The Campus Vote Project is encouraging voter turnout by making the process more accessible, especially among students.
“The Campus Vote Project has recruited more than 7,000 young people and college students to be poll workers,” said Zachary Price, the project coordinator.
The devastating effect of the pandemic on Florida has led young people to step in and ensure people are going out to vote. By collaborating with college and universities across the country, the Campus Vote Project is working daily to prevent long lines so voters don’t have an excuse.
In 2018, half of all poll watchers in the United States were over the age of 60. The pandemic has prevented many of them from volunteering this year.
President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and even former President Barack Obama campaigned in Florida last week and brought attention to the swing state. With the election only a week away, massive efforts are being made to get citizens to cast their vote early.
Participation from young voters is receiving a lot of attention, as over 1 million people under the age of 34 have registered to vote since 2016.
Counties such as Pasco and Hillsborough have designated several early voting sites. More information on these locations and what to bring with you can be found on the official websites.
Thousands of ex-felons voting in Florida after rights restored
More than 70,000 ex-felons are now registered to vote in Florida, and it could have a great impact on the election.
The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, an organization dedicated to re-integrate former convicts to the electoral process, raised funds and worked to make this happen. The coalition raised millions of dollars to pay off fines that were being used by state officials to prevent these people from voting in this important election.
Now, they are calling on communities across the state to rally and march, bringing attention to the #FreeTheVote cause.
Florida passed Amendment 4 in 2018, which restored voting rights to ex-felons once they completed their sentences. The amendment, however, was just a first step toward securing ex-felons’ opportunities to vote. The Republican legislature said that for ex-convicted people to be able to vote, they would have had to already have paid all the fines and fees related to their sentence. This decision, supported by Florida’s Supreme Court, was preventing thousands from voting.
CDC promotes new guidelines to celebrate Halloween safely
The Centers for Disease Control warns that costume masks are not an effective way to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
With Halloween approaching, the CDC has been sharing information on how to celebrate the occasion safely.
Some of their guidance says not to interchange cloth masks with costume masks. Instead, the CDC recommends using masks that meet safety standards that are Halloween-themed or making these a part of the costumes.
Parents and teachers say the guidance will help kids adapt to the unique circumstances.
“We wear masks all day, so I honestly don’t think the kids have thought of their costume around their mask,” said Megan Mahoney, a teacher.
Costume stores such as Party City are seeing costume choices impacted by COVID-19.
“I think we will see more doctor’s and nurse’s costumes sold this year because of the mask included,” said Brandi Jane, an associate at Party City. “I also see people buying costumes of characters from TV shows because that’s all people had when they were stuck inside.”
Credits
Anchors: Deanna Lampasona-Colon, Garrett Shiflet
Reporters: Trevor Lloyd, James Birmingham, Jordan Frazier
Producer: Nova Charles
Writers: Cheyenne Pagan
Graphics editors: Calista Muncy
Video Editors: Cheyenne Pagan
Show Editor: Vanessa Gallupo
Associate Producer: Ashley Reyes
Web Editor/Social Media Producer: María Lucía Carrillo
Graduate Assistant: Emmanuel Maduneme
Faculty Adviser: Jeanette Abrahamsen, Wayne Garcia
