MCDC 2025 COUNTY DESIGNATING CONVENTION RESULTS

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(Rochester, NY) – The Monroe County Democratic Committee (MCDC) concluded the candidate designation process with its 2025 County Designating Convention on Saturday, February 8, at East High School.

MCDC’s designation process allows its nearly 1,500 elected members on 29 City and Town committees to vote on the party’s endorsed candidates. The process took place over 40 days preceding the Convention, when all local committees hosted designation meetings to nominate and endorse candidates for county, city, and local offices. 

Multiple rounds of voting are possible throughout MCDC’s designation process. Round one consisted of individual committee caucus votes, reported by the leader of each committee. Any candidate who received 50% on this initial ballot was designated. When a position did not have a candidate reach 50%, additional rounds of voting were held, where leaders cast a vote on behalf of their entire committee at their discretion. 

“MCDC is proud to endorse over 55 candidates for local office this year,” said MCDC Chairman Stephen DeVay. “By running for local office, candidates are taking a direct role in building our party and our community. We are living in turbulent times, and by running for office, we build a foundation for progressive ideals and democratic values. We work to ensure that local governments exist to serve their communities, and not the MAGA-style politics we are seeing in D.C. We fight for our local towns, villages, counties and cities – not just to yell into a void, but to work across the board to protect our community, fight for our values, and to do the hard work of governing to ensure we have a future to build toward. 

“I am proud to stand as MCDC Chairman, and with these candidates, as we work to build a stronger Monroe County. Thank you to everyone who is willing to serve in public office. Congratulations to all!”

MCDC’s list of 2025 designated candidates is attached. 

021125 – MCDC 2025 Convention ResultsDownload

Monroe County Board of Elections Announces New Voting Machines

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Rochester, NY — The Monroe County Board of Elections is proud to announce the acquisition of new voting technology from Election Systems & Software (ES&S). Beginning in 2025, Monroe County voters will use the state-of-the-art ExpressVote XL machines, which are designed to enhance voter accessibility, security, and efficiency.

The ExpressVote XL machines feature:

  • Voter-Verifiable Paper Records: Each voter will see their printed ballot with the summary of their selections, ensuring transparency and enabling post-election audits.
  • Enhanced Accessibility: The machines accommodate all voters through touch screens, audio interfaces, and compatibility with assistive devices for independent voting.
  • Advanced Security Measures: Rigorous security protocols protect against potential threats, ensuring election integrity.

“After several years of research, demonstrations, and feedback from stakeholders and current users, we are excited about the selection and propelling Monroe County forward to modernizing and enhancing the voter experience,” said Commissioner Ortiz. 

“The Board is dedicated to ensure that voters have every opportunity to familiarize themselves with the new ExpressVote XL voting machine by offering demonstrations at meetings, community groups and larger gatherings,” said Commissioner Elder.

The Board will host a series of public demonstrations and training sessions leading up to the 2025 elections. Residents will have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the new machines and learn about the voting process.

The Monroe County Board of Elections invites the public to attend these sessions and encourages continued voter participation and engagement.

For more information about the ExpressVote XL machines and upcoming events, please visit www.monroecounty.gov/elections or contact the Monroe County Board of Elections.  

Hello! Happy New Year!

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It is my distinct honor to continue serving as your Monroe County Legislator, and this marks the start of my fourth year in office. I will continue to serve as Chair of Environment and Public Works, Vice Chair of Transportation, and as a member of the Public Safety Committees. In addition, I am on the board of the County’s Environmental Management Council.

For the third consecutive year, we adopted the Monroe County budget unanimously.  You can find the 2025 budget here. In particular, I was glad to see County Executive Bello reauthorize $1 million for implementation of Phase I of the Climate Action Plan and add a staff position to the Office of Environmental Quality that oversees that effort; add a staff position to the Department of Transportation to assist in the implementation of the Active Transportation Plan; and offer a pilot program to incentivize schools to begin composting programs.

Other County Legislature actions included:

  • Accepted a Grant from the New York State Department of Health for the High Impact Prevention and Services that Address Social Determinants of Health and Reduce Health Disparities within Communities of Color, specifically for HIV/STD/HCV interventions and services; and 
  • Accepted a Grant from the US Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance for the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program
  • Appointed Raymond Reyerse Jr to the County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency (COMIDA)

UpcomingEvents:

Let Freedom Ring: January 20 10:30a-1p
Ingle Auditorium RIT
Join RIT for their 8th annual Let Freedom Ring, featuring keynote speaker Irshad Altheimer! There will also be a performance by Pianist Angela Nkugwa. Don’t miss this incredible collaboration of local talent as they bring the Let Freedom Ring celebration to life with a performance that is sure to inspire and move you.

MLK Day 2025: 40th Anniversary: January 20 9a-11a
Eastman Theatre, 26 Gibbs Street
Enjoy the 40th Annual MLK Day Celebration in Rochester with a rousing worship service with the MLK Community Choir and hear from Pastor Sebrone Johnson of Greater Harvest Church.

Winter Job Fair: January 23 10a-Noon
450 Skyview Centre Pkwy
RochesterWorks, in partnership with the Irondequoit Chamber of Commerce, will bring over 20 businesses on-site to recruit for jobs across all skill and experience levels,

Winterfest: Saturday, January 25th 2025 – 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Bring the whole family and come on out to Mendon Ponds Park for a FREE, fun-filled, action-packed day, brought to you by County Executive Adam J. Bello, and the Monroe County Department of Parks!
NEW THIS YEAR: Winterfest 2025 will begin with a 5k run presented by YellowJacket Racing. The first annual Hot Cocoa 5k and kids race will kick off at 10am with the award ceremony beginning at 11am. 
https://www.monroecounty.gov/parks-winterfest

—

Susan Hughes-Smith

~ Monroe County Legislature LD 14

Local Food Drive

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Date: November 23 and December 7
Place: Mendon Meadows and Honeoye Falls
Shopping Plaza.
Time: 10:00-2:00
FISH needs the following items:

Canned Tuna white rice
Canned Garbanzo Beans Flour
Canned Kidney Beans Sugar
Canned Vegetables Vegetable oil
Canned Fruit Spaghetti
Jam Spaghetti Sauce
Juice
Vegetable Soup (canned or dried soup in a bag)
Canned Meaty Soup Gift Certificates from local grocery stores
Canned Ravioli

A community service project sponsored by The Mendon Democratic Committee.

Accessibility.

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As noted by Heather Cox Richardson, whose Substack, “Letters From An American” is a daily must-read:

“A reader called to my attention that the recent Federal Election Commission filings showed one significant difference in the expenditures of the two presidential campaigns. The Harris campaign spent $34,550.02 on sign language interpreting services. The Trump campaign spent $0.00. “

It’s all in the details, isn’t it?

It’s Go Time – Early Voting Starts Today!

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WHY WAIT? VOTE EARLY!
Early Voting for the General Election started this morning – Saturday, October 26, 2024 – and runs through Sunday, November 3, 2024. Election Day is Tuesday, November 5, 2024.
This year, Monroe County offers 17 Early Voting sites – CLICK HERE for an interactive map to locate your closest site.Vote at ANY locationVote in EVERY electionVote DEMOCRATICVote ROW AAnd – after you VOTE ROW A ALL THE WAY, flip your ballot over and VOTE YES ON PROP 1! Need more info? Visit monroecounty.gov/elections to see a sample ballot or monroedemocrats.com/2024-candidates for info on all Democratic candidates. The stakes have never been higher so please make sure you have a plan to vote. And if you need help getting to the polls and/or have a problem at the polls, call our office – 585.232.2410 – we’re ready to help. Thanks for voting!
 
HELP GET DEMOCRATS ELECTED COUNTYWIDE
The enthusiasm for our ticket is amazing, but there’s still a lot to do between now and Election Day to return our candidates to D.C., to Albany, and to work right here in Monroe County. We can’t do it alone, though, so please join us in our final push to get our amazing slate of Democrats elected. CLICK HERE TODAY to volunteer. And THANK YOU from MCDC and our candidates to everyone making phone calls, canvassing door-to-door, dropping lit, and more. We could not have done any of this without you!
 
GOTV RALLY
Save the date for our 2024 GOTV Rally at 10am, Saturday, November 2 at Monroe County Democratic Committee headquarters. Watch your email for details early next week.

Canvassing Time!

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Congressman Joe Morelle was out Saturday morning to rally the troops, as Mendon Democrats went door-knocking for Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Tim Walz, as well as for candidates all up and down the ballot. Morelle emphasized the importance of getting the word out by canvassing, stating that the personal approach of knocking on doors was where victory lies. Mendon Democrats reported generally good reception from folks, eager to support the ticket.