Every January, people in the United States honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was a leader in the Civil Rights Movement, a time when many Americans fought for equal rights for all people—no matter their skin color.
Vocabulary:
Equality – the state of being equal, especially in rights and opportunities
Justice – fairness in the way people are treated
Peaceful protest – showing disagreement without violence
Civil rights – the rights of citizens to freedom and equality
Dr. King believed in peaceful protest. He gave powerful speeches, including the famous “I Have a Dream” speech, where he spoke about a future where children of all races could live and learn together in harmony. His words inspired millions and continue to give hope today.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is more than just a holiday. It’s a day to remember the importance of justice, kindness, and respect. Many people celebrate by volunteering in their communities, helping others, and learning more about history.
📝 Try This: Write a short paragraph about a dream you have for a better world. Use words like “peace,” “respect,” and “hope.”
Dr. King’s dream was big—but he showed us that change begins with one voice. What will your voice say today?
You may feel that you do not have much money or power, but in the voting booth, your choice is equal to everyone else’s. As an American citizen, you are able to make your voice heard about what really matters to you.
Reasons to Vote:
■ You care about clean air and clean water. The government makes laws that can protect or hurt the environment.
■ You have family members in another country who want to move to the U.S. The government makes rules about who can move here and how easy it is.
■ You are in school or have children in school. You want the school to provide a good education. The government makes rules about teacher training, programs, and testing. It decides what kinds of programs receive funding.
■ You are looking for a job that offers a good wage and job security. The government guides the economy. That affects how easy it is to find a job, how much companies can pay workers, and what benefits companies must provide.
Where?
On Election Day, people vote in different sorts of places. Your voting site might be a school, a church, a community center, a fire station, or another neighborhood building. You must go to the correct polling place. The place you go to vote will depend on where you live.
After you register to vote, you will receive a card confirming your registration and indicating your polling place.
How?
Firstly, inform yourself. Watch television, read newspapers, and explore the internet to learn how the candidates stand on issues that are important to you.
Here are some useful links:
■ Rock the Votewww.rockthevote.org Targeted towards younger voters, this site seeks to inspire and inform on building political power in young people.
■ Vote 411 www.vote411.org Countrywide, personalized information on candidates and where they stand on what you’re voting for.
■ Project Vote Smart www.votesmart.org Free, factual information on candidates in simplified, straightforward language.
Watch debates, watch television, read newspapers, and consult with trusted experts.
For fascinating fun and a bit of history, this site has information, explanations, and ads going back to the beginning of televised election commercials.
National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week is taking place from September 18-22, 2023! We invite all teachers, administrators, adult learners, and friends of adult education to participate in fun and impactful ways! Here are a few suggestions:
If you are on social media, join the Twitter storm HERE.
Send a quick-fire email with just 3 clicks to all of your legislators with just 3 quick clicks HERE!
Download and share the eye-popping graphics that help make the case for adult education HERE.
Watch and share the inspirational videos from the field!
Join us for our kickoff that begins on Monday at 11am ET, followed by daily programming that includes live daily legislative events, and many additional engagement opportunities.
If you are a program manager or teacher, consider having your staff and learners engage in all of these exciting opportunities!
You will find more details about all of these free and easy ways to join the celebration at www.coabe.org. Together, we are the voice of adult education!
Hi all. We are sad to see what is occurring right now in Ukraine. Regardless of your native country, we want to see all New York residents stand together and help everyone in any way we can.
Please see the information below in English, Ukrainian, Russian, and Polish.
June 15: Last day to postmark an application or letter of application by mail, or send an email or fax for an absentee ballot: https://vote.nyc/page/absentee-voting-0
June 21: Last day to apply IN-PERSON for absentee ballot.
June 22: 🎉 Primary Election Day 🎉
June 22: Last day to postmark ballot. Must be received by the local board of elections no later than June 29th.
June 22: Last day to deliver ballot IN-PERSON to the local board of elections (by someone other than the voter).
Where to Vote:
Early voting polling stations may be different than election day polling stations, so please double-check where to go if you are planning to vote early. Find your polling station for both early voting & election day voting here: https://findmypollsite.vote.nyc/
Meet the Candidates:
If you have questions about candidates, please visit the City’s recently launched voter guide to meet their candidates.
Ranked Choice Voting:
If you are still not sure what ranked-choice voting is, you can learn it in 13 different languages here.
Voter Pledge:
We hope you will join us and pledge here to vote in the 2021 primary elections.
New York City elections in 2021 present us with a pivotal moment: city residents will elect new leadership to the City Council and highest local government offices, including the Mayor, Comptroller, and Borough Presidents.
Additionally, New York City voters now have the option to rank their top 5 candidates in our local primary and special elections for Mayor, Comptroller, Borough President, and City Council. If voters still want to vote for just one candidate, they can.
With ranked choice voting, runoffs are eliminated & candidates will need to win with at least 50% + 1 of the votes. Learn more about ranked choice voting (RCV) below and at: https://www.fairvote.org/
Remember, in NYC, to vote in a party primary, you must be registered as a member of the party. In other words, to vote in the Democratic Primary, you have to be registered as a Democrat. To vote in the Republican Primary, you have to be registered as a Republican. Check your registration here: https://www.nycvotersearch.com/
We hope you will pledge to vote in the 2021 primary elections on June 22, 2021. Join us and pledge here.
2021 Voting Deadlines
Primary Election: June 22
Registration Deadline: May 28
Vote by Mail Request Deadline: June 15
Early Voting Period: June 12 – June 20
General Election: Nov 2
Registration Deadline: Oct 8
Vote by Mail Request Deadline: Oct 26
Early Voting Period: Oct 23 – Oct 31
RCV FAQs
How many candidates do I rank? You can rank up to 5 candidates, as many or as few as you’d like.
Do I have to use all 5 rankings? No. Your vote will still count if you only rank one or a couple candidates.
Can I rank a candidate more than once? It does not help your favorite candidate to rank them more than once.
Does it hurt my favorite candidate to have a 2nd choice? No, your 2nd (3rd, 4th, 5th) choices will only be looked at if your 1st choice is eliminated.
Why should I rank my votes? More choice = more power.
Las elecciones de la Ciudad de Nueva York en 2021 nos presentan un momento crucial: los residentes de la ciudad elegirán un nuevo liderazgo para el Concejo Municipal y los cargos gubernamentales más altos, incluidos el Alcalde, el Contralor y los Presidentes de los Distritos.
Además, los votantes de la Ciudad de Nueva York ahora tienen la opción de clasificar a sus 5 candidatos preferidos en nuestras elecciones locales primarias y especiales para Alcalde, Contralor, Presidente del Distrito y Concejo Municipal. Si los votantes aún quieren votar por un solo candidato, pueden hacerlo.
Con la votación por orden de preferencia, se eliminan los desempates y los candidatos deberán ganar con al menos el 50% + 1 de los votos. Obtenga más información sobre la votación por orden de preferencia (RCV, por sus siglas en inglés) a continuación y en: https://www.fairvote.org/
Recuerde, en Nueva York, para votar en las primarias de un partido, debe estar registrado como miembro del partido. En otras palabras, para votar en las primarias demócratas, debes estar registrado como demócrata. Para votar en las primarias republicanas, debe estar registrado como republicano. Compruebe su registro aquí: https://www.nycvotersearch.com/
Esperamos que se comprometa a votar en las elecciones primarias de 2021 el 22 de junio. Únase a nosotros y haga su promesa aquí.
Plazos de votación 2021
Elección primaria: 22 de junio
Fecha límite de inscripción: 28 de mayo
Fecha límite de solicitud de voto por correo: 15 de junio
Período de votación anticipada: 12 – 20 de junio
Elección general: 2 de noviembre
Fecha límite de inscripción: 8 de octubre
Fecha límite para la solicitud de voto por correo: 26 de octubre
Período de votación anticipada: 23 – 31 de octubre
Preguntas frecuentes sobre RCV
¿Cuántos candidatos clasifico? Puede clasificar hasta 5 candidatos, tantos o tan pocos como desee.
¿Tengo que usar las 5 clasificaciones? No. Su voto seguirá contando si solo clasifica a uno o dos candidatos.
¿Puedo clasificar a un candidato más de una vez? No ayuda a su candidato favorito clasificarlo más de una vez.
¿Afecta a mi candidato favorito tener una segunda opción? No, su segunda opción (tercera, cuarta, quinta) solo se considerará si se elimina su primera opción.
¿Por qué debo clasificar mis votos? Más opciones = más poder.
