To celebrate 100 years of women’s right to vote, the Montgomery County Commission for Women is
hosting a Virtual Commemoration of Suffrage. Dr. DeRionne Pollard (Montgomery College President) and Dr. Robyn Muncy (Professor of History, University of Maryland) will speak on Wednesday, August 19th at 7pm. To learn more and RSVP, please visit the
Commission’s Facebook Page.
Fixing the Governor’s Disastrous Election Plan
Our State Elections Board had a creative, bipartisan idea to utilize many of the State’s 282 public high schools as voting centers on Election Day. Governor Hogan, who had proposed an unrealistic plan for November, accepted their unanimous recommendation.
Local election officials continue to emphasize the
need for more election judges. Please consider serving your community through this PAID position. This is especially urgent as Early Voting has been extended and will run from October 26th through November 2nd.
Although voters can choose from any location in the County, it is preferable that you send your ballot by mail. To request one:
- Visit the Voter Registration and Mail-in Ballot Request page on the Maryland State Board of Elections website.
- In Step 9, the “Mail-in Ballot Request”, choose “I would like to receive a mail-in ballot.”
- Under delivery type, select “in the mail.” Internet delivery works best for overseas voters and those with disabilities. These ballots are more expensive for voters and local election officials. They require a bipartisan team to hand-copy your choices before your ballot can be scanned.

Debating the Idea of a Special Session
You may have heard that some have
suggested that the legislature convene before January. They think it’s a magical solution to address many of our urgent policy challenges. Although it is superficially appealing, it’s not that simple. Even if we could gather safely, it is likely that Republican Governor Hogan would veto any legislation we were to approve. By the time we were to override his vetoes, it could nearly be January.
Instead, legislators are holding hearings and working behind the scenes. My staff continues to help with unemployment insurance and other constituent challenges as I prepare meaningful legislation; advocate for important election reform; expand access to telehealth; and provide support for nonprofits, local governments, and small businesses.
Toasting to Peace
In memory of Mattie J.T. Stepanek and his hope for a better world, a #Toast2Peace will be held on Saturday, August 22nd at 5pm. As a supporter of
Peace Day, I am proud to be the “Toastmaster” for this event. If you’d like to join us online,
please register here.
If you enjoy my weekly updates, please consider following me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for photos and posts. If you have any questions or comments, send me an email!
Best,
Cheryl
Cheryl C. Kagan
State Senator, District 17
(Gaithersburg & Rockville)
PS: Do you know a college or graduate student who would like some legislative experience while they take online classes this Fall? Please check out the
internship page on my website!