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We are a non-profit state federation. Our membership includes women and men of every age, race, religion, political party and socio-economic background. We are a leading advocate on work-life balance and workplace equity issues.

In this section, you will read recent news releases and advocacy concerns as well as view our opinion editorials and letters to the editor. Members of the press who are writing about issues of concern to working women are encouraged to contact our Communications Committee at [email protected].

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Important Elections in 2014

Author: Communications Committee/Thursday, August 7, 2014/Categories: Politics

This November 4, 2014, we have some very important elections. We will have the opportunity to vote for all of the Congressional seats, all the New York State Assembly and New York State Senate seats, the Governor of New York, the Lt. Governor, the New York State Attorney General, and the New York State Comptroller.

You must be registered to vote in order to be able to vote in this election. If you are not registered, you can find a New York State Voter Registration Form here: 

http://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/download/voting/voteform_enterable.pdf

The form must be printed and mailed, because the Board of Elections needs your signature on the form.

If you are already registered, but have changed your address, or your name, or wish to register in a political party, or change your party enrollment, you can use this form to do so. If you are registered to vote, but have not voted for several years, it is possible that your registration has become "inactive" or even cancelled! You should check with your local Board of Elections to see if you still are registered. It also is possible that your poll site has changed. Every ten years, after receiving the results of the latest Census, there must be a redistricting based on the new population figures. It is better to find out where you should go to vote before the election, rather than go to your old poll site on Election Day, only to find out that you are in the wrong location.

In New York State, when a person who is already registered to vote wishes to change party enrollment, including changing from "no party" to a party, the change does not go into effect until after the next General Election (this year after November 4, 2014); however, if someone submits a change of party registration form after the deadline to register for the General Election, the party enrollment change will not become effective until after the November 2015 General Election!

This year the deadline for the General Election for postmark on the voter registration form is October 10, 2014, and it must be received by October 15; the deadline to walk into a Board of Elections office and fill out a registration form is October 10, 2014.

The New York State and local Primary Election will be on September 9, 2014. (The Federal Primary was June 24.) The deadline to register to vote in the Primary is August 15 for postmark on a mailed registration form (must be received by August 20, 2014), and August 15 is the deadline to go to the Board of Elections and fill out a registration form there. While those who meet these deadlines should have their registration forms processed in time for the elections, it is unwise to leave this to the last minute, because in years when there are important elections, especially during presidential elections, the local Boards of Elections are swamped with thousands of registration forms coming in every day in the weeks prior to the deadline.

Everyone who is registered to vote can vote for any candidate running in the General Election. In the Primary Election, in New York State only those who are registered to vote in the political party that is holding a Primary Election can vote for that party's candidates, with the exception of the Independent Party, that allows voters who are not enrolled in that party to vote in some of its primaries. The Independent Party is an official party, like the Republicans, Democrats, etc. Those who do not wish to enroll in a party need to check the "I do not wish to enroll in a party" box on the registration form (those who check that box are known as "Blanks" at the Board of Elections). Many voters who do not wish to belong to any party mistakenly check the box for the "Independent Party" because they want to be "independent" of political parties!

Other rights of those who are enrolled in a party is that they can sign/collect signatures on Nominating Petitions for the candidates of their party.

For more information on the Political Calendar in New York State, go to this website: 

http://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/law/2014OfficialPoliticalCalendar.pdf

You can find out whether or not you are registered to vote in New York State at this link (although they urge that you check with your local Board of Elections to make sure their information is correct):  http://www.votersearch.org/

 until after the next General Election (this year after November 4, 2014); however, if someone submits a change of party registration form after the deadline to register for the General Election, the party enrollment change will not become effective until after the November 2015 General Election!

This year the deadline for the General Election for postmark on the voter registration form is October 10, 2014, and it must be received by October 15; the deadline to walk into a Board of Elections office and fill out a registration form is October 10, 2014.

The New York State and local Primary Election will be on September 9, 2014. (The Federal Primary was June 24.) The deadline to register to vote in the Primary is August 15 for postmark on a mailed registration form (must be received by August 20, 2014), and August 15 is the deadline to go to the Board of Elections and fill out a registration form there. While those who meet these deadlines should have their registration forms processed in time for the elections, it is unwise to leave this to the last minute, because in years when there are important elections, especially during presidential elections, the local Boards of Elections are swamped with thousands of registration forms coming in every day in the weeks prior to the deadline.

Everyone who is registered to vote can vote for any candidate running in the General Election. In the Primary Election, in New York State only those who are registered to vote in the political party that is holding a Primary Election can vote for that party's candidates, with the exception of the Independent Party, that allows voters who are not enrolled in that party to vote in some of its primaries. The Independent Party is an official party, like the Republicans, Democrats, etc. Those who do not wish to enroll in a party need to check the "I do not wish to enroll in a party" box on the registration form (those who check that box are known as "Blanks" at the Board of Elections). Many voters who do not wish to belong to any party

Once you have made sure that you are registered to vote, and are enrolled in a party if you wish to do so, then comes the really difficult work, that of finding out about the candidates who are running in the election!

Educate yourself and get out and vote!

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