Here's everything you need to know about voting in the 2020 Primary if you have not voted already.

For this Primary only, the Indiana Election Commission has waived requirements for Absentee-By-Mail voting. Therefore all registered Indiana voters can vote by mail in the 2020 primary. All voters are encouraged to use this option as we don’t know what the situation will be over the next few weeks and months. This will protect not only the voters in the county, but our county workers as well.

HOW TO VOTE IN THE 2020 PRIMARY:

VOTE BY MAIL: recommended for all Monroe County Voters this year.
1. File an application to vote by mail with the Monroe County Election Division
Best way: sign into indianavoters.com and select Vote by Mail or Travel Board, then Visit My Voter Portal. Fill in and confirm your information to access your personal account then on the left side select absentee voting and vote by mail. Fill out the application form and hit submit.
Alternatively: Download a copy of the form here: Fill out the form electronically then print and sign the form. Email the completed form to [email protected] or drop it off in person at Election Central, 401 W. Seventh St., Suite 100. There is a mail slot in the double doors.

Absentee-by-Mail Ballot applications must be received at the Election Office by May 21

2. Complete Your Ballot: Once your application has been received and processed they will mail you a ballot – fill out the ballot and complete the information on the postage paid envelope, sign the envelope and return the ballot to election central either by mail or in person

Your completed Ballot must be received by the Election Office by Noon on Primary Election Day – June 2

EARLY VOTING:
Absentee in person voting will take place from May 26 through June 1st at Election Central, 401 W. 7th St., Suite 100, Bloomington, Indiana. Remember to bring your photo ID and wear a mask.
Hours: 
Tuesday, May 26 through Friday May 29: 8am to 6pm
Saturday, May 30: 9am to 4pm
Monday, June 1: 8am to Noon

PRIMARY DAY VOTING: June 2 at your poliing location
Vote at your polling place between 6am and 6pm - note: this may not be the same location as you have voted in the past. Remember to bring your photo ID and wear a mask.

If you are not sure which precinct you vote in you can check on line at indianavoters.com. You can also find a list of who is on the ballot at that location

For the 2020 primary the polling sites have been reduced to 7 locations:
Edgewood High School, 601 S Edgewood Dr, Ellettsville
City Church for All Nations, 1200 N Russell Road, Bloomington
Bloomington City Hall, 401 N Morton St., Bloomington
Arlington Heights Elementary School, 700 W Parrish Road, Bloomington
Southside Christian Church, 500 E Empire Mill Road, Bloomington
Grandview Elementary School, 2300 S Endwright Road, Bloomington
Sherwood Oaks Christian Church, 2700 E Rogers Road, Bloomington

Here's where each precinct will vote on June 2:
• Bean Blossom 1, 2 – Edgewood High Schoo
• Benton 1, 2 – City Church for All Nations
• Bloomington 1, 2, 3 – Bloomington City Hall
• Bloomington 4 – Arlington Heights Elementary School
• Bloomington 5, 6, 7 – Bloomington City Hall
• Bloomington 8, 9, 10, 11 – City Church for All Nations
• Bloomington 12, 13, 14, 15 – Arlington Heights Elementary School
• Bloomington 16 – City Church for All Nations
• Bloomington 17 – Arlington Heights Elementary School
• Bloomington 18, 19, 20 – Bloomington City Hall
• Bloomington 21 – City Church for All Nations
• Bloomington 22 – Arlington Heights Elementary School
• Bloomington 23 – Bloomington City Hall
• Bloomington 24 – Arlington Heights Elementary School
• Clear Creek 1, 2, 3 – Southside Christian Church
• Indian Creek – Southside Christian Church
• Perry 1 – Bloomington City Hall
• Perry 2, 3, 4, 5 – Grandview Elementary School
• Perry 6 – Sherwood Oaks Christian Church
• Perry 7 – City Church for All Nations
• Perry 8 – Bloomington City Hall
• Perry 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 – Sherwood Oaks Christian Church
• Perry 15 – Bloomington City Hall
• Perry 16, 17 – City Church for All Nations
• Perry 18, 19 – Sherwood Oaks Christian Church
• Perry 20 – City Church for All Nations
• Perry 21, 22, 23 – Sherwood Oaks Christian Church
• Perry 24  – Southside Christian Church
• Perry 25 – Grandview Elementary School
• Perry 26 – Sherwood Oaks Christian Church
• Perry 27 – Grandview Elementary School
• Perry 28 – Sherwood Oaks Christian Church
• Perry 29, 30, 31 – Bloomington City Hall
• Perry 32 – City Church for All Nations
• Polk – Southside Christian Church
• Richland 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 – Edgewood High School
• Salt Creek  – Sherwood Oaks Christian Church
• Van Buren 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 – Grandview Elementary School
• Washington  – Arlington Heights Elementary School

Once again, even if you really enjoy going to the polls in person, for the safety of our voters who must vote in person, and of our election workers, we strongly encourage everyone to vote by mail in a timely fashion.

Check monroecountyvoters.us for updated information. Questions may also be directed to the voter registration office by calling 812-349-2690.

As always stay safe, learn something new every day, stay politically active and let’s get ready to come out of the lockdown with sleeves rolled up and ready to work for Dems up and down the ballot!

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: 

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

DWC ANNOUNCEMENTS & UPDATES:

Are you creative, skilled at writing, a social media expert?? - THE DWC NEEDS YOU!! We trust you like our communications and rely on them to help keep you informed of political happenings and DWC operations. Those communications are not magically self-generating-they are an essential function of the DWC and we have a small crew of creative women who make it happen. We are looking for women to join that team and help create the Monday Morning News and our Social Media messages. It is not time consuming, and it is not difficult. Plus, for those of us who like to write and craft messages, it is actually fun! If anyone reading this newsletter has a few scant hours a month to help us out, please let us know by sending an email to [email protected]

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ENDORSED CANDIDATE NEWS AND EVENTS:

Candidates, especially new candidates, often have a hard road to victory - but this year may be especially difficult - raising money, contacting voters and getting the message out is all going to be different in the age of coronavirus.
The list of DWC endorsed candidates with their websites and contact information can be found at: https://www.democraticwomenscaucus.org/candidates. We are continuing to work to make this page a comprehensive site for our candidates so please check back frequently.

Volunteer for Cheryl Munson: Who knew that County Council would be such a hot race this year? Cheryl is running for re-election to an At-Large seat in a crowded primary. If you would be interested in helping with Cheryl's campaign, please contact Olivia Reed at [email protected]. You can contact Cheryl at [email protected]. More info about Cheryl's Council accomplishments and future goals WWW.CHERYLMUNSON.US

Volunteering for Shelli Yoder: If you are interested in volunteering to help get Shelli to the State House, join their team by emailing Ashley Pirani at [email protected]. There are several ways for you to get involved. They'd love to have you join them!
Join the Friends of Shelli Virtual Challenge! They’ve created a special giving portal for you, your friends, families and networks at actblue.com/donate/shellichallenge. The amount is less important than the contribution itself, because it will take everyone chipping in to get Shelli to victory.
The major focus of the campaign at this time is ensuring that supporters turn out to vote. If you have an hour or two to spare at any time over the next few weeks click here to sign up for Shelli’s Virtual Phone Bank

It's time to Get Out The Vote! Team Shelli will host a Virtual GOTV Rally on Zoomon Tuesday, May 26, 2020 at 7:00pm
RSVP to [email protected] to get your zoom link

Volunteer for Kara Krothe
If you are interested in volunteering to help elect Kara Krothe for Judge please contact us at [email protected] or visit karakrotheforjudge.com to sign up.

Note: The DWC’s mission is to recruit, fund and support pro-choice, progressive women candidates in Monroe County. For more information about candidates, candidate events and other political information that does not fall within this mission, check out, among others, the Monroe County Democratic Party Website, The Indiana Democratic Party Website and the Indiana Secretary of State's Election Division. If you don't currently get the Monroe County Democratic Party Dispatch, you can send a note to [email protected] to sign up.

UPDATED INDIANA PRIMARY CALENDAR - deadlines have been extended with the change in the Primary Date to 6/2/2020

For this Primary only, the Indiana Election Commission has waived requirements for Absentee-By-Mail voting. Therefore all registered Indiana voters can vote by mail in the primary. The Secretary of State's office has created a completely online version of the application for an absentee-by mail ballot through the voter portal at indianavoters.com.

All voters are strongly encouraged to vote absentee-by-mail in this election, leaving absentee-in-person and primary day election voting for those persons who cannot do so!!!

Monday, May 4, 2020 - VOTER REGISTRATION ENDED, registration will reopen after the Primary.

Thursday, May 21, 2020 - DEADLINE, by 11:59 pm, to submit an absentee ballot application from an applicant requesting delivery of an absentee ballot by mail. Applications may be submitted to the circuit court clerk in person or by mail, fax or email. (Note: mailed applications must be delivered in the mail by 5/21 and for in person delivery the Election Office closes at 4PM) 

Tuesday, May 26, 2020 - First day a voter may vote an absentee-in-person ballot in the office at Election Central (Early Voting begins)

Monday, June 1, 2020 - DEADLINE by noon, for a voter to vote an absentee ballot in person at the office of the circuit court clerk or satellite office (Early Voting ends)

Tuesday, June 2, 2020 - PRIMARY ELECTION DAY
Polls are open 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., prevailing local time. Due to the need to keep workers and voters safe, as well as balancing the reduced number of workers available, a need to provide as much coverage of the county as possible and the wish to be sensitive to the needs of the regular hosts, there will be 7 polls open on Primary Election Day: at Edgewood High School, Southside Christian Church, Sherwood Oaks, Grandview Elementary, Arlington Elementary, City Hall and City Church. If you must vote on primary day you will be able to check where your precinct will be voting on June 2 online at indianavoters.com.
DEADLINE by noon, for a voter to return an absentee-by-mail ballot to Election Central

The Monroe County Election Division is looking for democratic poll workers to work as Inspectors, Judges, Clerks and Sheriffs. 
To work the polls in the 2020 Primary you must:
     • Be a registered voter in the state of Indiana.
      • Attend training,  provided by the Election Board.
     • Have access to transportation.
You will be paid for training, working at the polls and a $25 food allowance. Training will take place between May 21 and May 29, 2020.
There will be some major differences between this primary and previous years. Polling sites have been reduced to seven locations: Arlington Heights Elementary, Bloomington City Hall, City Church, Edgewood High School, Grandview School, Sherwood Oaks Church and Southside Christian Church.
All workers will be supplied a face shield, mask, gloves and plenty of hand sanitizer as well as continuous cleaning throughout the day. There will be someone at each location designated to monitor flow of traffic and social distancing.  
There is a first come first served basis for applicants seeking to work the polls as the time to fill roles and train workers is limited. 
If you are interested in working at a polling location, please contact Orion Saft at [email protected] ASAP
More information can be found at: http://monroecountyvoters.us/pollworkerportal.html

The Indiana Democratic Convention is slated for Saturday, June 13 - this will be a virtual meeting
The National Democratic Convention has been moved to August 17-20 in Milwaukee. 

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CANDIDATE & OTHER POLITICAL TRAININGS:

Indiana Democratic Party

A Candidate Tool Box, Precinct Committee Person Handbook, VAN training and links to the Party’s Webinar Training Series can be found at https://www.indems.org/trainings-and-voter-file-access/

The Emily's List Training Center:
Training pro-choice Democratic women to run for office - and win
https://trainingcenter.emilyslist.org

Date: Thursday, May 21, 2020 - "Budgeting Best Practices"
Time: 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
How to build your budget, readjust it when the unexpected happens, and revisit it after a primary win.

National Democratic Training Committee Webinars
The NDTC has and extensive list of webinars and courses in political management, messaging and communication, fundraising, and running for office. Check out their list of courses at https://traindemocrats.org/course-catalog/

Thursday, May 21, 2020, 1:00-2:00pm ET.
Join NDTC CEO Kelly Dietrich for a Q&A. 
With the COVID-19 outbreak changing just about everything, you need to adapt your campaign.Do you have questions on how to do that?This is your opportunity to ask the questions you have during this time of navigating COVID-19 as you run for office, work on a campaign, or build your local Democratic party’s infrastructure. RSVP for the training here.

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OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS:

The West Side Democratic Collaborative will hold it's last Candidate Forum tonight! featuring candidates for State Senate District 40. See our Events section for the full details

Dr. Woody Myers has selected former State Representative Linda Lawson to be his running mate and the next Lieutenant Governor of Indiana! 

Linda is an example to all Hoosiers of what can be accomplished with hard work and determination. Indiana needs her intelligence and grit now more than ever, and Woody is honored she has agreed to be his partner on the ticket.Linda has always been a trailblazer, and she’s never turned away from the call to serve. She broke barriers as the first female police officer in the Hammond Police Department and shattered the glass ceiling by earning a promotion to captain. She served on the Hammond School Board for 12 years. And she represented her community for 20 years in the Indiana House, becoming the first woman to lead a caucus in the chamber.Linda’s experience as a leader in law enforcement, in public education, and in the General Assembly make her the perfect partner for Woody in leading Indiana out of the current pandemic and economic downturn.The Myers-Lawson ticket is just what Indiana needs to take on whatever crisis comes next: A physician and successful business owner alongside a legislative leader, former school board member, and law enforcement veteran. Hoosiers couldn’t ask for a better combined resume from two highly accomplished professionals.
Welcome Linda by supporting the Myers/Lawson campaign today.

MONROE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY EVENTS AND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: 
contact the Monroe County Democratic Party at [email protected]

Some Useful Websites in the fight against Covid-19

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Covid-19 Resources for Bloomington, Ellettsville & Monroe County

No Space For Hate Covid-19 Mutual Aid
Are you homebound and in need of help getting access to groceries and other supplies? For your friends and neighbors who are homebound and quarantined, are you willing to help make grocery deliveries and supply runs?

NextDoor.com for your neighborhood

Open for Bloomington - support for local restaurants (note site may take some time to load)

Unemployment Information:
Indiana Department of Workforce Development

BOARD AND COMMISSION OPENINGS: A great way to get involved and learn about how government works in Monroe County and Bloomington and to make a difference in your community:

CITY OF BLOOMINGTON B&Cs
For information City Commissions that have vacancies at this time, contact the office of the City Clerk or check https://bloomington.in.gov/boards to see the nature of the board or commission, recent minutes and actions, and how that particular vacancy is filled.

MONROE COUNTY GOVERNMENTAL B&Cs
The Monroe County Board of Commissioners invites you to apply to serve on a Board or Commission! There are immediate openings on a number of these bodies, including: Animal Management, Environmental Commission, and the Human Rights Commission. For information on each of them, see https://www.co.monroe.in.us/boards/. The application is available in a tab at the right side of the boards page. If you have any questions, please contact Julie Thomas ([email protected]). 

CALENDAR OF EVENTS THAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST TO OUR MEMBERSHIP:

In this time of uncertainty, check prior to leaving for any meeting...

Through December 31, 2020
VOTES FOR WOMEN: The Women’s Suffrage Movement in Monroe County
Monroe County History Center, 202 E. 6th St., Bloomington
Commemorating the centennial of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution granting women the right to vote with a year-long exhibition in the Deckard Education Room. Featuring Monroe County women involved in the struggle for suffrage in the context of the State and National suffrage movements based on the research of Hilary Fleck and supported by the May Wright Sewall Fellowship from Indiana Humanities. Sponsored by The Indiana Women’s Suffrage Centennial, the Monroe County Bicentennial, the City of  Bloomington, and Monroe County NOW

Monday, May 18, 2020, 8:00pm - Online Indiana State Senate 40 Candidate Forum
Co-hosted by the West Side Democratic Collaborative (WSDC) and Stonewall Democrats of South Central Indiana (SD-SCI) 
Facebook Live Watch Party: https://www.facebook.com/groups/westsidedemsMoCo/
and Zoom (*first 100 people): https://us02web.zoom.us/s/88021234139

Tuesday, May 26, 2020, 7:00pm
It's time to Get Out The Vote! Please join Team Shelli for a Virtual GOTV Rally on Zoom. 
RSVP to [email protected] to get your zoom link

Friday, June 5, 2020 - DWC Monthly Breakfast - we will be meeting again on Zoom and Facebook Live in June - full details upcoming. 

ACTION ITEM(s):

1. IF YOU HAVEN'T VOTED YET - Go online and fill out your application to vote-by-mail at indianavoters.com or download the 2020 application to vote by mail form and send it in. It's very important that all of us who can vote by mail. Support our endorsed candidates as they negotiate an unprecedented primary session.

2. The Trump administration is using the Covid-19 pandemic as an excuse to eliminate many regulations and programs - from clean air and water regulations to the USPS to social service programs. Two major efforts are currently underway - one to allow the USPS to go bankrupt and replace the current public mail service with private organizations that would not answer to the public good and the other to eliminate the payroll tax which, while it would provide no significant benefits to small businesses and workers who have lost their jobs or are on furlough, would allow the administration to argue that social security and medicare funding was unsustainable and that such programs should be cut. Contact your elected officials and let them know that public services are essential to the public good.

3. Renew your membership in the DWC for 2020 (see below) and get involved with the DWC - there are ways you can contribute beyond your membership support...Our most urgent need is for help with our Social Media: we are looking for women to help us maintain and keep our social media pages up to date and to contribute to writing and/or editing the Monday Morning News. A couple of our long time writers will be unavailable after this spring. This doesn’t necessarily require a major time commitment. If you’re interested please email us at[email protected]

HOW TO CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES

Todd Young:
https://www.young.senate.gov/contact/email-todd
(202) 224-5623

Mike Braun
https://www.braun.senate.gov/contact-mike
(202) 224-4814
(317) 822-8240

Trey Hollingsworth
https://hollingsworth.house.gov/contact/
(202) 225-5315 (U.S. House) or (812) 288-3999 (Jeffersonville Office)

BECOME A DWC MEMBER or RENEW your membership! 
The DWC is dedicated to inspiring, recruiting, training, supporting and funding women to increase the number of progressive, pro-choice women in the political arena. We ALL help with this mission, together, collectively. Make sure you have full rights and privileges of membership.
Only $20 for one year’s membership. 
Join online here: https://democraticwomenscaucus.nationbuilder.com/membership

Do you have news items? Send your items of interest to us at[email protected]
Deadline for MMN is noon on Sunday.

Paid for by DWPAC - Democratic Women's Political Action Committee
Democratic Women's Caucus
http://www.democraticwomenscaucus.org/