VOTE!
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX40RsSLwF4
Forgot your polling place? Just put in your address here and you will get directions to your local polling site here:
www.voteforchange.com
and here is CAIR-NY’s ACTION ALERT with important information about voting today:
ACTION ALERT: HAVE YOUR VOICE HEARD, GO OUT & VOTE!
The New York chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) is urging American Muslims and all people of conscience to exercise their right to vote [today], Tuesday, November 4, 2008.
To help get out the Muslim vote nationwide, CAIR 1) held candidate forums, 2) distributed voter guides, 3) organized voter registration drives, 4) hosted political participation workshops in mosques, 5) sponsored meetings with elected representatives, 6) participated in get-out-the-vote (GOTV) drives, and 7) urged American Muslims to vote as a positive response to Islamophobia in the election campaign.
SEE: CAIR 2008 Election Website
http://www.cair2008election.com/news.php
ACTION REQUESTED:
1. GO TO THE POLLS [TODAY] and VOTE!
2. TAKE A MUSLIM friend or family member along with you to vote.
3. REPORT any incidents of voter intimidation, harassment or denial of the right to vote to CAIR. Contact CAIR-NY by calling 212-870-2002, or by e-mailing fali@cair.com.
4. DISTRIBUTE this alert on your personal e-mail list.
WHAT TO DO ON ELECTION DAY [TODAY]:
1. KNOW WHERE TO GO. To determine where you should go to cast your vote, please see: http://www.elections.state.ny.us/.
2. BRING PROPER IDENTIFICATION. First-time voters who register by mail and do not provide ID verification with registration application must provide a photo or non-photo ID. Current and valid photo identification including but not limited to: Driver’s license; Passport; National identity card; Military ID card; Employee ID card; Student ID card; State ID card; Public housing ID card.
3. READ SIGNS AT POLLING PLACES for instructions on how to vote and how to file a complaint if you believe your rights have been violated.
4. REVIEW THE SAMPLE BALLOT BEFORE VOTING. Ballots are often confusing, and their designs can change considerably from election to election. If you have questions about how to vote on your ballot, ask a poll worker or poll monitor for help.
5. CHECK YOUR BALLOT BEFORE CASTING YOUR VOTE. If you are having a problem understanding instructions, or if you just want to make sure you are voting in the correct manner, ask to speak to a poll worker
6. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS CONCERNING “PROVISIONAL BALLOTS.” No voter can be turned away in any state this year without being allowed to vote. If there is a question about your eligibility, you must be allowed to vote on a provisional ballot, the validity of which will be determined later. But if you are entitled to vote on a regular ballot, you should insist on doing so, since a provisional ballot may be disqualified later on a technicality.
7. KNOW WHERE TO TURN FOR HELP. It is a good idea to bring a cell phone and phone numbers of nonpartisan hotlines such as 1-866-OURVOTE and 1-866-MYVOTE1.
8. BE PREPARED FOR LONG LINES. Try to get to your polling place very early in the morning, or between the before-work and after-work rushes. As long as you are in line before the polls close, you are legally entitled to vote. Do not let poll workers close the polls until you have voted.
CAIR, America’s largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 35 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
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CONTACT: CAIR-NY Community Affairs Director Faiza N. Ali, 212-870-2002, 718-724-3041, fali@cair.com; CAIR-NY Civil Rights Director Aliya Latif, 212-870-2002, 732-429-4268, alatif@cair.com