has seen several program alumni go on to work in the technology field. The organization’s cofounders, members of the board of trustees, and several reputable community members attended a recent anniversary celebration.

According to Kim Marshall, the organization’s spokeswoman, one of the primary goals of TKH is to diversify the technology industry. “Diversifying tech means being able to reach people in underrepresented communities across the country,” Marshall said.

While TKH started its outreach in the Bronx, they have expanded to all five boroughs in New York City as well as other parts of New York state. Through the help of donors and supporters, the Knowledge House has been able to reach other metropolitan areas in the country. In addition to New York, TKH now has locations in Newark, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. The new locations were opened in 2021 to help underserved students in those states by giving them the same opportunities to receive technology training.

The Knowledge House CEO and South Bronx native Jerelyn Rodriguez spoke to supporters and staff members who attended the celebration. “We did it, Joe,” Rodriguez said to her cofounder Joe Carano in a callback to Vice President Kamala Harris’s viral video celebrating her victory with President Joe Biden in 2020. Rodriguez told the AmNews she’s both proud of the successes of TKH and excited about what the next 10 years can bring.

“A lot of nonprofits don’t make it to 10 years. So not only have we made it this far, but we’ve accomplished so much,” she said. “We’ve served over 3,000 folks in technology education programs, we’ve changed lives, we’ve partnered with corporations to help close the digital divide, and we’re just excited to keep going.”

In March, Rodriguez was named Pix11’s 2024 Remarkable Woman of the Year. Every year, the network highlights remarkable women who are making a difference in their community. “I think it was all because of Pix11 … I was a finalist for New York. Then I got to join 112 other finalists who are also remarkable women in their cities, and it was great to celebrate everyone’s impact around the country,” Rodriguez said of the award-winning experience.

Rodriguez also told the AmNews how proud she is of the organization’s expansion. “Right now, we have stories from all corners of this country. We can talk about folks who can help their parents because they have a high-paying job or a mom who can take care of her child because now she’s working in tech. So the fact that the impact is spreading is great because it just feels

great to give back.” Rodriguez also told us the next step for the Knowledge House is to open a location in Washington D.C., as well as Silver Springs and Prince George’s County in Maryland.

New York State Assemblymember Amanda Septimo spoke to the attendees about what the Knowledge House means to her. Septimo represents the 84th district, speaking for her home in the South Bronx. “We are celebrating one of the crown jewels of our borough and that is the Knowledge House…What actually makes The Knowledge House special to me is that it is founded from a place of deep love,” Septimo said.

The post The Knowledge House celebrates its 10th anniversary appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

This Ice Rink With Breathtaking Views Of The Brooklyn Bridge Returns In November

Talk about winter with a view: the Glide Ice Rink at Brooklyn Bridge Park offers a stunning panoramic perspective underneath the Brooklyn Bridge and adjacent to the Manhattan skyline.

The 2023 newbie rose to popularity amongst the best ice rinks in NYC, thanks largely to its location, and much to park-goers’ delight, it’s returning for a second time in 2024. Although details for this year’s season are still TBD, the Park announced that the rink will reopen on Monday, November 25th, and it will once again be situated in Emily Warren Roebling Plaza.

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“Ice Skating beside the Brooklyn Bridge has been part of the plan since before park construction began in 2008, and we’re thrilled to see this coming to life, providing long awaited winter recreation against a beautiful and historic backdrop,” Brooklyn Bridge Park President, Eric Landau, said in a press release last year.

We’re thrilled that the new holiday tradition will soon become a staple of the wintertime for all of New York. We’re also anxious to see what types of programs will be offered in the coming weeks, though these details are also under wraps. However, the park does promise that its cold-weather attraction will be accessible.

“Roebling Rink will offer an unparalleled and affordable ice skating experience,” the park wrote on Instagram. “Whether for a casual skate or a holiday outing, it’s going to be a must-visit winter destination in New York City.”

We don’t know about you, but we’re ready! And, if you happen to be along the Williamsburg waterfront this winter, there’s also an ice rink coming to Domino Park in November. It’s time to practice those moves!

Learn more at roeblingrink.com and watch this space for more information.

⏰ From Monday, November 25th, 2024

📍 Emily Warren Roebling Plaza in Brooklyn Bridge Park, 11201

💵 Price TBA

The post This Ice Rink With Breathtaking Views Of The Brooklyn Bridge Returns In November appeared first on Secret NYC.

* This article was originally published here

Crafting Lasting SEO Strategies For Long-Term Success

The #1 source in the world for all things Harlem.

Developing sustainable SEO strategies ensures long-term success by focusing on quality content, relevant keywords, and a seamless user experience. Consistent on-page and technical SEO efforts, such as optimizing site speed and mobile responsiveness, enhance visibility. Building backlinks and fostering genuine audience engagement solidify your site’s authority over time. Regular performance tracking and adapting to algorithm…

The post Crafting Lasting SEO Strategies For Long-Term Success appeared first on Harlem World Magazine.

* This article was originally published here

What Treatments Are Available For Sports Injuries In Physiotherapy?

The #1 source in the world for all things Harlem.

Sports injuries can disrupt the routines of athletes and active individuals, making targeted treatment essential for effective recovery. Align Health Collective physio offers a range of treatments focused on reducing pain, restoring function, and preventing future injuries. This article explores various physiotherapy techniques and their role in helping athletes return to their sport and maintain…

The post What Treatments Are Available For Sports Injuries In Physiotherapy? appeared first on Harlem World Magazine.

* This article was originally published here

There’s A Perk For Early Voters In NYC This Halloween, But You Have To Act Quickly

If you’re thinking about casting your ballot before November 5th, the spookiest day of the year is the perfect time to exercise your right. Thanks to a sweet early voting perk, we suspect plenty of New Yorkers will be eager to get in line.

The New York City Board of Elections has decided to celebrate October 31st with a special edition Halloween “Vote NYC” sticker — one that’s adorned with a pigeon in costume, trick-or-treat bag in his beak with the words, “Halloween Voter” above him. You’ll have to get to your polling site early, though, as this sticker is only going to the first 300 visitors who show up on Halloween. (Be sure to double check where you can vote early in your neighborhood, as the location might be different than your polling site on Election Day itself.)

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Adorable and spooky, right? (Pigeons are always having a moment in NYC, aren’t they?) If for some reason your subway gets delayed and you’re voter #301 on Halloween, you don’t have to panic. The good news is that there will also be Halloween voter tattoos featuring the festive pigeon, so either way, you can cash in on the sentimental souvenir. However, the New York City Board of Elections did not specify how many tattoos will be provided on-site, so you’ll still want to arrive on the earlier side.

Freebies aside, New Yorkers are particularly anxious to make their voices heard during the 2024 presidential election. After a record-breaking turnout on the first day of early voting — nearly 150,000 early votes, the most EVER in the city’s history — New York doesn’t show any signs of slowing down, sticker or not.

Should you have to wait until the 5th, no problem: our Election Day guide will help you with anything and everything you need to know. And yes, there are voter freebies, too, though we can’t guarantee any are pigeon-related. See you at the polls!

The post There’s A Perk For Early Voters In NYC This Halloween, But You Have To Act Quickly appeared first on Secret NYC.

* This article was originally published here