March 14, 2020
Democratic Headquarters
71 South Dixie Highway, Suite 6 
St. Augustine, FL 32084  
Telephone: 904-825-2336

PLEASE NOTE:  
THE DEMOCRATIC OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED FOR 
THIS COMING WEEK AND PERHAPS LONGER.  
ALL ACTIVITIES/TRAININGS/BLUE BAG LUNCHES  
PLANNED AT THE OFFICE WILL BE POSTPONED.

In the event you need access to the office or have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact: 

Democratic Party Chair Nell Toensmann 
at 904-484-4960 or [email protected]     or
 
Democratic Party Vice Chair John Pilecki 
at 215-896-8656 or [email protected].

If you have any completed voter registration forms, contact Mike Spaid at 904-806-7060 or [email protected] in order for him to return them to the Supervisor of Elections Office in a timely manner.

Cancellations in St. Johns County and Beyond
On Friday, March 13, the President declared a National Emergency due to the 
The Covid-19 Virus and Governor Ron DeSantis has done the same.  Congress has passed a bill which should provide additional assistance to those directly impacted by this virus.  

The virus is also having a daily impact to us in St. Johns and the surrounding counties.  

Some of the known cancellations include the following:

All Florida public schools expected to close through March 30   (St. Johns County Public Schools just began spring break and will be closed for an additional week.)

The Players Golf Tournament (cancelled after the first day)
The Masters Golf Tournament (postponed to a later date)
The Celtic Festival and Parade - March 13-15
The Seafood Festival - March 20-22
The Rhythm and Ribs Festival - March 27-29
The First Coast Opera production of "The Little Prince" - March 21-22
The Play "Hamilton" in Jacksonville
The Weekly Farmer's Market at the AMP - March 14, 21
The Tuesday Night Market at the AMP - March 24
Concerts at the AMP and the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall through April 1.
Some church services will be cancelled.  Others are requesting that parishioners following practical guidelines.
St. Augustine Film Festival films scheduled for March 18 and 31.
Lee Weaver presents "The Secret" on March 15.

And don't forget all the sports events that have been cancelled or postponed!

The Florida Democratic Party has also cancelled several events, including:
The DCCA Retreat, scheduled for March 27-29 in Jacksonville and
The Fight for Healthcare Tour this week.

There are some events that will still take place.  But w e can assume that more cancellations will be taking place in the coming days and throughout March.

INFORMATON ABOUT COVID-19
Important Information from Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg

More cases of the coronavirus are now being confirmed in the US, including some in Florida. It's important to stay calm, avoid panicking, and prepare appropriately. 

Click here  for the latest information from the CDC,  and 

click here  for the latest information from the Florida Department of Health.

I also want to touch base about an unfortunate consequence of this outbreak: price gouging. As Forbes reported, sellers on Amazon have increased prices of hygiene products like hand sanitizer, alcohol pads, and rubbing alcohol.

We've seen reports of this issue in brick and mortar stores, too. Over the weekend, New York City fined a hardware store for driving up prices of disinfectants.

Since the Governor has declared a State of Emergency, the Florida Attorney General's price gouging hotline is live. To report suspected price-gouging, please call 1-866-9-NO-SCAM (866-966-7226) or   click here.

Consumer protection has always been one of my top priorities. As a State Senator, I created a Consumer Protection Initiative in my office, and as Assistant Attorney General, I fought deceptive and unfair trade practices in the economic crimes division. 

This is a time for us to come together to promote the health and safety of our communities, not jeopardize public health for personal gain. Let's continue to look out for each other, especially in a time of declared emergency.  

Democratic Voter Turnout as of Saturday, March 14 at 1:20 PM
Democratic Vote By Mail Ballots Returned:  6,771
Democratic Early Voting for first two days:  6,750

Votes to Date: Total: 13,521 our of 49,325 Registered Democrats.

Ongoing and updated information on voter turnout at the 
Supervisor of Elections website here:  https://www.votesjc.com/

 
Only Two Viable Candidates of the 16 listed on the Democratic Ballot!
Joe Biden

Bernie Sanders

Don't Forget to Vote!
Presidential Preference Primary
Tuesday, March 17, 2020, 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Only in your Precinct

Last Day of Early voting 
Saturday, March 14 at 6:00 PM

Read the March 5 Newsletter here with information about the Presidential Preference Primary.

You can go to the My Voter link on the Supervisor of Elections website above to see if your Vote by Mail Ballot has been received and to find your polling location.


Democratic Debate this Weekend

CNN Democratic Debate Sunday, March 15

Debate Candidates
This show will be pretty sparse, with just two candidates on stage:
  • Former Vice President Joe Biden
  • Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders
CNN/Univision Democratic Debate (11th Debate)
Date:  Sunday, March 15, 2020
Time:  8 pm ET
Location:  CNN studio in Washington, DC (new location)
Sponsors:  CNN, Univision, CHC BOLD
Moderators:  Dana Bash, Jake Tapper, Ilia Calderón

How to Watch 
On TV - - The debate will air on CNN, CNN en Español, CNN International, and Univision
Online - The debate will air on  CNN.com without requiring a cable or satellite subscription to view
Streaming - CNN's apps for iOS and Android, and via CNNgo apps for Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, Chromecast, and Android TV, as well as Univision's digital properties


Upcoming March Events
Indivisible St. Johns Week of March 15 Newsletter

Read the latest Indivisible St. Johns Newsletter here.  

Politics Anyone?
Weekly Wednesday Blue Bag Lunch
Which normally meets Every Wednesday
12:00 - 1:30 PM
Democratic Headquarters
71 South Dixie Highway, Suite 6

Cancelled through the Month of March

Is also known as Vote Builder and is our access to the voter registration data base.
VAN Training and Volunteer Opportunities

Will not take place at Democratic Headquarters during the month of March. 

We can do a VAN training over the phone in order to get our volunteers set up to use the Virtual Phone Bank in order to make telephone calls.  If interested, call Diane Abell at 904-827-3456 or email her at: [email protected].

Voter Registration Training and Outreach 
Wednesday, April 1
2:00 PM
71 South Dixie Highway, Suite 6
St. Augustine

Or by appointment.

Mike Spaid will be conducting the next Voter Registration training sessions at Democratic Headquarters on Wednesday, April 1 at 2:00 PM.  You can sign up on the link below:


Contact Mike if you would like to schedule another time that may be more convenient.

The Farmer's Market at the AMP has been cancelled through March
If you are interested in assisting Mike with Voter Registration efforts at the weekly Saturday morning Farmer's Market at the Amp or other locations beginning in April, please contact him at 904-806-7060, [email protected]. 

Northwest United for Progress Democratic Club

Cancelled
Election Day - St. Patrick's Day Celebration
Tuesday, March 17, 5:30 PM
VITO'S ITALIAN RESTAURANTE

For more information about the Northwest Club and their activities, contact Club President Rick Chapman at [email protected] or 904-217-3994.

Ponte Vedra Democratic Club 
Election Night Party
Tuesday, March 17  
7:00 p.m.
Coastal Oaks Clubhouse 
600 Bluewater Drive
Ponte Vedra

Jan Kary has advised us that this event will take place.

Join members and guests of the Ponte Vedra Democratic Club as we celebrate with our Blue Wave Coalition friends and neighbors for an election night - and St. Patrick's Day - PARTY. We all hope the "luck of the Irish" will be a blessing for the November election. Please bring an appetizer and/or beverage of your choice to share. Let the Coastal Oaks gate guard know you're coming to the party at the clubhouse. 

For more information, contact Ponte Vedra Vice President Jan Kary at [email protected] or 202.438-6750.

8th Intergenerational Session will address
the 2020 Election
Thursday, April 9
Cancelled

Some Important Links
 Read Previous Emails Here    Click Here to Volunteer        How to Vote by Mail
Contributions can be Made Online Here
Or by check payable to SJC DEC and sent to Democratic Headquarters.
Please Note: Contributions to Political Parties are not tax-deductible.

If you have information for the St. Johns Democratic newsletter, 
please send it to:  [email protected]

For more information contact:
St. Johns County Democratic Party | 904-825-2336 | 
 
71 South Dixie Highway, Suite 6
St. Augustine, FL 32084

The Office is open Monday to Friday 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM
and is often closed on Public Holidays.





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