It's Time to Vote!
Voting is our highest civic honor and duty.

Make yourself a plan to vote if you haven't and help any of your family or friends that might need a little assistance or encouragement.

Tomorrow, Saturday, October 31st is the last day to early vote, the polls will be open until 3 p.m. If you or anybody you're assisting haven't yet registered, tomorrow is the last opportunity to register and to vote.

Tuesday, November 3rd is Election Day. If you are registered to vote, you can vote at your home precinct then. To learn more about voting check out Newsletter 56 or look below for Election Day information.

Know Your Polling Place:
To find your polling place, use the link here. Once you've found your polling place, all you have left to do is be sure you're registered and to vote.

Polling places are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. Any voter in line at 7:30 p.m. will be able to vote. The busiest times tend to be early in the morning and just before the polls close.
District 119's Boards of Elections:

Haywood: 63 Elmwood Way - Suite A,
Waynesville, NC 28786
Phone: 828-452-6633 - 828-452-6750 (fax)

Jackson: 876 Skyland Dr.,
Sylva, NC 28779
Phone: 828-586-7538 - 828-586-1951 (fax)

Swain: PO Box 133
Bryson City, NC 28713
Phone: 828-488-6177 - 828-488-6463 (fax)
Polling Places Will Be Safe
Significant precautions will be made to protect voters and election workers against the transmission of COVID-19. These include:

  • Enforcing social distancing at polling places and Early Voting sites
  • Providing hand sanitizer and masks for voters and election workers who do not bring their own.
  • Providing gloves and face shields for election workers.
  • Erecting barriers between election workers and voters at check-in tables.
  • Providing single-use pens in counties that use hand-marked paper ballots and Q-tips for voters who use ballot-marking devices.
  • Frequently cleaning surfaces and equipment in polling places and Early Voting sites.
  • Recruiting poll workers who are less vulnerable to the virus.

For more information on how COVID-19 may impact your voting experience, visit the NC Voting and Coronavirus page.
Meet Caroline Glee Queen
My son Charlie and his beautiful wife Allison brought our newest addition to the Queen family into the world last weekend. I want you to meet Caroline Glee Queen. Everyone is healthy and thriving. What a wonderful blessing... joy to the world.
Gov. Coopers Rent Assistance Program
This week Governor Roy Cooper issued Executive Order No. 171 to strengthen eviction protections to help North Carolina renters stay in their homes. With COVID-19 case counts increasing and many people continuing to work and learn remotely, preventing evictions is critical to the state’s fight against this virus. Read more here.

In addition to the eviction moratorium, The Housing Opportunities and Prevention of Evictions (HOPE) Program presents a new statewide initiative that may provide rent and utility assistance to eligible low- and moderate-income renters experiencing financial hardship due to the economic effects of COVID-19. To learn more call NC 211 or visit their website.
Staying Safe on Halloween
Many traditional Halloween activities can be high-risk for spreading viruses. There are several safer, alternative ways to participate in Halloween. Check out these resources to learn more:


If you choose to celebrate, here are some tips:

  • Before children begin their trick-or-treat rounds, parents should:
  • Plan and discuss a safe route and establish a return time. Instruct your children to travel only in familiar areas and along the established route.
  • Make sure that an adult or an older responsible youth will be supervising the outing for children under age 12.
  • Make sure your child carries a flashlight, glow stick or has reflective tape on their costume to make them more visible to cars.
  • Let children know that they should stay together as a group if going out to trick-or-treat without an adult.
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Joe Sam's Notes
I have pushed all session to Expand Medicaid but even in the middle of a pandemic and healthcare crisis this Republican Leadership would not even honor their promise to bring it to the House Floor for a vote.

I have pushed all session, in the middle of our state's worst unemployment crisis in history to restore our citizen's unemployment benefits. Those benefits were slashed to the worst in the nation when Thom Tillis was speaker. But the Republican leadership would not let our efforts be heard, let alone voted on.

I have pushed all session for the NC Fiber Bill, so that North Carolina's Counties and Municipal Governments could help expand broadband in their communities. This in a pandemic era that has made working and schooling from home via the internet a necessity. And even though we had 70 sponsors for the bill, more than the majority needed, the Republican Leadership would not let our bill come to the floor for a vote.

Now it's time for you, the voters, to weigh in.

Vote like it matters, because it does.
Until we speak again, stay safe. If you or a loved one is concerned about your health, the numbers for each of District 119's Health Departments are listed below:

Haywood - (828) 452-6620
Jackson - (828) 586-8994
Swain - (828) 488-3198

Sincerely,
Please share this with your friends!

P.S. check out our legislative web page at www.joesamqueennc.com. You can find all of my previous newsletters and more!