Dear Neighbor,
Election day – November 5th – is three weeks away and I am writing with important information on how to cast your vote.
Voter Registration
October 15th is last day to register by mail & online. You can check your registration and learn more at the DC Board of Election’s website here. While October 15th is the last day to register by mail and online, same-day voter registration is available at any Vote Center during Early Voting & on Election Day with proof of DC residence. Learn more at http://dcboe.org/registertovote
If you are a member of the military or voting from overseas, the Federal Voting Assistance Program has information on registration and absentee voting here.
Casting your ballot
You can vote by using your mail-in-ballot or by voting in person early or on election day. Instructions on how to fill out your mail-in-ballot can be found here.
Mail-in-ballot: The DC Board of Elections has mailed ballots to registered voters. If you have not received your mail-in-ballot but expect to be away on Election Day, you can request a ballot here. There are several ways to cast your vote by mail-in-ballot: dropping at a drop box, returning it to your letter carrier, dropping at a USPS post office or mailbox, or at any vote center. All instructions can be found here.
You may drop your mail-in-ballot in any Ballot Drop Box at any time until 8:00 pm on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5th. You can find a full list of Ballot Drop Box locations across the District here.
You may also drop your mail-in-ballot at any Early Voting or Election Day Voting Center.
In person: You can vote in person at any Early Voting Center or any Election Day Voting Center. Voters may cast their ballots at any vote center regardless of their residential address. Early Vote Centers will be open from Monday, October 28 through Sunday, November 3, between the hours of 8:30 am and 7:00 pm. You can find the Early Voting Centers here.
Election Day Voting Centers will be open Tuesday, November 5th from 7:00 am – 8:00 pm. You can find Election Day Voting Centers here.
Accessibility: The DC Board of Elections has a number of resources to make voting accessible including language access, curbside voting, Accessible Remote Ballot Marking System to facilitate voters with disabilities to vote independently and privately, among others. For more information visit here.
For any additional questions about voting, you can reach the DC Board of Elections at https://dcboe.org/ or 1-866-DC-VOTES.
Yours in Service,
Brooke
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Committee Hearings
The Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety continues to move forward its busy fall agenda with hearings on important legislation and oversight before the end of the Council period in December. Here’s a round-up of what is coming up next:
- October 21st: Hearing on Safe and Supported Pregnancy and Delivery for Incarcerated Individuals Amendment Act of 2024; Child Marriage Prohibition Amendment Act of 2024; The Firearm Suicide Prevention (Donna’s Law) Amendment Act of 2024
- October 23rd: Hearing on Transparency in Emergency Response Amendment Act of 2024; Childcare for First Responders Act of 2024
- October 23rd: The 2nd of 3 oversight hearings on OUC/911 Call Center will focus on staffing shortages, recruitment, and retention at the Office of Unified Communications
More information on these hearings and instructions on how to sign-up to testify and submit written testimony can be found here.
Additional Important Hearings
- October 24th: A hearing will be held on my bill the “Government Recruitment and Retention Act of 2023” aims to address issues with hiring and recruitment across District agencies, with a particular focus on vacancies among mission-critical positions in our public safety agencies. More information on this hearing and instructions on how to sign-up to testify and submit written testimony can be found here.
- October 22nd: The Committee on Housing will have an oversight hearing on the DC Housing Authority to evaluate performance and receive updates on the three-year recovery plan. The DC Housing Authority serves an important function of housing DC residents and oversight hearings are critical to ensuring DCHA is serving residents and increasing capacity. Learn more here.
When I first joined the Council, I pledged to build a new middle school to serve Shaw, Logan Circle, and Center City families. After working for many years with Ward 2 residents and securing funds in the budget for a new Center City middle school, I am pleased to share that DCPS is engaging the community on this future school!
The new Center City middle school will open in August 2028 after a two-year full modernization at 800 Euclid St NW. It will be a comprehensive neighborhood middle school with a boundary serving grades 6-8, and it will be the feeder middle school for Cleveland ES, Garrison ES, and Seaton ES. As DCPS continues planning, we want to ensure your voice is heard.
We invite you to participate in a brief survey to inform DCPS’s initial engagement. Click here to access the survey. If you have any questions, please email dcps.planning@k12.dc.gov.