We are all watching history unfold before us. President Obama and Gov. Romney are engaged in a tight race to see who will be the next president of the United States. The Senate race between Todd Akin and Claire McCaskill has the national spotlight shining on the state of Missouri. As it does for every single election, National Council of Jewish Women and its Greater Kansas City Section, of which I am a life member and past president, has words of wisdom to share regarding the upcoming election.
Voting this November is not only primary, but it is also our right, privilege and duty. Most importantly, it is paramount for women! This general election may be the most important election of our lifetime! It will impact you and those in your life! It’s about your job, your health, your community and your future.
In this election NCJW specifically holds dear a variety of issues — from reproductive rights to economic security, from the kinds of judges who will preside in our courts to how our children and grandchildren will be educated. NCJW’s priorities are women, children, families and every issue that will affect them. Each of us has the power to impact these critical Issues, but only if we plan to step forward and exercise our hard-earned right to vote. We ask you not only to pledge your own vote, but to be proactive by urging everyone you know here and across the country to vote as well.
On Election Day Nov. 6, Kansas and Missouri polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. But if you can’t be there in person that day, Kansas and Missouri have other options for you to exercise this important right.
Kansans — including college students living away from home — may take advantage of advance voting either by mail or at special advance polling places prior to Nov. 6. To take advantage of these options, one must be a registered voter. For those who live in Johnson County, registration is as easy as calling the Johnson County Election Office at 913-782-3441 or downloading a form at www.jocoelection.org.
The deadline to register to vote in Kansas is Tuesday, Oct. 16. Advance voting by mail begins Wednesday, Oct. 17. Voters must complete an Application for Advance Voting Ballot in order to receive a ballot by mail. In Johnson County registered voters can simply call the election office at 913-782-3441 to request the Application for Advance Voting Ballot or visit www.jocoelection.org and download a form. Per the new state law, a registered voter applying for a mail-in ballot or voting in person must provide a photo ID. Those voting by mail must provide either a valid Kansas’s driver’s license number or non-driver identification card number on the form. There are many valid forms of ID listed on the application; or simply call the election office for more information.
(Here’s a voting tip: If you receive an Advance Ballot and forget to mail it in timely manner, simply take it with you to your polling place. It will be voided and you will be allowed to vote on another paper ballot. Your ballot will count!)
Johnson County registered voters who wish to cast their ballots early and in person may do so beginning Oct. 22. The Johnson County Election Office in Olathe will be open the following times and dates for advance voting: Monday through Friday, Oct. 22 to Nov. 2, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday Oct. 27 and Nov. 3, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Monday, Nov. 5, 8 a.m. to noon.
Three other locations will also host advance voting polls — Great Mall of the Great Plains, Metcalf South Shopping Center and Ten Quivira Plaza in Shawnee. These polls will be open Monday through Friday, Oct. 22 to Nov. 2, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays, Oct. 27 and Nov. 3, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This information may also be found at the website, www.jocoelection.org.
For Kansas City, Mo., residents, the last day to register to vote is Wednesday, Oct. 10. Voting by absentee in person begins Tuesday, Sept. 25, and is held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Kansas City Election Board in the Union Station. Absentee voting applications may also be downloaded at www.kceb.org. Voter ID is required; however, the law has not changed so Missourians will continue to follow the same procedure as always. For more information or for absentee satellite locations, call the Kansas City Election Board at 816-842-4820.
Whether you vote advance, absentee or at your polling place on Election Day, affirm your commitment as a United States citizen and the issues you care about! Please remember, bad leaders will be elected by people who do not vote. Your vote really does count!
An active member of the National Council of Jewish Women-Greater Kansas City Section, Barbara Holzmark has served as its president and is currently its Kansas Public Affairs chair. She was a candidate for state representative from Leawood in 1990 and is an active member of the League of Women Voters and MainStream Coalition. Holzmark is currently a supervising judge for the Johnson County Election Board and has worked in this capacity since 1992. She can be contacted through the NCJW office at 913-648-0747.
