Over 40,000 Memphis voters oped to cast votes ahead of October election (Video)

TN: Early voting ends with 'Party of the Polls' at Greater Lewis Street Missionary Baptist Church

TN: Shelby County Voter Alliance uses party bus to increase voter turnout

MEMPHIS, Tenn — Early voting ends September 30, and the Shelby County Voter Alliance is in their home stretch encouraging people to get out and vote. They brought a party bus all around the city and offered rides to the polls.

Gabby Salinas, with SCVA, said the party bus was a way to spark creativity and voter education. She’s hopeful neighbors will take the initiative to make a change in Memphis.

“I think elections are always an exciting time for our community because we get to have a say in who our next leadership is,” Salinas said. “Especially when it’s an open seat like the mayor’s race this year.”

However, the 17 mayoral candidates on the ballot are opening voters' eyes to another issue in the city.

“For mayor, right now it’s so crowded. I think we’re probably going to end up with a candidate people didn’t really necessarily want...You could end up with something you’re not actually endorsing,” Gutierrez said. “Whereas if you dwindle it down in a runoff, we would have more of a say.”



https://www.localmemphis.com/article/news/politics/elections/shelby-county-voter-alliance-party-bus-increase-turnout/522-2b91396c-a36d-4696-81ab-6140212d1ae4

Lying Republican Candidate For KY Govenor Daniel Cameron Gets Caught Lying AGAIN About Abortion.

Looks like Republican Candidate for KY Governor Daniel Cameron got caught lying again about what his position is on abortion. For those who are not keeping score, Cameron has been getting hit with Beshear TV ads on the issue of abortion, specifically that Cameron does not support exceptions for rape and incest. The TV ads have had their effect because it was only last week that Cameron reluctantly stated he would sign an abortion bill with exceptions for rape and incest IF the state GOP dominated legislature sent it to him. Turns out that the flip flop is now another flip because Cameon is on tape telling a supporter that there would only be exceptions for rape and incest IF THE COURTS MADE HIM DO IT!

Confused? So am I to be honest. The Kentucky State Supreme Court has ruled that the current law banning abortions except for the life of the mother are fine. And the SCOTUS has already overturned Roe, so which court is Cameron talking about?

Hopefully, Beshear’s campaign will cut another TV ad pointing out Cameron’s two faced position on abortion.

I expect Cameron to continue to lie about his abortion stance. This is the oldest campaign trick in the book. Tell diametrically opposed groups what they want to hear to win an election.



https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/10/1/2196607/-Lying-Republican-Candidate-For-KY-Govenor-Daniel-Cameron-Gets-Caught-Lying-AGAIN-About-Abortion

New Orleans to vote on funding school repairs, two changes to city charter

New Orleans voters heading to the polls Oct. 14 will punch ballots for governor, the legislature and several other state and local elected positions. They'll also see three citywide ballot measures, one aimed at renewing tax funding for school buildings and two that would make changes to the city charter.

The millage, if passed, would renew an existing property tax dedicated to preserving and repairing NOLA Public School facilities. The Orleans Parish School Board, which governs the school district, could continue levying the tax at the current rate of up to 4.97 mills for an additional 20 years starting in 2025. It is projected to raise $420 million over that period for investments in existing school facilities.

Funding from the School Facilities Preservation Millage would be used for roof replacements, new air conditioning systems and window repairs, according to public school officials.

he existing millage has been in effect since voters approved it in December 2014. It is set to lapse in 2024.

The school district argues that the 20-year millage would allow it to plan for the long term. Many major investments made in school facilities between 2010 and 2020 will require major maintenance work between 2025 and 2045, according to the district.


https://www.nola.com/news/education/new-orleans-to-vote-on-funding-school-repairs-two-changes-to-city-charter/article_d6319626-5c8f-11ee-a064-8bf245deca61.html

OH: What's on the November 2023 ballot in Cuyahoga County?

Hundreds of candidates across Northeast Ohio will be vying to become mayor, or to win seats on city council or school board. Several local issues will be on the ballot as well.

There will also be two statewide issues on the ballot regarding abortion and marijuana. Here’s the wording for the statewide issues from the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections website:




https://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/news/politics/elections/whats-on-the-november-2023-ballot-in-cuyahoga-county/article_e20b1266-5e1e-11ee-8772-af3334178a43.html

MD: After lawsuit, a town elects first Black leaders in its 200-year history

Small-town elections where just a few hundred people cast ballots typically don’t get much outside attention. But Tuesday’s vote in Federalsburg, a 200-year-old enclave of about 2,800 people in Caroline County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, made history as residents elected the town’s first Black council members.

In a community where about 43 percent of the population is Black, the election of Black leaders was long overdue, said residents and civil rights leaders who celebrated the wins. Black people had run for election in the town before, but never won. Over the past year, the NAACP and the American Civil Liberties Union pushed for changes to election laws that they said had diluted Black political strength in Federalsburg and allowed an all-White leadership to remain in place.

Brandy James, one of the two newly elected Black council members along with Darlene Hammond, said she was thrilled with the win and is ready to dive into governing when she is sworn in on Monday. At the top of her list were revamping the senior center, making the absentee ballot process less restrictive and addressing affordable housing shortages in the community.

James, 44, a crisis intervention manager and adjunct criminal justice professor at Chesapeake College, said she felt the historic importance of her election and acknowledged the suffering that others endured for her to represent her community.




https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/10/01/federalsburg-election-naacp-aclu-maryland/

SC: North Charleston's new city council district map at play in Nov. 7 election

NORTH CHARLESTON — All 10 city council seats are up for reelection Nov. 7, but residents may be voting in a different district than before due to the city’s new district map determined by the 2020 census.

The goal of the map approved by city council April 13 is to address population growth and maintain a similar voting base, said Julie Johnson, special assistant to Mayor Keith Summey.

The most significant change to the new map is District 7, said Johnson. The former District 7 covered a sliver of land that ran along Rivers Avenue and consisted of the predominately Black Liberty Hill neighborhood, the oldest community in the city founded by freed slaves over 150 years ago.

The new district map moved District 7 to the northern part of the city in Dorchester County, creating a completely new district near Ladson Road. The former District 7 was absorbed into parts of District 6, 8 and 10. Liberty Hill is now in District 8.

“With a population shift from the southern end of the city to the northern end of the city, we needed to create an additional seat somewhere in the northern end,” said Johnson.


https://www.postandcourier.com/news/north-charlestons-new-city-council-district-map-at-play-in-nov-7-election/article_e7ee9b22-5d69-11ee-a1f7-874ba28e475d.html

GA: Cobb Elections Board To Host Town Hall Meeting Tuesday October 3

Free and fair elections should be the defining characteristic of American democracy, and all citizens need to play a role to make sure we live up to that ideal. An event is coming up that can help you learn how to participate in this critical process at the local level.

The Cobb County Board of Elections & Registration will host a Town Hall at the Senior Wellness Center on Tuesday October 3, from 5 – 7 p.m.

This will be an opportunity for Cobb residents to meet Gerry Miller, the interim Elections Director, receive an overview of the municipal General/Special Election that’s coming November 7, register to vote, get information about becoming a poll worker, and ask questions.

The Senior Wellness Center is located at 1150 Powder Springs St, Marietta, GA 30064.




https://cobbcountycourier.com/2023/10/cobb-elections-board-to-host-town-hall-meeting-tuesday-october-3/

UK: Trailing in Polls, Conservatives Look to Unleash the 'Real Rishi' Sunak

When Rishi Sunak arrived at the Conservative Party’s annual conference on Sunday, it was his first as Britain’s prime minister. The question looming for many attendees in the cavernous venue in Manchester is whether it could also be his last.

Facing a general election within 16 months, Mr. Sunak has restored some stability after a tumultuous period for the Conservatives — who last year replaced two prime ministers within two months — but has failed to significantly narrow a big deficit in the polls against the opposition Labour Party.

All of this will play out against the backdrop of a cost-of-living squeeze, a health service in crisis and a continuing flow of asylum seekers arriving on small boats — all political poison for Mr. Sunak. Labor unrest has subsided somewhat, but rail workers have deliberately timed more strikes to coincide with the Conservatives’ gathering.

Faced with those mounting challenges, Mr. Sunak has recently come out fighting, weakening environmental commitments in the first of several anticipated announcements aimed at seizing the initiative.



https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/01/world/europe/uk-rishi-sunak-conservative-conference.html