As the campaign for U.S. Senate continues to heat up, Congressman Joe Kennedy has made a concerted effort to appeal to the Spanish-speaking electorate in Boston.
Two weeks ago, he hosted the first-ever Spanish language Town Hall in East Boston, and on Monday, he was in the South End rallying with Puerto Rican voters at the Puerto Rican Veterans Monument for the approval of aid to the island recently ravaged by earthquakes.
Speaking in English and Spanish in the rain on Monday, Congressman Kennedy hosted a solidarity rally at the Puerto Rican Veterans Monument, a fixture in the Puerto Rican community all over the city, including in Mission Hill. Last Friday, the House of Representatives had approved a spending package of $4.7 billion in recovery aid and tax relief to Puerto Rico that would significantly help efforts to rebuild after a series of devastating earthquakes. Kennedy told the crowd that he was proud to support this package and called on his colleagues in the Senate, along with President Trump, to approve the package as well.
“Last week we learned that President Trump’s administration has threatened to veto this funding – once again showing callous disregard for the pain and suffering of our fellow American citizens in Puerto Rico,” said Congressman Kennedy. “I was proud to support this aid and I am proud to stand with you all here today to send a message to Donald Trump that enough is enough.”
Congressman Kennedy and Tony Molina, president of the Puerto Rican Veterans Monument Square Association, noted that this rally was not just about one relief package, but about lifting up the voices of those in Puerto Rico.
“But this is bigger than aid programs or financial infusions,” Kennedy added. “We are here today because the U.S. government has systematically and strategically silenced the voices of Puerto Rico for generations. The people of Puerto Rico are our fellow citizens. They have made immense contributions to every corner of American life. Puerto Rican soldiers like some of the ones standing here with me today have protected our freedoms as part of the United States Armed Forces in every armed conflict since 1917. We need to engage in a much larger and longer strategic overhaul of our government’s treatment of Puerto Rico, including reforms to PROMESA.”
So far, Congressman Kennedy has made two stops in Mission Hill, while Senator Ed Markey – his opponent – has not visited the neighborhood yet. Their race will be decided in the Sept. 1 Primary Election.
Absentee ballots, early voting dates available for presidential primary
The City of Boston’s Election Department announced that absentee ballots are now available for the Presidential Primary taking place on Tuesday, March 3, 2020. Voters registered in Boston who meet one of the requirements below are eligible to vote by absentee ballot:
• Voters absent from the city and unable to vote at the polls on Election Day,
• Voters who have a physical disability preventing them from getting to a polling site,
• Voters who are an active member of the armed services, and
• Voters who cannot participate due to religious obligations.
The deadline to submit an application for an absentee ballot is Monday, March 2, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. and can be done by mail or in person at the Election Department in City Hall. In person absentee voting is available during regular business hours as well as on Saturday, February 15, February 22 and February 29 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Absentee applications can be downloaded at boston.gov/absentee. When requesting a ballot by mail, voters are asked to mail their applications to the Election Department early to be processed on time. Voted ballots must be mailed back and received by the Election Department no later than 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3, 2020. For more information please visit: boston.gov/absentee
VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE: the deadline to register to vote or to update voter profiles for the Presidential Primary is Wednesday, February 12, 2020. On February 12, the Election Department will be open until 8:00 p.m. for those who want to register to vote. Fore more information on how to register to vote, please visit https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ovr/
EARLY VOTING: early voting for the March 3, 2020 Presidential Primary will be available to all Boston voters from Monday, February 24 through Friday, February 28, 2020. Any registered voter can vote early. A listing of all early voting locations, dates, and times will be included with the annual city census. For more information on early voting please visit https://www.boston.gov/departments/elections/vote-early-boston
Polling locations for Election Day can be found using the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s website.