The Gardiner Democrats, in conjunction with Ulster Activists (U-Act) will be doing a fundraiser to support the reelection of our State Senator, Jen Metzger on Saturday, September 12 from 1:00 to 3:00 in Gardiner at a private home.  This in-person fundraiser is limited to 50 people.  Attendees can mingle with the candidate and her supporters as well as bid on a variety of great items in an auction (part silent, part live).  Auction items include:

• Handcrafted Jewelry
• A Skydive from The Ranch in Gardiner
• Pottery and other items from local artists
• Majestics Hardware Gift Certificate
• Gift Certificates from Cafe Mio, The Mountain Brauhaus, and Garvan’s
• Services such as an acupuncture session, a professional photography portrait session, and haircuts
• A poster signed by Jerry Seinfeld
• Wine, wine, and more wine
• Much more!

All proceeds go toward the Senator’s reelection effort.

For tickets (minimum contribution $50) click here 

Election Day, November 3, 2020 is likely to be the most consequential election of our lifetimes.  Trump’s incompetence is vast, and his crimes are too many to list.  We all know what is at stake in Gardiner as well is throughout the nation: our democracy and maybe even our lives.

Voting Trump out of office is obviously the most important task in this election, but here in Gardiner there are other key election decisions we must make, including:

• Our state senator, Jen Metzger has—in less than two years in office—resolved 400+ constituent requests for assistance; sponsored 21 bills that have been signed into law, with 100% bipartisan support (including bills on reproductive rights, automobile safety, rural development, voting rights, bail reform, support for healthcare workers, Lyme disease, helping our farmers, and many more); held mobile office hours in 31 locations around the district, and sponsored 20+ community events throughout the district. She has made quite a positive impact on our district and on the state as a whole.

However, Jen is facing a daunting challenge in that the 42^nd Senate District was gerrymandered to favor Republican candidates and her opponent is a multi-millionaire who is self-funding a very sophisticated campaign against her.  The Republicans have identified her seat as one of their key targets to take back in 2020.  We can’t let that happen.  We need to send Jen back to the NY Legislature.

• Our Congressman, Antonio Delgado’s victory in 2018 helped flip the U.S. House of Representatives blue. Since then, Representative Delgado has built up a very strong record of progressive accomplishments, including: advocating for universal affordable health care, a tax code that works for working people, and improving economic opportunities for our farmers and rural communities.  He has helped shepherd multiple bipartisan bills into law.  He has held 35 in-person town hall meetings across every county in NY-19 and 10 virtual town halls since the start of the COVID-19 crisis.  He has fought the rollback of crucial environmental regulations that protect our rivers, mountains and forests.  He introduced the Green Jobs and Opportunities Act to address our climate crisis and to ensure the workforce is ready to transition to an economy based around clean energy

Antonio is facing a serious challenge from a Republican determined to take a seat the GOP sees as theirs.  We need to help our congressman continue the great works he has begun over the last two years.

So, casting our vote for the Democratic candidates is literally more important than ever and it is critical that every one of us make a plan to vote.  Click on the links for key voting information.

• Are we and all of our family and friends registered to vote? Are our registrations current and for the addresses we currently live in. The deadline for registering new voters in New York is October 9. The deadline for changes of address is October 14.
• Are we voting in person at our regular polling location on election day, or is another option (early voting or absentee/mail in voting) right for us?
• If we are voting absentee/mail-in, then what are the rules for requesting and sending in our absentee ballot? What is the easiest way to request an absentee ballot? How should we fill out our absentee ballot application if we are staying home because of the COVID pandemic?
• If we choose to vote early on the designated days for early voting in Ulster County, where will we show up to cast our ballot?
• Is legal to request an absentee ballot and then choose to cast our single vote in person: (YES! This is the word of our Ulster County Board of Elections.)
• If we vote on election day, November 3^rd, where is our polling place, what time are the polls open (answer: 6:00 am to 9:00 pm) and what time will we plan to be there?
• Is in-person voting, whether early or on election day, safe given the COVID crisis that has killed more than 170,000 of our fellow Americans (as of 8/23)? Yes, polling locations are as safe as they can be, with poll workers required to wear masks (if they don’t please report it to the BOE at (845) 334-5470) and there is plenty of hand sanitizer available.  But WEAR YOUR OWN MASK!
• What other key information might I find helpful in planning my vote? Note that Jen Metzger’s campaign site has a wealth of information.  If you have a specific Question contact the BOE at (845) 334-5470.
• If you need a ride to the polls, either for early voting on November 3^rd, contact us at chair@gardinerdemocrats.com or call (914) 475-3601.
• Volunteer to be a poll worker! Poll workers are going to be in short supply this year due to the COVID crisis.  If you are younger and healthy, please consider working the polls to make it easy for others to vote. Click here to apply to be a poll worker or contact the Ulster County Board of Elections at (845) 334-5470