Protect Your Right To Vote, Elections Update And Holidays

Many of the voting sites are slow and steady. At our voting site at the Cultural Center there have not been lines or waiting. Many voters have been able to walk in, check in, vote and leave. You will need one or two forms of Valid and Current Photo Identification that include a signature. Official Broward County Supervisor of Elections Staff are standing by and ready to assist.

As with every election there has been drama created by candidates that do not understand there are rules. The rules have become strict over the past years. Many for a compelling cause. There is a 150-foot rule when it comes to campaigning at polling sites. This is to prevent voter interference and intimidation. Campaigns may share material with you only with your consent and may not ask One candidate was banned from the site due to interference with an election officer. The candidate was allowed back on to city property but was warned that they would be permanently removed if they broke the law again.

You have the right to vote. If you have any concerns, issues, or complaints related to an election experience, such as difficulties at polling locations, irregularities you might have observed, or other, you should report them by sending an email to: elections@browardvotes.gov. In your email, include relevant details such as your full name, voter information, a description of the issue, and any evidence or documentation that may help the election officials address your complaint effectively. If you have been the victim of intimidation or threatened by text, phone, email, or in person for your Vote Provisions exist in law, including not limited to, for Felony Offenses for deprivation of or interference with voting (Section 104.0515, Fla. Stat.), intimidation and suppression (Section 104.0615, Fla. Stat.), influencing or interfering with voting (Section 104.061, Fla. Stat.), threatening to control votes of employees (Section 104.081, Fla. Stat.). Contact immediately your local Law Enforcement, Supervisor of Elections' office and/or the Division of Elections (and file an election fraud complaint).

Campaign sign laws are a bit different in every city. Some cities do not allow candidate signs at all. Some like us regulate them. It needs to be noted that individual property owners can put up their own sign supporting a candidate or candidates. Signs may be put on your property only with your permission. This is FREE Speech. We have candidates that are claiming their rights are being violated but they simply do not understand the laws. These types of cases have been decided by the Supreme Court. Each candidate executes a sign permit with the rules and regulations before being able to put up signs.

The other issue that needs to be clarified is that employees while working or on duty as an officer cannot campaign for candidates. They can campaign in their own time and on behalf of their unions. This is solely up to the individual. I have seen many elections that have been contentious but not one like this where there is total lack of understanding the laws and not respecting them.

It has been an extremely challenging two weeks around Hallandale. Our multi diverse city has had many events take place. On October 14th, our city held a Day of Remembrance for October 7th. The event was postponed due to the weather. The art created by children ages 7 to 9 years of age from Sderot Israel, our Sister City is still on display at our Cultural Community Center. Vice Mayor Anabelle Lima-Taub did an amazing job organizing the gathering.

October also marked the High Holiday for our Jewish brothers and sisters. It began with Rosh Hashanah the beginning of the Jewish New Year that lasts for eight days until Yom Kippur. These days mark the period when the Jewish people reflect on the past year and ask for forgiveness for all their transgressions. At the conclusion of the 8 days, they ask to be granted another year of life. Obviously, this is an oversimplification of the most significant holiday for Jews around the world.

The next holiday is Sukkot where Jews build what is called a Sukkah. It is a handmade, three-sided with wood, grass structure that symbolizes the makeshift tents formed when the Jews wandered in the desert for 40 years of wandering until they built the temple. Families eat and celebrate in the sukkah. It is an autumn festival where we celebrate the harvest from the summer crops. The next holiday that immediately follows with Simchat Torah is the celebration of receiving the Torah from God.

It is important to understand that just like there are many different Christian groups there are three Jewish groups. Orthodox, Conservative and Reformed. In our city we have many Orthodox Temples under the Chabad. Orthodox Jews do not drive to temple nor are they to perform labor or activities other than pray during the Sabbath. This is why we see many smaller temples within our community. We also are seeing more celebrations which create our rich culturally diverse city.

The harvest festivals are rich in history. Before Judaism there were pagan harvest festivals. We call it Halloween now. People would place whatever they grew and harvested outside their homes to make sure the spirits would remain at rest; in Christian religion the celebration was moved to November 1st and it's called Saint Day to Celebrate all those that had passed on the year before and all the Saints. Many of our friends and neighbors will be celebrating Halloween on the 31st. Our city will hold our celebration at OB Johnson Park from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Whatever holiday you have celebrated or will be celebrating, I hope they are blessed. As always, I am available anytime for your questions, concerns, and ideas to make our City a better place on my Phone/Text at: (954) 632-5700. Or you can email me at: jcooper@cohb.org. Please visit me on my Facebook page at Mayor Joy Cooper. Like, Follow and Share!