DemocracyNYC and NYC Civic Engagement Commission's monthly newsletter
 
 
NYC Mayors Public Engagement Unit - Democracy NYC
NYC Civic Engagement Commission
an illustration of an Asian American and Pacific Island woman looking off into the distance, with text that reads I still believe in our city 

Welcome to DemocracyNYC and NYC Civic Engagement Commission’s monthly newsletter! 

This month as we continue to honor the achievements and contributions of women, especially activists like Yin Kong who has advocated tirelessly for the well-being and safety of the Chinatown community, we also acknowledge the recent hate crimes that occurred against eight individuals, six of whom were of Asian descent in Georgia this week. We stand in solidarity with the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community here in NYC and around the country and remain committed to serving New Yorkers by providing equitable, inclusive and accessible resources.

To learn more about how all New Yorkers can stop AAPI hate click here and see an anti-Asian bias social media toolkit here. To learn more about Yin’s work visit Think! Chinatown. We also invite you to contribute to the NYC Department of Record and Information Services’ (DORIS) permanent archive by sharing your story of women activists in your life. 

Please see some important updates, resources, upcoming events and volunteer opportunities below. 

A marketing poster: Hey Bronx, Stay informed on what's going on in the boogie down!
A marketing poster: Did you know there are two special elections coming up for council districts 11 and 15? Swipe right for more information. Below the text is an image with an arrow pointing right.

Two Special Elections in the Bronx Happening Now!

On Tuesday, March 23, voters in Bedford Park, Kingsbridge, Norwood, Riverdale, Van Cortlandt Village, Wakefield, Woodlawn, Allerton, Bathgate, Bedford Park, Belmont, East Tremont, Fordham, Mount Hope, Olinville, Van Nest, and West Farms will elect their new city council members. Early voting for special elections in the Bronx Council Districts 11 and 15 began on Saturday, March 13 and will continue until Sunday, March 21.

It is important for New Yorkers to know that these elections will look a little different because residents will use Ranked Choice Voting for the first time. See more information below and a multilingual social media toolkit here.

Key dates for Bronx CD 11 & 15:

What’s on the ballot?

A graphic titled What's at Stake with images and corresponding text which reads: affordable housing, jobs, mental health services, food access, parks and playgrounds, healthcare, accessible public spaces, and well funded schools.
A graphic titled NYC is now using ranked choice voting in primary and special elections for all local offices! Below the title, text reads: Mark your ballot by order of preference. Step 1: In the first column, fill in the oval next to your first choice candidate. Step 2: in the 2nd column completely fill in the oval for your 2nd choice candidate. Step 3: Fill out your 3rd, 4th, and 5th choice. Do not rank a candidate more than once. Ranking more than one candidate will not harm your first choice. On the left of the text is an image of a ranked choice voting ballot.

Ranked Choice Voting Is Here!

As of 2021, NYC is using Ranked Choice Voting in primary and special elections for NYC offices. Ranked Choice Voting is a new system of voting in which you can rank up to five candidates in order of preference. With so much at stake in local elections and the implementation of a new system of voting, public education is even more important than ever this year.

Learn more about how Ranked Choice Voting works and share messages and graphics from this social media toolkit: on.nyc.gov/RCVToolkit.

RCV Workshops

DemocracyNYC and the Civic Engagement Commission continue to host and participate in multilingual voter education workshops. Help inform New Yorkers about RCV by watching and sharing our previous workshops:

Upcoming RCV Events:

  • March 20 – DNYC workshop with North Manhattan Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. See RSVP link here.
  • March 23 – DNYC will be participating in an RCV event hosted by Senator Myrie. Watch the webinar here.
  • March 25 – DNYC Voter Education Workshop with Together We Can. This event is for Spanish speakers.

RCV Materials

See English versions of our palm card and voter resource document below and keep an eye out for multilingual versions of these resources.

RCV Public Service Announcements:

Check out some multilingual RCV PSAs our partners have created below.

Additional RCV Resources:

Text reads It's Our Money! Results and links to a video which announces the Winners for It's Our Money! 

Participatory Budgeting and Racial Inclusion and Equity Taskforce

CEC’s “It’s Our Money” Youth Participatory Budgeting Project RESULTS!

New Yorkers ages 9-24 cast over 8 thousand votes on how to spend $100K in funding. Out of 49 proposals, five projects were selected to be awarded $20K each, that focus on topics including mental health, civic engagement, education, and arts & culture. Click here for more information on the winners.

RFI for Neighborhood Coordinators

The Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity (TRIE) is seeking requests for information (RFI) from community-based organizations or M/WBE certified businesses with a commitment to reducing equity gaps for communities of color, helping strengthen neighborhood coalitions, and promoting stronger recovery from COVID-19 by serving as TRIE Neighborhood Coordinators (TNCs). The RFI is due on March 29, 2021. Click here for more information.

A screen CAp of training Video 

Civics Week

This month DemocracyNYC (DNYC), in partnership with the NYC Department of Education, organized a large-scale, coordinated citywide student voter registration drive through a series of events at schools in all five boroughs for Civics Week.

  • In just five days, DNYC engaged with 2,700 plus students and worked with 27 additional classrooms at Cardozo High School this week.
  • As of today, 2,200 students have requested voter registration forms.

Watch our training video here and encourage 16 and 17 year olds in your network to pre-register to vote at turbovote.org/democracy or by calling the Board of Elections at 1-866-VOTE-NYC.

A volunteer handing a flyer to a New Yorker with text at the bottom right which reads Volunteer with DemocracyNYC. 

Get Involved!

Volunteer Efforts

Join DemocracyNYC’s phone banking efforts and ensure NYC voters in the Bronx are aware of the Special Elections in CD 11 and 15. Sign up here: on.nyc.gov/CallOutTheVoteBronx.

Volunteer Training

The NYC Civic Engagement Commission will be holding a Volunteer Training on Thursday, April 15, 2021 from 5 PM to 6 PM. The training will provide information about the Commission’s programs and initiatives and includes training on best practices and tools for Community Engagement. Click here to register for the training. To learn more about the Commission and volunteer opportunities visit the Get Involved page.

Graphic Design Internship

The NYC Civic Engagement Commission seeks a graphic design intern who will work closely with the artist-in-residence and the Communications team to create dynamic, visually appealing designs for the Commission’s programs. Click here for more information.

Social Media Toolkits

Help us promote our volunteer efforts and the upcoming special elections. See below for sample graphics and toolkits in various languages.

Help Chinatown be heard
All in neighborhood grants

Civic Engagement Opportunities from our Partners

The Catalyst Commissions

  • Think!Chinatown and The Creative Sanctum want to amplify art catalyzing civic participation in Chinatown and are seeking artists, whether visual artists, musicians, dancers, or social practice artists, whose creative work has the power to catalyze community action and sustain democracy.
  • The Catalyst Commissions provides five $1,000 grants to commission creative work that furthers civic engagement and more equitable representation; at least two projects will be dedicated for Chinatown.
  • The deadline to apply is March 20. Learn more here or at @thecreativesanctum.

Citizens Committee for NYC All in Neighborhood Grant

  • Grassroots organizations responding to the immediate needs of struggling New Yorkers will receive unrestricted grants of up to $10,000 to open food pantries, distribute surgical masks, arrange elderly check-ins, or design other projects to meet their neighborhoods’ urgent needs amid the COVID-19 crisis.
  • Groups do not need 501c3 status to apply and receive the funding.
  • Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. You can learn more about the grant, sign up for an info session and apply here (Spanish and Chinese applications available).
Image of the Statue of Liberty with a mask on with text that reads The NYC Vaccine for All Corps is Hiring! 

COVID-19 Community Resources:

Community engagement will be critical in ensuring our city continues to recover from COVID-19. Learn more through these resources:
Town Hall Ranked Choice Voting and has photos of speakers with corresponding logos and text which reads Zellnor Myrie, Laura Wood, Lurie Daniel-Favors, and Mark Winston Griffith. 

Mark Your Calendar for the Following Events

  • 3/20 – DNYC workshop with North Manhattan Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. See RSVP link here.
  • 3/20 – Deadline to apply for The Catalyst Commission grant.
  • 3/23 – CD 11 and CD 15 Special Elections (former Councilmember Cohen’s seat and former Councilmember Torres’ seat).
  • 3/23 – DNYC will be participating in an RCV event hosted by Senator Myrie. Watch the webinar here.
  • 3/25 – Voter Education Workshop with Together We Can. This event is for Spanish speakers.
  • 3/29 – Deadline for Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity RFI for Neighborhood Coordinator. Click here for more information.
  • 4/15 – NYC Civic Engagement Commission will be holding a Volunteer Training.

Who Are We?

DemocracyNYC:

DemocracyNYC is a nonpartisan NYC mayoral initiative focused on increasing voter participation and civic engagement in NYC. Part of that mission is to encourage every eligible New Yorker to make their voice heard at the ballot box. DemocracyNYC also works to address and eliminate historic barriers to voting through public education, outreach, and policy reform efforts. Currently we are focusing on encouraging voters to participate in special and local elections by educating New Yorkers on ranked-choice voting and pushing for long term reform through legislation. Learn more here.

Civic Engagement Commision:

The New York City Civic Engagement Commission (CEC) is a new city agency that was formed to promote civic participation and to improve civic trust. We believe that all New Yorkers should have access, knowledge, and confidence to engage fully with their government, in their communities, and in elections. CEC initiatives include: the “It’s Our Money” participatory budgeting youth pilot program, providing support to community boards, and serving language access needs of limited English proficient New Yorkers at poll sites. Get involved here and follow us on Twitter at @NYCCEC.

 

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