ORDINANCE NO. 240688
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Sponsor: Mayor Pro Tem Ryana Parks-Shaw
Directing the City Manager to establish a civic program ("Vote Your Voice KC") and partner with community centers and to promote voter registration and promote voter participation; reducing the Contingent Appropriation in the General Fund by $1,000.00 and appropriating $1,000.00 from the Unappropriated Fund Balance of the General Fund; and recognizing this ordinance as having an accelerated effective date.
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WHEREAS, the participation of citizens in the democratic process is essential for a healthy and vibrant democracy, and increasing voter registration is critical to ensuring equitable representation; and
WHEREAS, per Section 2-1104 of the City code, employees may be granted eight hours of election worker leave to volunteer at any general, primary, general municipal, or special election; and
WHEREAS, Kansas City community centers serve as trusted and accessible hubs for community engagement, education, and outreach, making them ideal partners in fostering civic participation and voter registration efforts; and
WHEREAS, the Greater Kansas City National Pan-Hellenic Council consisting of the local chapters of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. ("The Divine Nine"), and Mattie Rhodes Center have expressed interest in volunteering to help the City achieve the goals of this initiative; and
WHEREAS, collaborative initiatives between these organizations can leverage their unique strengths, resources, and networks to create voter registration pods that effectively reach and empower individuals, particularly those in historically marginalized communities; and
WHEREAS, ...
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