The big day is coming this week, ladies. We all know the importance of having an Election Day voting plan, especially at this critical time when the nation is facing some major transitions to impact us all. If you're one of the late-comers to voting, it's OK sis. We've got you covered with this quick guide to get you on the right track. Here are 7 steps to take to cast your vote by or on Election Day:
1. Make sure you're registered.
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Check the National Association of the Secretaries of State's "Can I Vote" site or visit USA.gov to confirm. Voting regulations and rules vary by state so it's also a good idea to check your local or state office Websites for up-to-date information relevant to where you live.
2. Missed your state's registration deadline? Research your options.
Some states allow residents to register and vote on the same day. (Check out more information on that here, and confirm information via your local and state sites.) Also, according to the Help America Vote Act of 2002, voters who are told, at the polls, that they are not on the registered voters list can still cast a provisional ballot. Again, each locality has its own laws and regulations on how these are handled, so be sure to look into your options and ask questions accordingly.
3. Find your polling location.
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You want to be sure you're at the correct poll based on where you reside and are registered. The Federal Voting Assistance Program's site offers a listing to find out where you should go to cast your vote in person.
4. If voting by mail, get your ballot postmarked as soon as possible.
(Many of the deadlines for absentee ballots have passed, but some have not, so look up the deadlines for your state. Also, if you're a first-time voter, some states have stipulations on absentee ballots. You can check your options here.)
For mail-in ballots, most states have set a Nov. 3 postmark deadline. There are fears that there will be USPS delays, so if you're still sitting on that mail-in ballot and you're reading this, get to the post office ASAP. You can also vote in-person with your mail-in ballot, or check out your options for dropping off the ballot here.
5. Do your research on candidates beyond presidential.
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In the current atmosphere, where many are pretty adamant about who will get their vote to become the next U.S. president, it's still important to know who you will vote for in the local and state spots (ie. the U.S. Congress as well as your state legislators). These officials make important decisions that impact your daily life. You are allowed to take notes into the polling station, so jot down who you will vote for or notes on the candidates you find favorable. This will take care of the stress of it all and make remembering who you'll vote for a cinch. You can research who's on the ballot for your community here or here.
6. Make sure you have proper documentation.
Most states require a government-issued ID, but the rules on the type can vary from state to state. For example, some allow non-photo identification (such as a birth certificate) while others mandate a driver's license or passport. You can find out the documentation rules of your state via its respective election site. (Try the NCSL site to find your state's election site to confirm requirements.) For more information on voter ID regulations and rules, visit Vote.org and be sure to know the respective laws in regard to IDs, especially if you're in the military, are disabled, or you're currently overseas.
7. If voting in person, plan for Election Day essentials.
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Pack those snacks and water, a mask (or two), hand sanitizer, and any other item that might make a wait in line much more tolerable. Also, it might be a good idea to even bring a foldable chair or stool to sit on. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes, and prepare for the weather. Plan your day accordingly, including ensuring you've scheduled out time from work or set-up proper childcare. Many states include legal provisions for taking time off from work to vote, so be diligent in finding out the policies for requesting leave to vote. It might even be a good idea to go in a pair or group (keeping to the six-feet social distancing rule of course.)
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While speaking to xoNecole, Eva shares that she’s a lot like the beloved 1994 character in many ways. “Lyric is so me. She's the odd flower. A flower nonetheless, but definitely not a peony,” she tells us.
“She's not the average flower you see presented, and so she reminds me of myself. I'm a sunflower, beautiful, but different. And what I loved about her character then, and even more so now, is that she was very sure of herself.
"Sure of what she wanted in life and okay to sacrifice her moments right now, to get what she knew she deserved later. And that is me. I'm not an instant gratification kind of a person. I am a long game. I'm not a sprinter, I'm a marathon.
America first fell in love with Eva when she graced our screens on cycle 3 of America’s Next Top Model in 2004, which she emerged as the winner. Since then, she's ventured into different avenues, from acting on various TV series like House of Payne to starring on Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Je-Caryous Johnson Entertainment
Eva praises her castmates and the play’s producer, Je’Caryous for her positive experience. “You know what? Je’Caryous fuels my audacity car daily, ‘cause I consider myself an extremely audacious woman, and I believe in what I know, even if no one else knows it, because God gave it to me. So I know what I know. That is who Je’Caryous is.”
But the mom of three isn’t the only one in the family who enjoys acting. Eva reveals her daughter Marley has also caught the acting bug.
“It is the most adorable thing you can ever see. She’s got a part in her school play. She's in her chorus, and she loves it,” she says. “I don't know if she loves it, because it's like, mommy does it, so maybe I should do it, but there is something about her.”
Overall, Eva hopes that her contribution to the role and the play as a whole serves as motivation for others to reach for the stars.
“I want them to walk out with hope. I want them to re-vision their dreams. Whatever they were. Whatever they are. To re-see them and then have that thing inside of them say, ‘You know what? I'm going to do that. Whatever dream you put on the back burner, go pick it up.
"Whatever dream you've accomplished, make a new dream, but continue to reach for the stars. Continue to reach for what is beyond what people say we can do, especially as [a] Black collective but especially as Black women. When it comes to us and who we are and what we accept and what we're worth, it's not about having seen it before. It's about knowing that I deserve it.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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Fortunately, five simple words have simplified my dating process and ushered in clarity faster: “Would my husband do this?”
A couple of years ago, I met an entertainment lawyer who was tonguing down a twenty-something-year-old woman for breakfast while I slurped my green smoothie and chomped on a flatbread sandwich. Okay, Black love, I grinned and thought as I sauntered out of the Joe & The Juice. As soon as I stepped down from the front door, a torrential downpour of Miami summer rain cascaded and throttled me back inside to wait out the storm.
I grabbed a hot green tea and vacillated between peering out the wet door and anxiously checking my watch. My lengthy agenda started with attending the Tabitha Brown and Chance Brown’s “Black Love” panel, and I was already late. That’s when the lawyer introduced himself to me, after he made a joke about neither one of us wanting to get soaked by the rain. His female companion had braved the storm, leaving us to find our commonalities.
We both lived in L.A. and had traveled to the American Black Film Festival to expand our network. He represented various artists, including entertainment writers, while I was working as a writer/creative producer in Hollywood.
While there is no shortage of internet advice on how to strategically meet a prominent man at conferences, if I spend my hard-earned funds on career growth, I have tunnel vision, and that doesn’t include finding Mr. Right. So, I stowed his contact details away as strictly professional.
Keep It Cute Love And Hip Hop GIFGiphyAs the humidity and mosquitoes were rising around L.A., two months later, another suitor-turned-terrible match cooled off after three unimpressive dates and a bevy of red flags. I posted what some of my friends called a thirst trap, but it was really me wearing a black freakum jumpsuit with a plunging neckline to my friend’s 35th birthday soiree despite feeling oh, so unsexy and bloated on my cycle.
I’d been waiting to post a sassy caption and finally had the perfect picture to match: “You not asking for too much, you just asking the wrong MF.”
That’s when the entertainment lawyer swooped into my DMs and asked me to dinner. I was quite confused. Is he asking me on a date? Or is this professional? Common sense would’ve picked the former. Once it clicked that this would in fact be a date, I told my mentor, who’s been happily married for over twenty years and has often been a guiding light and has steered me away from the wrong men.
Upon telling him about how we met, he emphatically stated, “He ain’t it.” He followed up with a simple question, "You have to ask yourself: Would my husband do this? Would you tell others that you met your husband, tonguing down another woman, and later married him?"
Aint It No Way GIF by UFCGiphyOuch. The thought-provoking question cleared any haze. Prior to going out with the lawyer, the first thing I inquired about was the woman.
“You saw that?” He said, taken aback that I’d witnessed his steamy PDA. Surely, anyone with two open eyes peeped him caressing her backside as he kissed her in the middle of the coffee shop.
He brushed her off as a casual someone he’d gone on a couple of dates with but had since stopped talking to. He said he hadn’t been in a serious relationship in over three years. Though I was still doubtful, dating in L.A. is treacherous and ephemeral. Making it past three months is considered a rarity.
With my antennae alert, I dined with him at a cozy beachside steakhouse restaurant where we were serenaded by a live jazz band. I’d emphasized forming a platonic friendship first.
Break Up Friendship GIF by TLCGiphy“I’ll come to you,” he obliged. I liked that he had made me a priority by driving over 50 miles to see me. I also liked the effort he made to check in with me daily. But I still couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that he initiated on a professional pretense and then alley hooped through the back door on a romantic venture, which bombarded me with confusion.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my dating life, God is not the author of confusion; any man who brings confusion, rather than clarity, is simply not The One. It doesn’t matter how many boxes he checks–eventually, that confusion will manifest itself into bigger problems, in time.
After diving into deeper conversations on the phone, post our first dinner date, I quickly realized this man was indeed not The One for me. But I’m grateful for the valuable lesson I learned.
I don’t expect some unattainable fairytale of a husband; we all have our own flaws and conflict is inevitable, but after dating for two decades, through failure and success, I’ve realized that the person I ultimately marry must mirror the values I exert into the world. He must reciprocate kindness, patience, and respect. He must be quick to listen and slow to respond. He needs to be forgiving and trustworthy, practice healthy communication, and be a man of his word at the bare minimum.
If I’d had “Would my husband do this?” in my toolbox when I was dating and floundering in stagnant relationships, in my twenties, it would’ve saved me a lot of precious time. But now that I’m equipped with the reminder, it’s allowed me to ground myself in my non-negotiables and set/maintain the standard for the special person, I’ll one day say, “I do,” to.
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