On Tuesday, December 16, the Campaign Finance Board’s Voter Assistance Advisory Committee (VAAC) held its annual public hearing at Brooklyn Public Library’s Dweck Center. At the hearing, VAAC Chair Art Chang presented the NYC Votes Awards recognizing organizations that have demonstrated an outstanding level of commitment to voter education, awareness, participation, registration and engagement in our city.
Six organizations were honored:
- Dominicanos USA won the Jane Kalmus Award for Commitment to Building a Voting Culture and was recognized for registering the highest number of voters, more than 30,000 residents, prior to the election.
- New York Organ Donor Network won the award for Innovation in Engaging Constituents.
- Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens was recognized for Excellence in Community Outreach by a nonprofit organization.
- Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Delta Rho Omega Chapter was recognized for Excellence in Community Outreach by a volunteer organization.
- JP Morgan Chase was recognized for Excellence in Community Outreach by a private company.
- City University of New York was recognized for Excellence in Community Outreach by a city agency.
Jane Kalmus was appointed to VAAC in 2011. She has worked and been active in New York City government and civic affairs since the 1960’s. She founded the National Nonpartisan Voter Registration Campaign in 1984 and established a 24/7 telephone helpline at the New York City Board of Elections (212-VOTE-NYC). Ms. Kalmus was present to deliver testimony and present the award at the hearing.
The hearing was an opportunity for voters, local stakeholders and civic groups to discuss the voting experience in New York City during the 2014 elections and to advocate for improvements in 2015 and beyond. Attendees providing testimony included Michael Ryan of the NYC Board of Elections, Bonda Lee-Cunningham of the Mayor’s Office of Operations and Ahmed Tigani on behalf of Council Member Helen Rosenthal. Representatives from Citizens Union, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) and Women of the Alliance of South Asian American Labor (Women of ASAAL) also spoke.
Testimony delivered at or submitted for the hearing will be accessible here. Photos from the event are available on the NYC Votes’ Facebook page and Twitter account, @NYCVotes. Archived video of yesterday’s hearing will be made available at www.nyccfb.info/live.