Freedom Summer & 716 Votes!

Freedom Summer

Freedom Summer pays homage to the ancestors, organizers, freedom fighters and organizations who created the first Freedom Summer in 1964. It is because of their passion, brilliance and resilience that we are able to do the work we are doing today.  

With your support we hope to empower residents in Western New York with knowledge of the history of the original Freedom Summer; register and engage with voters; and work on winning the “John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act” on a national level. We plan to change the relationship our community has with (the too often unrealized) impact, power and change that is held within each and every one of our votes.

Fannie Lou Hamer

The original Freedom Summer was organized in part by a fearless voting rights leader named Fannie Lou Hamer. Hamer was a sharecropper from Mississippi who took action so that Black folks might be seen as first-class citizens and be able to vote without restrictions or penance.

In 1962, Hamer and the others marched to the county courthouse in Indianola to register to vote. They were faced with a literacy test. On their way back home after the test, they were held up by police. The bus driver was charged with driving a bus with the wrong color. When she got back, the plantation owner fired Hamer, upset that she had tried to register to vote. Her words were, “I didn’t register for you, I registered for me.”

Hamer and others were targeted because of their efforts to be able to vote without restrictions or barriers. They persevered despite unjust  incarceration, brutal beatings, and other state-sponsored indignities. Hamer spoke at the 1964 Democratic convention in Mississippi, revealing the ugly truth of what they endured.

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716 Votes!

716 Votes! is our civic initiative at Open Buffalo to engage, educate and activate people of color, young adults (ages 16 to 25), and other under-represented groups, to increase voter registration and participation in the upcoming election and beyond. We are building a lasting community capacity for systemic change, both during and outside of election seasons. 716 Votes! is rooted in empowerment, training and leadership. Our objective is to help individuals heal from community traumas, and then teach them how to become advocates for racial equity, social justice, and policy change.

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How to Get Involved

Sign up to volunteer in our upcoming voter education and engagement initiatives. (We'll train you!)

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Voter Resources and Information

• Calendar: 2023 Political Calendar (ny.gov)
• How to Register to Vote: Voter Registration - Erie County Board of Election
• Time Off to Vote Notice 2020 (ny.gov)
• Notice of Felon Registration Rights (ny.gov)
• Notice on Felon Registration (ny.gov)
• Erie County Offices to be elected
• Niagara County Offices to be elected
• To check your voter registration status, and more, click here: Voter Information

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Important Dates/Deadlines

June 17, 2023 - Last day to register for Primary Election. 

June 17 - June 25, 2023 - Early voting dates for Primary Election

**It is highly recommended that although the deadline is June 13 for an absentee ballot application to be received by the Board of Elections, the request should be submitted as soon as possible - the earlier the better.

AND, a first-class $.55 stamp is REQUIRED to mail your ballot to the Board of Elections.   

• Review the  ABSENTEE BALLOT PRINTABLE APPLICATION & GUIDELINES and confirm that you meet the eligibility requirements for voting absentee
• Fill out the application completely or complete online ONLINE ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATION
• Submit the request to your local election office (or complete online). You should request your ballot as far in advance of the election as possible. The deadline to request a ballot by mail is (received by) Monday June 12, 2023
• When your ballot arrives, read it carefully and follow the instructions to complete it and return it as soon as possible.

June 27th, 2023 – Primary Election Day (Last day to postmark Election ballot and/or deliver primary ballot)

September 26th, 2023 - National Voter Registration Day 

October 6th, 2023 - Intergenerational Conversation series Finale (Fannie Lou Hamer’s Birthday)

October 28th, 2023 – Last day to register for General Election

October 28th – November 5th, 2023 - Early voting dates for General Election 

**It is highly recommended that although the deadline is October 24 for an absentee ballot application to be received by the Board of Elections, the request should be submitted as soon as possible - the earlier the better.

AND, a first-class $.55 stamp is REQUIRED to mail your ballot to the Board of Elections. 

• Review the ABSENTEE BALLOT PRINTABLE APPLICATION & GUIDELINES and confirm that you meet the eligibility requirements for voting absentee
• Fill out the application completely or complete online ONLINE ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATION
• Submit the request to your local election office (or complete online). You should request your ballot as far in advance of the election as possible. The deadline to request a ballot by mail is (received by) Monday October 23, 2023
• When your ballot arrives, read it carefully and follow the instructions to complete it and return it as soon as possible. 

November 7th, 2023 – General Election Day (Last day to postmark Election ballot and/or deliver primary ballot) 
  
All polling sites in Erie & Niagara County will be open for in-person voting from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

Niagara County Polling location information: Voter Information Center (ntsdata.com)

Erie County Polling location information: Voter Search - Erie County Board of Elections

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Other Voting Facts:

• The age range of 18-29 only counts for 15% of the voting population
• From 2021 to 2022 there was a 10% increase in inactive voters
• Open Buffalo serves in:  
  • N.Y. Assembly District 141 (asm141.pdf (state.ny.us)) 
  • N.Y. Senate District 63 (SEN-buffalo.pdf (state.ny.us)) 
  • U.S. Congressional District 26 (con026.pdf (state.ny.us)) 
• In the 2017 city and county election, only 10% of youth ages 18 to 30 turned out to vote. 
• In the 2016 presidential election, youth turnout was just 43%.