Michael Swayze's Community Resources

Category: Advocacy

  • Guide to PA Mail Ballot Application

    Last month, the beginning of February actually, many voters in Philadelphia and throughout Pennsylvania received an official Pennsylvania Application for Mail-in Ballot application form. It is sent to everyone who is on the Annual Mail Ballot List from the previous year. To receive a mail-in or absentee ballot each year you must complete the application form.

    A simple way to vote by mail is to apply online, rather than completing then mailing an application form to the Board of Elections. You save time, too. It is available here.

    You may request a ballot application at any Philadelphia Satellite Election Office (SEO). They are open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm. Find all SEO locations here. The SEO for NW Philadelphia is located at 5301 Chew Avenue.

    Tips to Completing the Application

    • Have your PA driver’s license or PennDOT ID card ready
    • Include your email address and phone number, in case you must be contacted
    • Check YES to receiving the application each year
    • Record the application # that is provided upon completion
    • Print the confirmation page

    How do I apply online to vote by mail? Complete the vote by mail application.

    You can check to see if you have an approved mail ballot request.
    This web page provides you with your voting status, party affiliation, polling location, and ward and division.

    Can you check the status of your ballot application? You can track the status of your ballot online, here.

    If you provide your email address you will receive an email notification when your returned application is received and ballot returned. The ballot tracker can also provide information when the ballot itself is mailed to you.

    Remember, even if you received mail ballots last year, you must submit a new request every year.

    The websites and links mentioned in this article can be found together – all in one place – on the Philly Voter Engagement Linktree. For any questions you may have, call the Philadelphia Board of Elections at 215-686-8683.

  • Consumer Watchdog Agency Endangered

    An article appeared in yesterday’s New York Times print edition with details on how the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), created in 2011 by Congress in the aftermath of the housing crisis of the Great Recession, is being systematically attacked and dismantled. (For the NYT article by Stacy Cowley, click here.)

    A friend and subscriber send me a note to “join in taking personal action in support of reversing the potential elimination of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.” Yes, Jim D., consider it done. Below is more background information and my plan on how to combat the illegal and unconstitutional actions of Donald Trump and his team.

    In the past few days, the CFPB Director was fired, Elon Musk posted “CFPB RIP”, bureau employees were locked out of their offices, and the Project 2025 author and new Office of Management and Budget head, Russell Vought, gave unvetted DOGE employees access to CFPB data systems containing highly sensitive consumer and business information.

    The National Consumer Law Center, a leading consumer advocacy group, supplies the following:

    Financial companies have shown time and time again that they cannot police themselves. The Administration is trying to shut down an agency created by Congress to fix problems that caused over eight million people to lose their jobs and almost four million families to lose their homes during the Great Recession. The CFPB saves homes, stops fraud that ruins lives, and enforces key laws, winning $21 billion in relief for over 200 million people harmed by credit bureaus, big banks, debt collectors and predatory lenders.

    The illegal actions to shut down the CFPB halt work to safeguard people’s private information, protect bank customers when hackers raid their accounts, and help families save their homes when they’re unfairly rushed to foreclosure. The CFPB now appears poised to roll over and play dead in pending lawsuits by big banks and credit bureaus, letting them overturn new rules returning $5 billion in excessive overdraft fees to struggling families and removing medical debt from credit reports.” NCLC has joined with Democracy Forward to move to intervene in the overdraft fee litigation, and we are working to preserve the medical debt rule.

    The plan I propose includes the following:

    • Attend rallies. There is strength in numbers and you will feel part of a community.
    • Phone and email your elected officials, now. There is a list on this website of New Jersey and Pennsylvania Senators and Representative, here. For Members of Congress in the other 48 states visit https://www.congress.gov/members.
    • Contribute to organizations that support our rights and freedoms. My featured organization today is the National Consumer Law Project, a group I’ve been associated with for twenty-five years.
    • Join national, state, and particularly local political groups. My current favorites are: Indivisible, Indivisible Philadelphia, Mt. Airy Democrats, Turn PA Blue, and Vote the Ridge to name just a few.
    • Vote every election, twice a year.
    • Do something.

  • Major Enhancements to Energy Safety Net

    In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, federal and state officials have greatly increased the energy safety net. New Jersey has vastly expanded who will qualify for state energy programs.

    The purpose of this article is to detail the many changes for energy assistance in New Jersey. There are a number of very good websites, see below, with detailed information on energy aid, but none drive home the changes of a changed landscape, all done in an effort to help as many New Jersey families as possible.

    Major changes to the energy safety net include:

    • Increasing the LIHEAP income limits so more will qualify. Effective October 1, 2021, the monthly income limits for a household of four is $6,439. Last heating season, the limit for a family of four was only $4,039 per month.
    • Increasing Universal Service Fund (USF) income limits from 185% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) to 400% FPL. For example, last year the gross income limit -pretax dollars – for a household of four was $4,039 per month. Effective October 1,2021, a family of four could qualify will a month income of $8,833. A family of four could now qualify with a yearly income of $106,000.
    • The Lifeline Utility Assistance program will increase its income limits starting January, 2022 by $10,000. This is a state program for seniors and the disabled to assist with electric and gas. The income limit in 2022 will be $38,769 for a single person and $45,270, for a couple.
    • Governor Murphy announced in June a six-month grace period on utility shutoffs until December 31, 2021. The purpose of the grace period, as the extended shutoff moratorium had ended, was for “allowing a reasonable period of time during which individuals are protected while they try to address arrearages, including by applying to utility assistance programs.” The complete text appears in his Executive Order No. 246. Take the opportunity to apply for energy safety net programs in these next few months.
    • An updated Bill of Rights has been established by the Board of Public Utilities for all utility customers. Some of the changes will expire December 31, 2021.
    • Changes to the USF program which provides monthly credits to utility bills by: 1) increasing the maximum monthly credit from $150 to $180; 2) reducing the “energy affordability threshold” previously referred to as the “energy burden” so additional households qualify. For details, see Board of Public Utilities’ June 24, 2021 press release.
    • Modifying the Fresh Start component of the USF program, so any customer with an overdue balance of $60 or more will be enrolled in this arrearage forgiveness program. Customers who pay their entire bill for a twelve month period will have their arrears entirely forgiven. (Return to normal USF and Fresh Start requirements will resume October 1, 2023.) Fresh Start is administered by the utility companies which send out letters of acceptance into the program. Contact your utility company for details.
    • DCAid is an online screening tool to check to see what benefits you may qualify for. You could then complete an online application, using their USF/LIHEAP Online Application Portal.

    Other valuable energy assistance pages are: my NJ Energy Programs page, including an income guidelines chart of six energy assistance programs; the Utility Assistance Programs page of NJ 2-1-1 Partnership; and the Utility Assistance Programs page of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.

    The energy safety net has been greatly enhanced. Take advantage of the opportunity.