Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1291175
8 UCW SEPTEMBER 23-29, 2020 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM The Cumberland County Board of Elections is in urgent need of voters who are registered as unaffiliated or Republican to work at precincts during the Nov. 3 General Election and the early voting period in October. The General Assembly has allocated addi- tional funding to the State Board of Elections to increase election day worker pay by $100, and precinct officials' unemployment benefits will not be affected by the compensation received for working the polls during the 2020 General Election. The Board of Elections will follow state guide- lines to protect the health and safety of election workers and voters. Social distancing measures and routine clean- ings will be put into place and precinct workers will be provided appropriate personal protec- tive equipment. Duties include setting up and breaking down voting enclosures, checking in voters, issuing ballots and assisting voters upon request. Interested individuals must be registered voters in Cumberland County and available to attend required training. You may check your registration status at https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/. To register to vote, go to https://www.ncsbe.gov/Voters/Reg- istering-to-Vote. Precinct workers are compensated for attend- ing training and for working during early voting and on Election Day. Interested registered voters can complete the online application by going to electionready.net. State Employees Can Get Paid Leave to Help During Elections The N.C. Office of State Human Resources announced on Sept. 10 that State employees may use up to 24 hours of Community Ser- vice Leave (CSL) to serve in roles needed by their County Board of Elections during Early Voting (Oct. 15-31) and on Election Day (Nov. 3). For additional informa- tion about using CSL to volunteer as a poll worker, please review the FAQs posted to the Office of State Human Resources website or contact your Agency Human Resources Office. Absentee Ballot Requests Absentee ballot requests must arrive at the Board of Elections office by 5 p.m. on Oct. 27. On Sept. 4, the Board of Elections mailed more than 14,800 absentee ballots to voters who had requested them. To obtain an absentee ballot you must com- plete an Absentee Ballot Request Form, which can be printed at www.ncsbe.gov. If you have any questions or are unable to print an applica- tion, please call the Board of Elections Office at 910-678-7733 to receive one in the mail. The State Board of Elections announced on Sept. 11 that North Carolina voters who vote by mail can now track the status of their absentee ballot with a new online service called Ballot- Trax. The service is available through links on the State Board of Elections' website, NCSBE. gov. For more information, go to co.cumberland. nc.us/election-board. The Board of Elections is located at 227 Fountainhead Lane. The of- fice is now open to the public. You may call 910-678-7733 or email boardofelections@ co.cumberland.nc.us Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for assistance. Republican and unaffiliated workers needed for precincts a STAFF REPORT ELECTION 2020 Precinct workers are compensated for attending training and for working during early voting and on Election Day. North Carolina is a great state, and I enjoy working for the residents of Cumberland County as their District 45 representative. We have much to be thankful for. Just this month we remembered and honored the brave citizens and first responders that lost their lives on September 11th. Let us never forget the everyday sacrifices made by our military men and women, local firefighters, EMS and law enforcement officers who dedicate themselves to protecting our lives and our freedoms so Americans we never have to live in fear, and forever continue the tradition of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. To secure our freedoms, we must exercise our right to vote. There is still time for citizens to register and a number of ways to cast their ballot. There are less than 30 days until one stop early voting begins. Early voting is available from Oct. 15-31. To find your nearest early voting site visit https://vt.ncsbe.gov/os- site/. Many people choose early vot- ing to avoid crowds, pick their polling location, or enjoy the convenience of registering and vot- ing all at one stop. Commonly known as "early voting," one-stop absentee voting allows voters to register and then immediately vote, unlike on Election Day when voters must have already completed reg- istration. On Election Day registered voters can only vote at their specific precinct, but one-stop vot- ing allows registered voters to vote at any one- stop absentee voting site in the county. Voter resources including information on vot- ing in the 2020 General Election can be found at https://www.ncsbe.gov/voting. Other important dates to remember: Voter registrations ends Oct. 9 The deadline for absentee ballots is Oct. 27 The General Election is Tuesday, Nov. 3. I'll see you at the polls! Representative John Szoka serves North Carolina House District 45 which encompasses Fort Bragg and much of southern Cumberland County including the Town of Hope Mills, parts of the City of Fayetteville and the Gray's Creek area. He is a retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. And has owned and several successful small businesses in Fayetteville. For more information about Rep. Szoka visit https://szokafornchouse.com/. Early voting begins soon by JOHN SZOKA POLITICS REP. JOHN SZOKA Candidate. Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomingweekly.com. 910-484-6200 Rep. John Szoka engaging a constituent.