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  • Fact Tank: Voters Have Little Confidence Clinton or Trump Would Help Workers Get Skills They Need to Compete

    Editor’s Note: Having lived on Merritt Island, Florida (at both Satellite and Indian Harbour Beaches) as an Patrick Air Force Base family, we hope for those people both leaving and staying in the Cocoa Beach area during Matthew’s landfall. We’ve been through hurricanes on both Florida coasts as well as the Connecticut coast. Be safe.

    By Kim Parker, Fact Tank, Pew Research Center

    As the demand for high-skilled workers continues to grow, American voters express relatively little confidence in either major party presidential candidate when it comes to their ability to help American workers prepare to compete in today’s economy. Most question whether the campaign has focused enough on this issue.

    A Pew Research Center survey, conducted Sept. 1-4, 2016, among 1,004 adults (including 815 registered voters), asked voters which of five key issues would be most important in their vote for president. The economy tops the list, with 37% of registered voters saying this will be the most important issue for them. An additional 18% choose health care and 14% say terrorism. Immigration and gun policy are each named by 13% of voters.

    When asked specifically about national economic issues, the job situation shares top billing with the budget deficit in terms of issues that voters say are important to their choice for president. Among the six economic issues tested, 43% of voters say that jobs will be either the most important or the second most important issue to their vote for president; 43% give the same weight to the federal budget deficit. By comparison, other economic issues – tax reform, income inequality, rising prices and global trade – are viewed as less important to voters.

    When it comes to helping workers get the skills and training they need to get a well-paying job, a large majority of voters (74%) say the presidential campaign has not focused enough on this issue. Some 14% say about the right amount of attention has been given to this issue and only 6% say the campaign has focused too much on this issue. Republicans, Democrats and independents are equally critical of the campaign in this regard. Roughly equal shares say too little attention has been given to finding ways to prepare workers for good jobs.

    Voters are skeptical that either major party candidate would do a good job addressing this issue. When asked what kind of job Donald Trump would do when it comes to helping Americans get the skills and training they need to get a well-paying job, roughly three-in-ten voters say he would do an excellent (15%) or good job (16%). A solid majority say Trump would do only a fair (18%) or poor (47%) job.

    Hillary Clinton’s ratings are similar. Some 10% say Clinton would do an excellent job helping workers get the skills and training they need, and an additional 18% say she would do a good job. Roughly two-thirds say Clinton would do only a fair (26%) or poor (42%) job dealing with this issue.

    Not surprisingly, responses are sharply divided along partisan lines. Two-thirds of Republican voters (66%) say Trump would do an excellent or good job helping workers get the training they need, while only 6% of Democratic voters agree. Even so, a significant minority of Republicans (30%) say Trump would do only a fair or poor job at this.

    Among Democratic voters, 57% say Clinton would do an excellent or good job helping Americans get the skills and training they need to get well-paying jobs. Some 42% of Democrats say Clinton would do only a fair or poor job in this area. Only 6% of Republicans say Clinton would do an excellent or good job, while 89% say she would do a fair or poor job.

    Independent voters don’t have a lot of confidence in either candidate to do a good job on this issue: 67% say Trump would do a fair or poor job when it comes to helping American workers get the skills and training they need, and 79% say the same about Clinton. 

  • Donald or Hillary? Humanizing Them to Voters Through Listening or Viewing

    Asst. Prof. Juliana Schroeder

    Asst. Prof. Juliana Schroeder

    By Pamela Tom

    The human voice possesses the power to sway non-supporters

    Does listening to Donald Trump’s or Hillary Clinton’s opinions humanize them to voters more than reading their opinions? A new study examining people’s reactions to those with differing political views and found that when they watch or listen to those with opposing opinions, rather than read about them, they tend to view them as more thoughtful, competent, and rational — that is, more human.

    The study, The Humanizing Voice: Speech Can Reveal, and Text Conceal, The Presence of a Thoughtful Mind in The Midst of Disagreement, is the work of Juliana Schroeder, an assistant professor at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, who studies how different communication mediums influence people’s beliefs about a communicator. Her co-authors are Michael Kardas and Nicholas Epley, both of the University of Chicago.

    “Voice and visual cues imbue the speaker with thoughts and feelings and make them seem more mindful,” says Schroeder. “In contrast, when reading someone’s opinion on a piece of paper, the communicator’s thoughtfulness is not as apparent.”

    In the first experiment, 322 participants watched, listened, or read one of six communicators’ opinions about controversial political and social topics — war, abortion, and music — that they either supported or opposed. Participants dehumanized the communicators with whom they disagreed more than those with whom they agreed; however this tendency diminished when they heard the same opinion via voice rather than via the transcribed speech.

    Eight communicators discussed which candidate they supported in the 2016 presidential election on videotape and in writing. A group of 575 participants observed the opinions in four formats—video, audio, transcript, and written text — and rated each presenter. Once again, observers dehumanized communicators with differing political beliefs, but their responses were more favorable when they saw or heard the speech being presented than when they read the speech.

    The results were consistent whether listening to male or female voices.

    “Giving the opposition a voice, literally, enables partisans to recognize a difference in beliefs between two minds and may reduce the negative perceptions that lead to conflict,” says Schroeder.

    Similarly, in their paper, Mistaking Minds and Machines: How Speech Affects Dehumanization and Anthropomorphism, recently published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, General, Schroeder and Epley found further evidence of the humanizing effect.

    Three experiments found that text communication makes the communicator seem less likely to be genuinely human, perhaps computer-generated, whether the text is generated from an actual human or a computer.

    In a fourth experiment, studying the varied nuances or cues of the human voice — tone, pace, pitch, and volume — helps explain why speech is humanizing. Actors delivered speeches (written by others) in varying voices, from a ‘mindful’ voice infused with natural emotion and intonation to a ‘mindless’ voice in which the words were read without feeling. When listening to the messages read without feeling, participants deemed the communicators as mindless, robotic, and not human; the same effect occurred when participants read the message themselves.

    In today’s text-driven world, Schroeder says her findings may be cause for concern.

    “Our results suggest that if we communicate with others solely through text without hearing their voices, we may be more likely to dehumanize them and consider them relatively mindless. This is where conflicts such as online bullying may begin,” says Schroeder. “In politics, hearing a politician who possesses a different agenda, rather than reading it, may help voters make more positive judgments about him or her.”

     

  • The Bosky Dell: “Mid Beechy Umbrage, Bosky Dell ‘Tis There the Ringdove Loves to Dwell”*

    Live Oak Tree, Live Oak, CA

     Live Oak is a census-designated place (CDP) in Santa Cruz County, California between the towns of Santa Cruz and Capitola. Live Oak sits at an elevation of 102 feet (31 m). The population was 17,158 at the 2010 census.

    by Julia Sneden

    This morning our local paper printed a letter from an angry reader concerning a developer’s plans to bulldoze yet another wooded area into oblivion. I happen to know the area referred to, because there’s a small path through it that is just large enough and smooth enough for my mother’s wheelchair. She particularly loves to be taken for a stroll in those woods, because getting out and away from people and pavement isn’t easy when you’re 95 and infirm.

    I remember that once when we had paused beside a little creek that meanders through the trees and falls down a small slope, she looked into the gully and said:  “My, that is a bosky dell!”

    “Bosky?” I asked.

    “Bosky,” my mother the English teacher said firmly. “It means covered with trees and shrubs. Thickly grown.  And a dell is a…”

    “I know,” I said, falling easily into our mother/teacher, daughter/pupil mode even though I am 66 years old. “A dell is a small valley or hollow, usually secluded.”

    “Good girl,” she said, and we walked on. Readers of this column know that I am not a fan of sprawl (see Dante in the City). I find myself wondering how long it will take people to realize that when we take out trees, we take out the oxygen producers that keep us alive. Humans inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Trees inhale carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen. It’s that simple.

    It’s a symbiotic relationship, those trees and us. Anyone who doubts that trees breathe need only do a very simple experiment, one that I used to do with kindergarten children, who understood it easily: tie a clear plastic bag over the leafy end of a twig on a sunny day. Wait for a while, and then check the bag. You will see small water droplets condensed on the inside of the bag, sure evidence of the moist breath of the tree as it exhales the oxygen. With trees, you call it transpiration, not respiration, but I suspect it comes to the same thing. You can’t live without either one.

    But beyond the life-giving oxygen that they produce, beyond the cooling shade they offer on a hot summer’s day, beyond the protection they offer to birds and squirrels and other creatures, trees are just good for the soul. They help us to mark the seasonal changes, and they are beautiful in every season.

    The eponymous character in the comic strip Rose is Rose has a favorite tree that she calls her ‘Let It Be’ tree. When life becomes too frantic or upsetting, she simply goes and leans against the tree, and her problems soon come into perspective. That idea resonates with me, because when I was a child, I was best friends with a California live oak tree.

  • Stolen, Chopped Up and Stripped of Parts; Cities Breathe New Life into Abandoned Bikes

    Tucson Evidence Bicycles

    The Property & Evidence Section of the Tucson Police Department maintains a bike lot at the Santa Cruz Substation

    Ever wonder what happens to all those battered bicycles chained to street poles or abandoned on bike racks, with rusting pedals, bent frames and missing tires or handlebars?

    It depends on the city.

    In Denver, they’re sold at auction.

    In New York City, they’re sent to a scrap recycling center.

    And in Chicago, they’re handed off to a nonprofit that donates many of them to developing countries where people may have no transportation.

    Across the country, there’s been a biking boom. Tens of millions of Americans ride bikes, for recreation, or to run errands or go to social events. And a growing number of people in many cities are riding their bikes to work.

    But that increase has been accompanied by what bicycling enthusiasts, and city officials, say is a growing number of abandoned two-wheelers, left behind on sidewalks, or other public places, for days, or even months.

    The bikes can be an eyesore, especially if they have rusted chains and have been stripped of parts. They’re also a headache for riders, because they take away valuable bike rack space, which can be in short supply.

    “There’’s not enough good bike parking already in most places,” said Bill Nesper, vice president of the League of American Bicyclists, a national cycling advocacy group. “For people who are bicycling, it’s frustrating if the bike rack has an abandoned bike, or several of them, attached. There’s just no space.”

    No one keeps nationwide data on the number of bikes abandoned in American cities. But each year, across the country, thousands are confiscated by city workers.

    While cities have different approaches to dealing with the problem, most initially get involved after a complaint is called in, usually by a local resident or business owner. City workers or police go look at the bike and tag it with a warning notice, if it appears to be abandoned, which often means it is inoperable, damaged or missing essential parts. The owner usually is given time to get the bike, sometimes days, sometimes weeks.

    If the bike is still sitting there, workers cut the lock with a bolt cutter, or some other device, and confiscate it.

    In New York City, an owner has seven days to remove a bike after it’s been tagged. If not, it goes directly to a processing plant, where if it is 50 percent or more metal, it gets recycled. Those that aren’t are considered trash and go to the landfill.

    The city has seized about 1,300 ‘derelict’ bikes since 2010, according to Kathy Dawkins, a Department of Sanitation spokeswoman. Last year alone, it received 1,726 complaints about abandoned bikes, and sanitation workers ended up carting off 497.

    Many other cities give owners a chance to claim their confiscated bikes. Some require a description of the bike and where it was last locked; others require identification and proof of ownership, such as a receipt or a registration or serial number. If the bike is unclaimed, they dispose of it.

    In some cities, abandoned bikes get auctioned off. Denver police, for example, auction approximately 120 to 150 bikes every three months, about a third of which are abandoned, said Bart Malpass, a Denver police detective. (The others have been stolen or held by police for other reasons.)

    If the bikes are in bad shape and not rideable, they’re put in groups of five or seven and sold as a lot, sometimes just frames or wheels. Auction proceeds go to the city’s general fund.

    Other cities have found creative ways to give the beat-up bikes a new life.

    In Indianapolis, police send them to Freewheelin’ Community Bikes, a nonprofit that teaches kids between 10 and 18 basic bike mechanic skills, problem-solving and leadership. At the end of the program, kids get a bike, a lock and a helmet.

    In Wichita, Kansas, where abandoned bikes traditionally have been sold at auction, the city, since July, has allowed the police department’s homeless outreach team to claim them if they’ve been in storage for a month. Bike Walk Wichita, a nonprofit, reconditions them for free and the police team distributes them to chronically homeless people who have jobs and no transportation.

    “Rather than selling a bike for 10 or 15 bucks at auction, these bikes go to people who really need them,” said Nate Schwiethale, a Wichita police officer.

    Chicago has received 1,232 complaints about abandoned bikes, since June 2014, and workers tagged 781 of them, said Department of Transportation spokesman Michael Claffey. After a week or two, they are removed and held, for up to three months, in a warehouse. If they’re not claimed, they’re donated to Working Bikes, a nonprofit that rescues discarded bikes and redistributes them locally and globally.

    Paul Fitzgerald, the nonprofit’s general manager, estimates about 60 percent of the 300 or so bikes it gets from the city, each year, ultimately can be refurbished, or used for parts. The group sends many of the bikes ‘as is’ to El Salvador, Ghana and other countries, where they are repaired and then used by people who have no transportation. The parts that are not reusable are recycled as scrap metal.

    Some of the abandoned bikes are restored by the group’s volunteers and staffers, and donated to Chicagoans in need.

    “People in Chicago walk an inordinate distance to get to a shelter or a soup kitchen or a job,” Fitzgerald said. “Some children in developing countries are walking more than five miles to get to school. The difference a bike means for these individuals is huge.”

    There are many theories about why someone would leave a bike locked up on a city sidewalk for weeks or months, and never return to pick it up. But they’re just that — theories.

    Nesper, of the cycling advocacy group, supposes some owners may decide to walk away from their bikes if the parts have been stolen.

    “The person may say, ‘Forget it, it got stripped, and I’m not going to take the rest of it with me,’ ” he said. “It’s a puzzle, why people abandon them, and I don’t understand it, but it seems to be happening more and more.”

    Many bikes left behind are old and battered, but sometimes, they’re newer and expensive. Police officers theorize that some bikes are abandoned after thieves steal them, ride them around for a while and keep them locked up, until they see a model they like better, which they then swipe.

    Some in the biking world blame the phenomenon on a disposable society, in which people are used to dumping things that aren’t the newest and shiniest.

    “They may have locked up their bike for a while and forgotten the combination, or it has a flat front tire, and they figure it’s a hassle and not worth dealing with,” said Tim Blumenthal, president of PeopleForBikes, an advocacy group supported by the bike industry. “People upgrade to a new phone all the time and don’t even think about it.”

    On college campuses, thousands of bikes are left behind every summer when students return home. The schools often end up selling them at auction.

    Whatever the reason bikes are being discarded, Blumenthal said, they deserve a second chance. That’s why community-based nonprofits are cropping up all over the country that rehab them and give them a new life.

    “There’s a lot of potential,” he said. “All these bikes just need a little love and repair work.”

  • Eliminating the Statute of Limitations for Rape and Related Crimes in California

    After earning unanimous bipartisan support in both the Senate and Assembly, Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 813 authored by Senator Connie M. Leyva (D-Chino) that will eliminate the statute of limitations for rape and related crimes in California. Connie LeyvaRep

    California State Senator Connie Leyva

    Co-sponsored by San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael Ramos and the California Women’s Law Center (CWLC), SB 813 will ensure justice for victims and survivors of felony sexual offenses by allowing the indefinite criminal prosecution of rape, sodomy, lewd or lascivious acts, continuous sexual abuse of a child, oral copulation, and sexual penetration.  Existing California law presently generally limits the prosecution of a felony sexual offense to only 10 years after the offense is committed, unless DNA evidence is found which then offers a victim additional time.  According to the United States Department of Justice, only two in 100 rapists will be convicted of a felony and spend any time in prison.  The other 98 percent will never be punished for their crime.

    “Governor Jerry Brown’s signature of SB 813 tells every rape and sexual assault victim in California that they matter and that, regardless of when they are ready to come forward, they will always have an opportunity to seek justice in a court of law,” Senator Leyva said.  “Rapists should never be able to evade legal consequences simply because an arbitrary time limit has expired.  There must never be an expiration date on justice! Today’s approval of SB 813 is a testament to the hard work and commitment by a broad coalition of sponsors, supporters and advocates that have testified, written editorials, spoken with legislators, written to the Governor and kept the fight alive for the countless rape victims that have already spoken up and also those that have yet to come forward.  I would like to specifically thank San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael Ramos, California Women’s Law Center Executive Director Betsy Butler, women’s rights attorney Gloria Allred and the many End Rape SOL members for fighting to make sure that all rape victims regain their voice and legal rights not just in public, but also in the courtroom.” 

    The Justice for Victims Act is supported by Attorney General Kamala D. Harris, Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley, Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey, San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeffrey Rosen, California Police Chiefs Association, Crime Victims United of California, End Rape SOL, Peace Officers Research Association of California, as well as many other law enforcement, women’s rights, public safety, labor, victim’s rights and community organizations.

    SB 813 takes effect on January 1, 2017.

  • From the CDC: Flu Vaccines Have Been Updated This Season to Better Match Circulating Viruses

    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
    What’s new this flu season?     Getting an annual flu vaccine is the first and best way to protect yourself and your family from the flu. Flu vaccination can reduce flu illnesses, doctors’ visits, and missed work and school due to flu, as well as prevent flu-related hospitalizations. The more people who get vaccinated, the more people will be protected from flu, including older people, very young children, pregnant women and people with certain health conditions who are more vulnerable to serious flu complications. This page summarizes information for the 2016-2017 flu season.

    A few things are new this season:

    • Only injectable flu shots are recommended for use this season.
    • Flu vaccines have been updated to better match circulating viruses.
    • There will be some new vaccines on the market this season.
    • The recommendations for vaccination of people with egg allergies have changed.

    What flu vaccines are recommended this season?

    This season, only injectable flu vaccines (flu shots) should be used. Some flu shots protect against three flu viruses and some protect against four flu viruses.

    Options this season include:

    Live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) – or the nasal spray vaccine – is not recommended for use during the 2016-2017 season because of concerns about its effectiveness.

    There is a table showing all the influenza vaccines that are FDA-approved for use in the United States during the 2016-2017 season.

    What viruses do 2016-2017 flu vaccines protect against?

    There are many flu viruses and they are constantly changing. The composition of U.S. flu vaccines is reviewed annually and updated to match circulating flu viruses. Flu vaccines protect against the three or four viruses that research suggests will be most common. For 2016-2017, three-component vaccines are recommended to contain:

    • A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus,
    • A/Hong Kong/4801/2014 (H3N2)-like virus and a
    • B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus (B/Victoria lineage).

    Four component vaccines are recommended to include the same three viruses above, plus an additional B virus called B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus (B/Yamagata lineage).

    When and how often should I get vaccinated?

    Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine every year by the end of October, if possible. However, getting vaccinated later is OK. Vaccination should continue throughout the flu season, even in January or later. Some children who have received flu vaccine previously and children who have only received one dose in their lifetime, may need two doses of flu vaccine. A health care provider can advise on how many doses a child should get.

    Can I get a flu vaccine if I am allergic to eggs?

    The recommendations for people with egg allergies have been updated for this season.

    • People who have experienced only hives after exposure to egg can get any licensed flu vaccine that is otherwise appropriate for their age and health.
    • People who have symptoms other than hives after exposure to eggs, such as angioedema, respiratory distress, lightheadedness, or recurrent emesis; or who have needed epinephrine or another emergency medical intervention, also can get any licensed flu vaccine that is otherwise appropriate for their age and health, but the vaccine should be given in a medical setting and be supervised by a health care provider who is able to recognize and manage severe allergic conditions. (Settings include hospitals, clinics, health departments, and physician offices). People with egg allergies no longer have to wait 30 minutes after receiving their vaccine.

  • Elaine Soloway’s Rookie Widow Series: Pick-Up Lines; All Dressed Up And … Playing the Field

    Pick-up Lines
    pick up lines

    “There’s a kind of nice looking man at the pool. For you, not me. No ring. He’s doing crosswords. What are you doing?”

    “Thanks. On train home,” I typed in response to Diane’s text.

    “Oh, perfect. Stop by.”

    In the next communiqué, instead of providing further description, my friend sent a photo of the man she was bagging. Evidently Diane took the shot surreptitiously because only half of his body was visible and a wooden fence obscured his image.

    “Oh, a bit of a belly,” she wrote.  “But you’re the only one who doesn’t have one.”

    I had a second to enjoy her praise before this text arrived: “He’s leaving. Scratch that. He just sat down under an umbrella. You’ll walk into him. Facing snack bar.”

    How could I resist this summons, which was as tempting as a movie trailer promising love between two mature singles? In my version, and likely Diane’s, the hilarious sidekick plays a major role in bringing the widow and widower (preferably for pathos) together.

    With conjured music guiding my path — think trumpets — I took the elevator to the fourth floor of our health club, and then paused to survey the scene. Row upon row of brown weaved lounge chairs spread out on a deck that seemed the size of a football field. A crowd, out of central casting, occupied most: they were young — 20’s and 30’s; the men handsome and sculpted, the women, tall, thin with long blonde or brunette hair and wearing bikinis as bity as a baby’s first swimsuit. (Trumpets give way to cellos.)

    Fortunately, I was fully clothed, so there was no need to contrast my shape — which does indeed include a belly — against the slender panorama mocking my age, height, wrinkled skin, and hidden middle.

    With Diane’s treasure map in mind, I easily spotted our quarry. He was sort of heavy set, grey hair, likely my age, probably Jewish (could be Greek or Italian), definitely someone I would’ve graced with a second glance had I spotted him on my own.

    I looked at him; he looked at me. I continued my walk.

    “So, what do you think?” Diane asked. I pulled up a chair, and then dropped my backpack on the concrete, and me in the seat.

    “He looks okay,” I said. Actually, he was my body type. I never minded a bit of zaftig-ness because the shape reminded me of my beloved dad. (In Tommy’s case, although he was svelte and toned, I relented because my dearest made up for it with his adoration.)

    “You must be thirsty,” Diane said, offering a hand to tug me out of the chair. “Let’s go back to the snack bar and get you some water.”

    Obviously, she was rehearsing her own lines for our upcoming film and intent on moving the scene along. I worried: for comic effect, would she elbow me onto his lap?

    The man, wait, let’s give him a name:  Larry, was still seated in his lounge chair. We took note again of his absence of a ring or a female companion. En route, with the sun stewing my covered body, I  viewed the guys and gals. I overheard these pick-up lines: Didn’t you go to Madison? You were in my MBA program, right?

    Best pal sidekick and I did our trip, and on the reverse, I looked at him, he looked at me. Then, our detective duo returned to our chairs. “Now, go up and talk to him,” Diane said.

    “What would I say?”

    “You’re clever; you can think of something.”

    “How about a mistaken identity ploy?” I said.  Hi, Larry, I thought you looked familiar. Didn’t we meet at Hedy and Mort’s party?

    I was clever.

     By starting out with a name, he’d have to respond with his real one. And by using a popular couple that are my friends, and who host many events, perhaps we had met at one of their occasions.

    “That’ll work,” Diane said.

    “Or, I could just try, Hi, I noticed you’re not wearing a wedding ring and you’re alone. You appear to be in my age group and my preferred body type. I’m a widow on the hunt. May I sit down and chat?

    “That would work, too,” she said.

    “What if he doesn’t speak English? Then what?”

    “Better yet,” she said. “Haven’t you seen movies where the language barrier is conquered by the language of love?”

    We tested a few more pick-up lines as I gained courage. But, by the time we settled on the mistaken identity ploy, Larry was gone.

    Sigh.  Broken up before first date. Cue the violins.

  • Voter Registration Deadlines for the General Election by State; Which State Doesn’t Require Registration?

     White House Drawing 1817

     

    Find your state’s voter registration deadlines for the Federal General Election — to be held on November 8 this year  — below. This page provides a summary of information taken from state election office websites. This information can change. For the most complete and up-to-date information, contact your state election office. Select your state name below to be taken directly to its election office website.
    State Registration Deadline Election Day Registration
    Alabama Registration is closed for the 14 days before an election. You must register before the deadline.
    Alaska Registration 30 days before the election. In a Presidential Election year, for November General Election only, you can register to vote on Election day.
    Arizona Registration closes 29 days prior to election day. You must register before the deadline.
    Arkansas Postmarked 29 days before the election. You must register before the deadline.
    California Postmarked or submitted electronically no later than 15 days before the election. You must register before the deadline.
    Colorado Mail and online registration 8 days before the election. Deadline for registration by voter registration drive: 22 days before the election. In person registration through Election Day. You may also register in person on Election Day.
    Connecticut Postmarked by the 7th day before an election. You may also register in person on Election Day, but only at designated locations.
    Delaware Deadline to register is 24 days before the election, except for military and overseas voters. You must register before the deadline.
    District of Columbia Postmarked 30 days before the election. You may also register in person on Election Day as long as you can provide proof of residency.
    Florida Postmarked 29 days before the election. You must register before the deadline.
    Georgia Received 28 days before the election. You must register before the deadline.
    Hawaii Postmarked 30 days before the election. You must register before the deadline.
    Idaho Postmarked 25 days before the election. You may also register in person on Election Day as long as you can provide proof of residency.
    Illinois Regular registration is closed 27 days before the election. In-person registration continues through election day. You may also register in person at designated locations on Election Day as long as you can provide proof of residency.
    Indiana Postmarked 27 days before the election. You must register before the deadline.
    Iowa Deadline to pre-register is 10 days before the election. You may also register in person on Election Day as long as you can provide proof of residency and identification.
    Kansas Received 21 days before any election. You must register before the deadline.
    Kentucky Postmarked 29 days before the election. You must register before the deadline.
    Louisiana Postmarked (if mailed) or received (online or in person) 30 days prior to the election. You must register before the deadline.
    Maine Received 21 days before the election. You may also register in person on or before Election Day.
    Maryland Registration closes 21 days before the election. If you miss the deadline, you may register to vote or change your address at an early voting center in the county where you live. You will be required to prove where you live. You must register before the deadline.
    Massachusetts Postmarked (if mailed) or received (online or in person) 20 days prior to any election. You must register before the deadline.
    Michigan Postmarked (if mailed) or received (online or in person) 30 days before the election. You must register before the deadline.
    Minnesota Pre-registration deadline is 21 days before the election. You may also register in person on Election Day as long as you can provide proof of residency.
    Mississippi Postmarked 30 days prior to the election. You must register before the deadline.
    Missouri Postmarked by the 4th Wednesday before the election. You must register before the deadline.
    Montana Register to vote by 5 p.m. 30 days before the election. You may also register in person at the county election office on or before Election Day. You may register in person at the county election office on Election Day.
    Nebraska Postmarked on or before the 3rd Friday before the election. You may register in person at the County Clerk/Election Commissioner’s office prior to 6 p.m. on the second Friday before the election. You must register before the deadline.
    Nevada Postmarked (if mailed) 31 days before the election. Submitted online or in person at the office of the County Clerk/Registrar from the 5th Sunday through the 3rd Tuesday before the election. You must register before the deadline.
    New Hampshire Deadline to register is 10 days before the election. You may also register in person on Election Day.
    New Jersey Received 21 days before the election. You must register before the deadline.
    New Mexico Postmarked (if mailed) or received (online) 28 days before the election. Postmarked applications must be received by the Friday after registration closes. You must register before the deadline.
    New York Postmarked 25 days before the election. You must register before the deadline.
    North Carolina Postmarked 25 days before the election. You can register in person and vote early during the “one-stop” voting period, the second Thursday to 1 PM on the last Saturday before the election. This option remains the subject of ongoing litigation in federal court and may change. You must register before the deadline.
    North Dakota N/A North Dakota is the only state without voter registration.
    Ohio Postmarked 30 days before the election. You must register before the deadline.
    Oklahoma Postmarked 25 days before the election. You must register before the deadline.
    Oregon The deadline to register is 21 days before the election. You must register before the deadline.
    Pennsylvania Received 30 days before the election. You must register before the deadline.
    Rhode Island Postmarked 30 days before the election. You may register and vote for President/Vice-President only at your local Board of Canvassers on Election Day.
    South Carolina Postmarked 30 days before the election. You must register before the deadline.
    South Dakota Received 15 days before the election. You must register before the deadline.
    Tennessee Postmarked 30 days before the election. You must register before the deadline.
    Texas Received 30 days before the election. You must register before the deadline.
    Utah Postmarked 30 days before the election. Online or in-person registration up to 7 days before the election. You must register before the deadline.
    Vermont Received by 5 p.m. on the Wednesday preceding the date of the election. You must register before the deadline.
    Virginia Postmarked (if mailed) or received (in person or online) 22 days before the election. You must register before the deadline.
    Washington Postmarked (if mailed) or submitted (online) 29 days before the election. In person 8 days before the election for new Washington state voters. You must register before the deadline.
    West Virginia Received 21 days before the election. You must register before the deadline.
    Wisconsin By mail or to a Special Registration Deputy 20 days before the election. In-person registration at municipal clerk office up until theFriday before the election at 5 PM or close of business, whichever is later. You may also register in person on Election Day.
    Wyoming Received 14 days before the election. You may also register in person on Election Day.

    Top of page: The White House (“President’s House”) Washington, D.C. South front elevation; 1817

    From the Brennan Center for Justice:

    Elements of Modernized Voter Registration Are in Wide Use across the Country:

    Electronic Registration

    Portability

    Election Day Correction

  • A Place for Healing and Reconciliation: National Museum Of African American History And Culture

    The National Museum of African American History and CultureThe National Museum of African American History and Culture opened to the public Saturday, Sept. 24.  NMAAHC  images

    “After 13 years of hard work and dedication on the part of so many, I am thrilled that we now have this good news to share with the nation and the world,” said Lonnie Bunch, the museum’s founding director. “We are prepared to offer exhibitions and programs to unite and capture the attention of millions of people worldwide. It will be a place for healing and reconciliation, a place where everyone can explore the story of America through the lens of the African American experience.”

     “The National Museum of African American History and Culture furthers the Smithsonian’s commitment to telling America’s story in all its dimensions,” said David Skorton, Smithsonian Secretary.

    President George W. Bush signed the legislation establishing the museum in 2003. In 2009, the museum’s architectural team of Freelon Adjaye Bond/SmithGroupJJR was selected, and in 2011 Clarke/Smoot/Russell was chosen as the construction firm. David Adjaye is the lead designer, and Phil Freelon is the lead architect. The landscape design is by the team of Gustafson Guthrie Nichol.

    The Smithsonian broke ground for the museum Feb. 22, 2012 on its five-acre site on Constitution Avenue between 14th and 15th streets N.W. The 400,000-square-foot building has five levels above ground and four below. The museum has exhibition galleries, an education center, a theater, café and store, as well as staff offices. Among the building’s signature spaces are the Contemplative Court, a water- and light-filled memorial area that offers visitors a quiet space for reflection; the Central Hall, the primary public space in the museum and the point of orientation to building; and a reflecting pool at the south entry of the museum, with calm waters meant to invite all to approach.

    President Barack Obama greets the Tennessee State University Marching Band on the South Portico of the White House following a reception for the opening of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC, Sept. 23, 2016. The band performed on the South Lawn for the arriving guests. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

    President Obama greeting Tennessee State University Marching Band

     

  • We Celebrate Smithsonian Craft to Wear

    Randy and Brian

    Randall Darwall and Brian Murphy (top); Christiana Goodman jewelry, (left); Frittelli and Lockwood (left, middle); Mina Norton (bottom)

    Art meets fashion October 6th through 8th, when 80 master designers come to Washington DC’s National Building Museum for a show and sale of hand-crafted wearable arts. Returning artists — all previously juried into the Smithsonian Craft Show — are joined by a group of first-in-show designers recommended by California College of the Arts,The Fashion Institute of Technology, Pratt Institute, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Savannah School of Art and Design and the DC Fashion Foundation.

    Christian Goodman

    Jewelry, leatherwork, accessories and cutting-edge couture will be on display and available for sale. The artists will be present for the Preview Night Benefit and throughout the show, to share their creative process and their passion for their work.

     Special events offer the opportunity to enjoy the show in a festive atmosphere:

    The 10th Anniversary Preview Night Benefit on Thursday night is an opportunity to meet theartists, enjoy live modeling, be the first to shop, and enjoy wine, a light buffet and music. Proceeds from the event are used to support the programs and museums of the Smithsonian.

    Thursday, October 6
    Preview Night Party — 6:00 – 9:00 pm
    Awards presentation — 6:00 pm
    Art on the Runway Fashion Show — 6:30 – 7:00 pm

    Fritelli and Lockwood

    Friends Night Out on Friday night offers a fun way to see the show while enjoying craft cocktails from some of DC’s top mixologists. Your ticket allows you admission all day as well.

    Friday, October 7 — 5:30pm – 8:00 pm

    Show dates, time and location are Friday, October 7th, from 10am to 8pm, and Saturday, October 8th, from 10am to 5:30pm, at the Great Hall of the National Building Museum, 4th and F Streets NW. The main entrance the National Building Museum is just across the street from the Judiciary Square Metro station, F Street exit.

    Smithsonian Craft2Wear is produced by the Smithsonian Women’s Committee (SWC), an all-volunteer organization founded in support of the education, outreach and research programs of the Smithsonian Institution, and its mission to increase and diffuse knowledge.

    The SWC produces two events each year to showcase American craft and design. The Smithsonian Craft Show in the spring, now in its 34th year, is widely considered to be the nation’s premier juried exhibition and sale of fine American craft. The Smithsonian Craft2Wear show in the fall, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, focuses on wearable art at the intersection of art and fashion.

    All proceeds from these events benefit the programs and museums of the Smithsonian. To date,the SWC has awarded nearly $11 million in grants and endowments to the Smithsonian’s 19 museums and galleries, nine research facilities, the National Zoo, and numerous traveling exhibits.

    Mina Norton