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Social Policy Network Newsletter: November 1

Date

November 1, 2024

ELECTION DAY IS ON TUESDAY!!

Are you registered?
Can you vote early?
If you vote in person; where is your polling place?
When are the hours?
How will you get there? 

Did you know that in some states, even if you registered previously, it is possible that you could have been removed from your states' voter rolls? You can quickly check your voter registration status to ensure you are still actively registered to vote. 

Here are important registration and voting deadlines for the tri-state area:

New Jersey:

New York:

Pennsylvania:

Not from any of these states? Don't worry! Click the buttons below to verify your voting status and find your polling place.

Professional Opportunities
SNAP Navigator - RWJBH Social Impact and Community Investment (Toms River & Jersey City, NJ)

Communications Associate - Be Clear (Remote)

Election Research & Experimentation Intern - League of Conservation Voters (flexible)

Program Coordinator of Atlantic-Cape Programs - Literacy New Jersey (Hybrid: Pleasantville, NJ)

Bilingual Domestic Violence Program Manager - Ironbound Community Corporation (Newark, NJ)

Program and Events Coordinator - Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) (Hybrid: New Brunswick, NJ)

Research Analyst, Food Assistance - The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) (Hybrid: Washington, DC)

Human Resources & Training Associate, League of Conservation Voters (Washington, DC)

National Policy News Highlights
An 11-Year-Old Denied Making a Threat and Was Allowed to Return to School. Tennessee Police Arrested Him Anyway.
ProPublica
“Police in Tennessee say that even when kids make threats that are not credible, they need to be held accountable for their actions — including with arrests and felony charges. The Tennessee Sheriffs’ Association announced in September that law enforcement would ‘not tolerate anyone making threats and inciting fear within our schools and our community. Those responsible will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.’”

What can the next administration do about the US housing shortage?
The Brookings Institute (video)

For People With Opioid Addiction, Medicaid ‘Unwinding’ Raises the Stakes
KFF Health News
“It is unclear how many people with opioid addiction have lost coverage in the Medicaid disenrollment, known as the “unwinding.” But researchers at KFF, a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News, estimate that more than 1 million low-income Americans depend on the federal-state Medicaid program for lifesaving addiction care.”

Regional Policy News Highlights
NJ towns suing to overturn state’s affordable housing rules ask court to put rules on hold
Gothamist
“Twenty-two New Jersey towns suing to overturn the state’s affordable housing law are asking the state courts to put the law’s requirements on hold while their lawsuit plays out. Earlier this month, 13 New Jersey towns joined an original coalition of nine in a lawsuit to invalidate the state’s law passed by the Legislature this year, which laid out guidelines for calculating how much affordable housing each town must create over the next decade.”

Lawmakers look to redesign NJ ballots
NJ Spotlight News
“The new Assembly Select Committee on Ballot Design is drawing up a ballot for New Jersey voters that erases the advantage the state’s political bosses historically wielded by stacking preferred candidates on the old “county line” ballot. The committee met for the first time Tuesday and called in an expert from Colorado for advice.”

Cannabis agency delays decision on raising social equity fee
New Jersey Monitor
“The commission was expected to vote during a special meeting Wednesday on whether to raise what’s known as the social equity excise fee from $1.24 an ounce to as much as $30 for 2025. The fee, mandated by state law, goes toward a fund that dedicates some revenue from recreational cannabis to social equity projects and reinvesting in communities that were harmed by marijuana criminalization. A percentage of the fee also goes to funding programs aimed at diverting young people from cannabis.”

Upcoming Events
What's on Your MAP?
Nonprofit Leaders Talk About Their Job Paths
Presented by the Rutgers School of Social Work Center for Leadership and Management
Thursday, November 7th, 2024
4:00pm - 5:15pm
**online**
Curious about what recent graduates are doing with their MAP degree? Join Rutgers School of Social Work Center for Leadership and Management for a presentation on career and job opportunities in Management and Policy (MAP).

Special Guests:

  • Melanie Yu, MAP MSW '20| Program Director, Preferred Communities, Interfaith-RISE (refugee resettlement agency)
  • Dominic Barone, MAP MSW '19 | Vice President of Operations Pyramid Healthcare, Inc.

All students who attend this event will earn one field hour.

Click here to register.

Teaching Truths: Educators Speak on Justice & Liberation in the Classroom
Presented by Prism and the Zinn Education Project
Thursday, November 7th, 2024
6:00pm - 7:00pm
**online**
"Creeping censorship and repression have made battlegrounds out of classrooms. What can we learn from educators teaching people's histories about being on the frontlines of resistance?

"Conservative lawmakers and right-wing organizations fear the potential of youth who think critically and investigate the historical roots of racism and inequality. Out of this fear grew the backlash to antiracist education. Republican legislators began passing educational gag-order bills designed to prevent teachers from discussing systemic racism and sexism, LGBTQIA+ identity, and the history of social movements that challenge institutionalized inequality.

"Teaching Truths: Educators speak on justice and liberation in the classroom is a partnership between the Zinn Education Project and Prism. This series sheds light on the resilience and courage of educators that are committed to teaching the full spectrum of people’s history is caught in classrooms. From Black, Indigenous, and LGBTQIA+ history, to the climate crisis, the ongoing genocide in Gaza, and the history of social movements, dedicated educators are keeping these essential stories alive in classrooms around the country.

"In this event, [they will] speak with educators who will share their strategies for resisting classroom attacks, their visions for a liberatory education, and their unwavering belief in the transformative power of young people who are informed, engaged, and ready to fight for justice."

Learn more about the panelists and click here to register.

Election Day: Let's Make a Plan!

It's time! Election Day is on Tuesday, and here at the Social Work Policy Network, we want to ensure you have a plan for the day. We understand voting can be stressful and overwhelming, so let's make a plan to help the process go smoothly! Here is a checklist for the day that will work for any state and Washington DC.

First, confirm your voter registration status
While it's too late to register for the election now if you haven't before, you can make sure you are still registered before voting if you previously registered! To check your voter registration status, click this link to be directed to the National Association of Secretaries State website.

Second, locate your specific polling place
There are thousands of polling places across the country, let us help you find yours! To find your designated polling location, click this link to be directed to the National Association of Secretaries State website.

Third, look up who is on your ballot
All of us will have the Presidential and Federal Representative candidates listed on our ballots, but there are local candidates too! New Jersey has over 500 municipalities, which means there's lots of people running for local office! To find out who is on your ballot, you can enter your address on this website.

Fourth, research the candidates you found on your ballot
Since the semester began, we looked at some of the policy differences between Vice President Harris and Former President Trump, as well as Project 2025's policy goals. Take some time before you go vote to make sure you feel confident in who you are voting for:

  • does your candidate have values and policy goals that align with yours?
  • do you think your candidate will act in the best interest of their constituents, or serve their own agenda?

You can use this tool to pull up your candidates based on your address, and select specific policy areas to see their history and policies of emphasis.

Finally, please arrive at your polling place no later than its specific closing time (and do not get out of line)!
If you don't drive, you have options to get to the polls! Apart from public transit and carpooling, rideshare providers like Lyft are offering special discounts to take you to your polling place. For more information, click this link to learn about Lyft's Election Day discount.

You have rights and protections as a voter, so do not let anyone dissuade you from casting your ballot on November 5th! Unfortunately, not all polling places are as accessible and accommodating as they should be, but here are some scenarios from the Bipartisan Policy Center to clarify possible conflicts that could arise:

  • If the Polling Place or Vote Center Is About to Close: If you’re waiting in line when polls close, you have the right to stay in line as long as it takes to be able to cast your ballot.
  • If You Make a Mistake: If you make a mistake on your ballot, you have the right to ask for a new ballot. Never cross out selections because it could result in confusion about what you selected.
  • If You Need Accommodations: Polling places should be accessible to all voters, including those with disabilities. Poll workers are required to make reasonable accommodations to allow you to vote, in accordance with ADA standards. In some states, voters have the right to request voting materials in another language.
  • If You See Voter Interference: Candidates’ supporters generally have the right to electioneer (campaign) near polling places, but only from a certain distance, set by the state. No one is allowed to threaten or intimidate voters.

If you have not mailed in your absentee/mail-in ballot:
We want to make sure your vote counts, so make sure you drop off your ballot at any post office or ballot drop box before 5PM on Election Day. Your ballot must be postmarked by November 5th to be accepted. You can find your closest ballot drop box by googling your home county and "ballot drop box."

For your convenience, we have created an Election Day Checklist! Take a screenshot, print it, or make copies for your friends and family; anything that will help you go out and vote is cool with us :) You can access the checklist below, or click this link.

As of the posting of this newsletter, there are only 4 days left until the election on November 5th. Before voting (which we hope you do!), take time to learn about the policies most important to each candidate and how they may impact you as a social worker, and your clients around the country. We will keep you informed on the stances of each candidate as we approach the election.

Please email us to provide any comments, ask questions, and provide information you would like to see in the newsletter!

The Social Work Policy Network's e-newsletter is created by:

K.D. "Dash" Barany, MSW/MPP Graduate Student, Network Research Assistant
Dr. Lenna Nepomnyaschy, RU Professor, Network Founder
https://socialwork.rutgers.edu/lenna-nepomnyaschy

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