A Flatbush Jewish Community Coalition voter registration campaign has had thousands of local residents signing up to vote, part of a massive movement to have our community’s voice heard on Election Day.

Since launching its voter registration drive two months ago, FJCC staff and volunteers have been hard at work visiting shuls, yeshivos, and Bais Yaakovs, signing up as many eligible voters as possible. Tens of thousands of emails and messages have been sent out to the local community and beyond by the more than 150 Flatbush mosdos that are participating in the united FJCC initiative, emphasizing the importance of being able to vote.

“We are building a more robust, reliable and loyal voter base for this and future elections,” explained FJCC chairman Josh Mehlman.  “We need everyone to vote on Election Day, but if you aren’t registered, you can’t vote.”

Elected officials have taken notice of the campaign, describing the unprecedented success of signing up significant numbers of new voters in the southern portion of Brooklyn as a potential game changer in city, state, and local elections.

In the last two weeks alone, FJCC registered over 900 bais medrash and kollel students, further boosting the total number of voters signed up in a campaign whose participating yeshivos include Ateret Torah, Chaim Berlin, Cheder, Derech Chaim, Hechal Shemuel, Mir, Ohr Yisroel, Ohr Yitzchok, Per Hatorah, Shaarei Torah, Tiferes Yisroel, Toras Emes Kaminetz, Torah Temimah, Torah Vodaath, Veretzky, Vyelipol, YDE and Yeshiva of Brooklyn, among others.

In each of the places they have visited, FJCC staff and volunteers have been gratified to see the number of young people who were already registered to vote, with many signing up through previous FJCC voter registration drives.

“It is refreshing to see the emphasis on civic responsibility in our community, with parents, schools and shuls all teaching the next generation about the importance of being involved in our democratic process,” noted Chaim Loeb, who helped coordinate the effort which included FJCC staff and volunteers Isaac Afrouz, Eli Baraka, Yossi Beckerman, Reuven Eisenberg, Yaakov Gelb, YY Glassman, Avraham Haber, Rabbi Chaim Heller, Jack Kaplan, Rabbi Avrohom Kunstlinger, Chezky Mayer, Dr. Shloimy Mermelstein, Dovid Sandhaus, Joshua Solomonov, Pinny Yarmark, Rabbi Yoni Zakutinsky and Chaim Zidele among others. 

Representing over 250 shuls and yeshivos in New York City’s largest Jewish community, both geographically and demographically, FJCC has been receiving unprecedented access and support from Roshei Yeshiva in all segments of the community.  In recent weeks, FJCC has further cemented its role as a unifying force, one that represents the interests of every segment of Flatbush’s diverse Jewish community.

Voters can register with the Board of Elections at  https://e-register.vote.nyc/ through October 25th, with absentee ballots available at  https://requestballot.vote.nyc/absentee.  Those who are unsure if they are registered to vote can check their status at  https://vote.nyc/page/am-i-registered.

Election Day is on November 4th, but voters can also take advantage of early voting, which begins on October 25th and runs through November 2nd.