New citizens gain voting information, experience
Community gets involved Beyond Citizenship
By Julieta Paita
EAST ALDINE – As part of its new BEYOND CITIZENSHIP program, Bonding Against Adversity (BAA) hosted a Civic Engagement Roundtable at the East Aldine Management District (EAMD) building on March 18.
Special thanks to guest speaker, EAMD Executive Director and President of the Harris County Department of Education Board of Trustees, Richard Cantu, who shared his personal experience and story as a 30 year public servant in Aldine and Houston areas. Attendees included new or about to be sworn-in citizens who were eager to know about the duties and responsibilities of candidates when elected. Cantu addressed all of their questions by providing samples of those responsibilities at a city level. Cantu is also a candidate for Houston City Council at – Large, Pos. 3 for the upcoming elections on May 6, 2023.
Shirley Wong, Outreach Strategic Coordinator with The Harris County Elections Administration office explained to attendees in detail voters’ registration process, important dates for the upcoming elections on May 6 and once registered, how to get their corresponding sample ballot at www.harrisvotes.com. A voting machine was also on site available to all participants to practice how to vote and get familiar with the new voting machines which now have a scanner where voters must cast their printed ballot with their selections obtained from the voting machine in order to be counted.
Voters’ registration from League of Women Voters was also available for those who wanted to register at that moment.
“The Civic Engagement Roundtable was a success and Bonding Against Adversity plans to keep engaging new sworn-in citizens and the community in general BEYOND CITIZENSHIP with more Roundtables like this one as part of the new program,” Mariana Sanchez, BAA Chief Operation Officer said.