Voting by absentee ballot — a Jewish issue this year

MJCCR co-sponsors candidate forums

Many Jewish voters will be unable to vote in county and city elections on Tuesday, April 6, because it is the first day of Passover and falls during spring vacations for many area schools.

The Milwaukee Jewish Council for Community Relations is distributing information for Jewish voters about how to vote by absentee ballot. According to a release sent by MJCCR, “Any qualified voter who is unable to get to the polling place on Election Day, for any reason, may ask to vote by absentee ballot.”

People who want such a ballot must contact the clerk of the city or village in which they reside and fill out and sign a request form. These forms can be obtained and returned by mail. The clerk’s office must receive mailed forms no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, April 2.

Request forms also may be obtained and completed in person at the clerk’s office. The deadline for such requests is 5 p.m. on Monday, April 5; and the ballots must be in the possession of the issuing clerk no later than that close of polls on Election Day.

The MJCCR can provide telephone numbers and addresses of specific clerk’s offices and other information. For more information, call 414-390-5781.

The council is also co-sponsoring two candidates’ forums next month.

On Wednesday, March 3, Jewish Family Services and the council will host the candidates for city of Milwaukee mayor from 4:30-6 p.m. at JFS, 1300 N. Jackson St.

On Wednesday, March 17, Congregation Shalom and the MJCCR will present candidates for Milwaukee County offices from 7-8:30 p.m. County Executive candidates David Reimer and Scott Walker have agreed to participate and County Supervisor candidates have been invited.

Both forums are free and open to the public.

Other co-sponsors for the forums include: the American Jewish Committee-Milwaukee Chapter; Beth El Ner Tamid and Lake Park Synagogues; Congregations Beth Israel, Emanu-El B’ne Jeshurun and Sinai; Hadassah-Milwaukee Chapter; the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center; Hillel Foundation-Milwaukee; the Jewish Home and Care Center; the Edie Adelman Political Awareness program of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation’s Women’s Division; NA’AMAT USA; the National Council of Jewish Women-Milwaukee Section; Tikkun Ha-Ir; Women’s American ORT; and the Young Leadership Division of the MJF.