BERKELEY
Use one of six secure drop boxes throughout Berkeley to turn in your ballot anytime day or night until 8 p.m. Election Day, Nov. 3. This year, all registered voters are receiving a vote-by-mail ballot for the fall election.
To support expanded mail voting during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Registrar of Voters has added new drop boxes across Alameda County, including at four new locations in Berkeley. Twenty-four-hour drop boxes are available at:
- Berkeley Civic Center Building, 2180 Milvia
- University of California Berkeley, between Sather Gate and Architects & Engineers Building
- Frances Albrier Recreation Center, 2800 Park
- Claremont Branch Library, 2940 Benvenue
- North Branch Library, 1170 The Alameda
- West Branch Library, 1125 University
The Registrar of Voters picks up ballots from the drop boxes every day. The last pickup will be at 8 p.m. Nov. 3. You do not need postage for ballots submitted at the drop box. The six drop boxes listed above are the only official drop boxes in Berkeley. To make sure your vote is counted:
- Use the return envelope provided
- Sign the back of your envelope
- Only use a drop box in the county in which you are registered to vote
You can also turn in ballots at any of 66 secure drop boxes throughout Alameda County or at any of 100 Alameda County “Accessible Voting Locations” that will be open Oct. 31 through Nov. 3. Accessible Voting Locations replace neighborhood polling places in this election. These larger spaces are intended to support COVID-19 social distancing and will be open for voting from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 31 through Nov. 2 and from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Election Day. There are nine accessible voting locations in Berkeley:
- Berkeley High School gym, 1980 Allston
- Ed Roberts Campus, 3045 Adeline
- Lawrence Hall of Science, 1 Centennial
- Longfellow School Gym, 1500 Derby
- City of Berkeley facility (formerly Premier Cru), 1011 University
- MLK Student Union 3rd Floor ballroom, 2455 Bancroft
- Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda
- Epworth United Methodist Church, 1953 Hopkins
- Willard Middle School, 2425 Stuart
Track my ballot Alameda County has an online tool for tracking your ballot’s progress. Sign up at acvote.ballottrax.net/voter to get notifications by email, text or phone when your ballot is mailed, received and counted. The tool is available in nine languages.
— city of Berkeley
ALBANY
Police Department holding 2020 Halloween photo event
Each year on Halloween the Albany Police Department hands out Glo-Sticks to trick-or-treaters. Unfortunately, this year’s event has been canceled due to the county Health Department’s COVID-19 guidelines. In its place, we invite you to send us photos of how you’re spending your Halloween during these challenging times. With your permission we’ll post your photo on the Albany Police Department Facebook Page. Please email your photo to [email protected] with written permission to post it publicly. Photo ideas include costumes, decorations, creative portraits and general fun.
— Albany Police Department
Sewer system work underway, should be done in weeks
Sewer cleaning and inspection work, which is vital to prevent sewer system blockages and overflows, have begun in Albany. City officials anticipate the work will be finished by mid-November. Please follow posted signage for your own safety and to ensure the project moves quickly. Albany’s Public Works Department continues to conduct essential city maintenance while taking additional precautions and complying with social distancing requirements. View an online map of the current sewer work at bayareane.ws/3kl32N9, and for more information visit the Public Works Department’s webpage at albanyca.org/departments/public-works.
— city of Albany
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
Free help available with Medicare plan changes for 2021
Contra Costa County’s Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) is part of the county’s Aging and Adult Services agency. HICAP is here to help you figure out how these changes affect your coverage in 2021, so that you can make informed decisions. Our website, cchicap.org, has information on how to register for free one-on-one counseling, online talks, and updated Medicare plan information. Our phone number is 925-602-4163.
— HICAP
BERKELEY
Get a kitten a day via email through the end of October
The Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society (BEBHS) has a cure for the stress and struggles of your day. This year has been tough for everyone. Why not wake up to a kitten in your email inbox every day in October?
Berkeley Humane has announced a new campaign just for fun, and it’s guaranteed to bring a smile to your face! You can now sign up to have a picture of the most adorable kitten in your inbox every day through the end of this month.
“We have been hearing for years that people come to our website just to look at cute pictures of animals to help forget about their troubles,” said BEBHS Executive Director Jeffrey Zerwekh. “When you’ve had a hard day, there is nothing like looking into the eyes of a cute kitten to bring some instant joy back into your life.”
It’s easy to get in on the fun. To sign up for the Kitten a Day Campaign mailing list, visit berkeleyhumane.org.
— BEBHS
McGee Avenue Baptist Church Extends food program
McGee Avenue Baptist Church has been in Berkeley for 102 years, organizing the community, voter registration drives, back-to-school celebrations and, perhaps most importantly, providing a free food program that has been in operation since 1982. In 2019, the food program served about 14,000 meals, and since March the church has added two evening meals, averaging about 80 extra meals a week.
The food program’s cost has been subsidized for many years by small regular grants from the city of Berkeley. The church has also received grants from the San Francisco Foundation, Seeds for Peace and the United Way as part of the McGee Center for Food, Faith & Justice nonprofit program. These grants only cover about half of the operating costs, though, of the church, which desperately needs the public’s financial support to continue its food program.
Please contribute online at givelify.com (be sure to select McGee Avenue Baptist Church of Berkeley) or mail your contributions directly to McGee Avenue Baptist Church/1640 Stuart St./Berkeley, CA 94703. For more information, contact the Rev. Michael Smith at [email protected] or 510-812-9627.
— Audrey Amos
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