agosto 2020 – Página 116

Labor Attorneys, Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, File Lawsuit Against AxleHire, Inc., for Allegedly Failing to Pay Accurate Wages

ALAMEDA, Calif., Aug. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — The San Francisco employment law attorneys, at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, filed a class action complaint alleging that AxleHire, Inc. failed to provide their California employees with accurate wages. The AxleHire, Inc. class action lawsuit, Case No. RG20067350, is currently pending in the Alameda Superior Court of the State of California. A copy of the Complaint can be read here.

According to the lawsuit filed in the Alameda Superior Court, AxleHire, Inc., committed acts of unfair competition in violation of the California Unfair Competition Law, Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 17200, et seq. (the «UCL»), by «engaging in a company-wide policy, practice and procedure which failed to correctly classify PLAINTIFF and the CALIFORNIA CLASS Members as employees.»

Additionally, the lawsuit alleges DEFENDANT failed to reimburse employees for required business expenses. Cal. Lab. Code § 2802 expressly states that «an employer shall indemnify his or her employee for all necessary expenditures or losses incurred by the employee in direct consequence of the discharge of his or her duties.»

If you would like to know more about the AxleHire, Inc. lawsuit, please contact Attorney Nicholas J. De Blouw today by calling (800) 568-8020.

Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP is an employment law firm with offices located in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside and Chicago that dedicates its practice to helping employees, investors and consumers fight back against unfair business practices, including violations of the California Labor Code and Fair Labor Standards Act. If you need help in collecting unpaid overtime wages, unpaid commissions, being wrongfully terminated from work, and other employment law claims, contact one of their attorneys today.

***THIS IS AN ATTORNEY ADVERTISEMENT***

SOURCE Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP

Three Phoenix Union High School District Schools To Soar With New Athletic Fields By Hellas Construction

PHOENIX, Aug. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Phoenix Union High School District has selected Hellas Construction, the Official Artificial Turf Provider of the Las Vegas Raiders, to build the first three of 10 new synthetic turf fields for the district. Work will begin soon at Cesar Chavez, Central, and Alhambra High Schools.

Phoenix Union High School District serves more than 27,000 students across 17 high schools, covering a 220 square mile area. As such, it is one of the largest secondary…

Phoenix Union High School District serves more than 27,000 students across 17 high schools, covering a 220 square mile area. As such, it is one of the largest secondary school districts in the nation.

Hellas Construction, headquartered in Austin, TX, is the nation’s largest sports contractor and operates a local office in Glendale, AZ. The Glendale office employs its own crews and equipment to construct athletic fields, tracks, and courts for K-12 and collegiate clients across the state.

Reed J. Seaton, Hellas Construction’s President and CEO, said, «Hellas has seen tremendous growth in Arizona, as we see growing, vibrant school districts opt to choose to build high-caliber athletic facilities that support the communities they serve. We’re proud to partner with Phoenix Union High School District.»

The fields at Cesar Chavez, Central, and Alhambra will share identical synthetic turf systems. The Matrix Helix™ fields will be installed over Cushdrain® elastic layer systems. This system is a paved-in-place rubber padding system that provides consistent, predictable shock absorption and player protection over the course of three to four field lifecycles.

The Matrix Helix™ synthetic turf system incorporates the patent-pending Helix technology, which curls the fibers during manufacturing to deliver memory and tenacity to the turf system, allowing them to spring upright after use and secure the infill. The Matrix Helix system offers a uniform, aesthetically pleasing playing surface. Because Hellas manufactures its own synthetic turf systems, it guarantees the highest raw ingredients, including the exclusive use C8 resin in its fiber manufacturing. This level of quality control helps deliver a long-lasting investment.

Hellas Construction installed this pad and turf combination this summer at the Headquarters of the Las Vegas Raiders, the Intermountain Healthcare Performance Center.

To help beat the desert heat, Phoenix Union selected Hellas’ GeoPlus CoolFill® infill, which is composed of coconut and cork fibers. This USDA-certified Organic Infill absorbs and releases water, lowering field temperatures by as much as 40 degrees F and improving bio-mechanical performance.

The fields are scheduled to be completed this fall.

Hellas Construction, Inc. headquartered in Austin, TX, is the largest vertically integrated sports construction contractor in the United States, specializing in the general construction of sports facilities and sports surfaces. Hellas champions innovative artificial turf manufacturing, base construction, field, track and tennis planning, along with installation and maintenance. Hellas products are protected by one or more of the following patents: 6,800,339; 7,838,096; 7,249,913; 7,364,634. hellasconstruction.com

Phoenix Union High School District is a high school only district in Phoenix, Arizona. Established in 1895, over 27,000 students are enrolled in this high school district with close to 3,000 faculty members. Alhambra High School, Phoenix Union High School and Carver High School are the three high schools in the district. pxu.org

Media Contact: Jeff Power
Hellas Construction Content Writer
(512) 297-5708
jpower@hellasconstruction.com

SOURCE Hellas Construction

AANA Supports Improvements to Rural Health Access

PARK RIDGE, Ill., Aug. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — (AANA)—To provide high-quality, value-based healthcare for millions of patients living in the nation’s rural communities, the White House issued an executive order on Aug. 3 that calls on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to report on ways to eliminate regulatory burdens. The American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) is encouraged by the order which, if considered, could increase access to quality care for patients by removing costly supervision requirements of nurse anesthetists.

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are the primary providers of anesthesia care in rural settings, enabling facilities in these medically underserved areas to offer obstetrical, surgical, pain management, and trauma stabilization services.

HHS has 60 days to propose regulation that extends temporary waivers put in place to optimize healthcare teams and increase access to care for patients.

«Securing full practice authority for CRNAs is the right policy for our nation’s healthcare system and the right move for providing life-sustaining care to patients,» said AANA President Kate Jansky, MHS, CRNA, APRN, USA LTC (ret). «CRNAs and other advance practice nurses have been instrumental in delivering care during our current health crisis.»

«Providing patient access to obstetrical, surgical, trauma stabilization, and pain management services where they live, without long car rides, helps keep communities healthy. CRNAs can play an important role in providing this life-saving care management,» said Jansky.

The executive order also calls on HHS to report on ways to develop rural-specific programs to reduce disease and mortality. In the past decade, 120 rural health facilities have closed. With nearly 1 out of 5 Americans living in rural communities, access to healthcare can be a daily struggle that impacts preventative and emergency care.

«As advanced practice providers with critical care nursing experience, CRNAs possess a global perspective, making them uniquely qualified to contribute to many aspects of patient care,» Jansky said. «Both hospitals and patients benefit from the work of these competent and versatile providers.»

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SOURCE American Association of Nurse Anesthetists

Media Advisory: Tropical Storm Isaias Update

AKRON, Ohio, Aug. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) utilities continue restoration efforts for customers of Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) and Metropolitan Edison (Met-Ed) who lost power as a result of Tropical Storm Isaias. Service has been restored to approximately 478,000 JCP&L customers and approximately 83,000 Met-Ed customers.

Downed trees, broken branches and road closures continue to hamper crews’ efforts to access areas with damage to make repairs to broken poles and downed wires. Nearly 6,000 utility personnel from JCP&L, other FirstEnergy companies, and partner utilities from electric industry mutual assistance organizations are working to restore power in the hardest hit areas in JCP&L. FirstEnergy continues to work closely with these organizations to secure additional resources to assist with storm restoration efforts should they be needed.

Utility Summaries

JCP&L: Crews are making repairs to about 310,000 customers who remain without power. Hardest hit areas include Monmouth, Ocean and Morris counties. Based on current outages and damage assessments, we expect to restore 85% of affected customers by the end of the day Friday. The majority of remaining customers in both the Northern and Central Regions are expected to be restored by Tuesday, August 11 at 11:30 p.m.
Met-Ed: Work is ongoing to restore power to the remaining 5,000 customers, with the majority of customers expected to be restored by Friday afternoon.

More Information

During severe weather, customers who are without power are encouraged to call 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877) to report their outage or click the «Report Outage» link on www.firstenergycorp.com. Customers should immediately report downed wires to their utility or their local police or fire department. Customers should never go near a downed power line, even if they think it is no longer carrying electricity. Extra caution should be exercised in areas where downed wires may be tangled in downed tree branches or other debris.

To safeguard the health and safety of FirstEnergy employees, contractors and the public, please respect social distancing protocols as utility personnel work around the clock to restore all power outages caused by Tropical Storm Isaias.

Water and Ice Locations: Water and ice are available to customers without service due to yesterday’s storm. For a list of locations, visit http://www.firstenergycorp.com/storminfo and click on «water and ice locations.»

Customer Generators: Emergency power generators offer an option for customers needing or wanting uninterrupted service. However, to ensure the safety of the home’s occupants as well as that of utility company employees who may be working on power lines in the area, the proper generator should be selected and installed by a qualified electrician. When operating a generator, the power coming into the home should always be disconnected. Otherwise, power from the generator could be sent back onto the utility lines, creating a hazardous situation for utility workers.

For updated information on the company’s current outages, FirstEnergy’s storm restoration process and tips for staying safe, visit the 24/7 Power Center at www.firstenergycorp.com/outages.

Connect with FirstEnergy companies online at www.firstenergycorp.com, on Twitter at @Met_Ed or @JCP_L, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MetEdElectric or www.facebook.com/JCPandL.

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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.

Egan Law presenta la Family Law and Immigration Clinic (FLIC), «Walk In»

SANTA MARÍA, California, 6 de agosto de 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Egan Law anunció hoy la apertura de FLIC (Family Law & Immigration Center). M. Jude Egan, director ejecutivo y abogado supervisor de FLIC, informa que el centro brinda un nuevo modelo de servicios de asistencia legal a quienes, de otro modo, no podrían contratar asistencia legal integral o pagar abonos mensuales, o quienes decidieran ejercer mayor control sobre sus honorarios y costos legales. «La necesidad de este centro surge de la falta de recursos legales de menor costo en las áreas de derecho de familia e inmigración. Las clínicas de asistencia legal existentes a menudo están limitadas a servir solo a personas que se encuentran por debajo de un determinado nivel de ingresos o que tienen una situación migratoria determinada y están, en todo caso, limitadas por los recursos disponibles de personal», dijo Egan.

Según el censo estadounidense de 2010, el 64% de los hogares de Santa María hablan un idioma distinto del inglés, y el 62% de los hogares subsisten dentro del 125% de la línea de pobreza. Además, aproximadamente un 65% de las partes en materia de derecho de familia se representan a sí mismas en los tribunales de familia, mientras que los datos del Consejo Americano de Inmigración indican que solo el 37% de los inmigrantes en los casos de deportación tuvo asesoramiento en todo el país, cifra que es mucho menor en el caso de inmigrantes centroamericanos.

Egan, que también es un especialista certificado en derecho de familia habilitado por la Barra del Estado de California, agrega que debido a que «FLIC opera según un modelo de clínica o consultorio médico, no está sujeto a limitaciones del gobierno sobre a quién puede dar servicio. Todos son bienvenidos sin importar sus ingresos o su situación migratoria. Un abogado asesora al cliente, establece la estrategia y aconseja al cliente y asigna al personal que redactará y presentará documentos ante los tribunales o ante el Consulado».

El modelo de acceso a un abogado en cualquier momento que ofrece FLIC se diferencia del Asistente de Documentos Legales y de los servicios legales de autogestión que pueden ayudar con formularios legales, pero no tienen permiso para brindar asesoramiento legal en el marco de la ley estatal. «Si bien existen Asistentes de Documentos Legales en las comunidades pobres, estas a menudo se ven forzadas, indebidamente, a prescindir de asesoramiento legal. He visto cómo este «asesoramiento» le ha costado a las partes decenas de miles de dólares e incluso, en muchos casos, hacer que pierdan la causa. En algunos casos, una reunión de tan solo 30 minutos con un abogado podría haber evitado resultados trágicos», dijo Egan. «No estamos señalando a los asistentes de documentos legales (legal document assistant, LDA) o proveedores legales de autogestión per se. Sin embargo, FLIC puede brindar asesoramiento legal preciso y ocuparse de los papeles de manera oportuna por el mismo costo o por un costo inferior al de alguien que no es abogado, lo que da a los clientes la posibilidad de compromiso de servicio integral si deciden ir en ese sentido y acceder al abogado en cualquier momento por una fracción del costo del servicio de representación integral».

Elizabeth Ramirez Barragan, abogada de inmigración quien también se ocupa de asuntos de derecho de familia y es subdirectora/abogada de personal de FLIC, dice: «Uno de los mayores desafíos de trabajar con bufetes de abogados de servicio integral es que el abogado y el cliente a menudo no saben exactamente cuánto va a costar una acción legal. Ayudamos a cualquier persona, desde quienes tratan de controlar sus costos legales hasta quienes necesitan ayuda legal, pero no cuentan con los recursos para contratar un abogado para que haga todo por ellos, quien saben, así, exactamente cuánto les costará antes de que se haga el trabajo». Además, explica Ramírez, «FLIC permite a los clientes seleccionar y elegir los servicios legales que reciben de un menú de opciones cada cual con un precio fijo: desde consultas simples y redacción de documentos hasta servicio de representación integral. Todo esto se hace para que casi todos puedan permitirse contratar a un abogado para que los asesore a lo largo de su caso».

ACERCA DE FLIC: FLIC proporciona asesoramiento legal, ayuda a redactar escritos y declaraciones para divorcios, custodias y alimentos a hijos y cónyuges, solicitudes de exención de honorarios y presentaciones con información financiera. Nuestro equipo completará los formularios apropiados bajo la dirección de los abogados, y asesorará sobre cómo manejar un caso en la corte, incluso cómo solucionar los casos problemáticos. En materia de inmigración, lo ayudaremos con todos los aspectos de la ley de inmigración, desde las presentaciones relacionadas con la Ley del Sueño hasta las solicitudes de visa. Los abogados también pueden presentarse ante la ley en representación de sus clientes con un alcance limitado, de mutuo acuerdo, según cada caso.

Los abogados y el personal de FLIC se reúnen con los clientes a través de Zoom. Tenemos licencia para ejercer en todo el estado de California y podemos asesorar a las personas en temas en todo el estado.

Si desea más información, visite www.fliconline.us.

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1224701/FLIC_Logo.jpg

CONTACTOS: Donald Tremblay – Relaciones Públicas y con la Comunidad, 718-664-3405, dtremblay@earthlink.net O Starr Egan- Relaciones Públicas y con la Comunidad, 805.540.4550, Starr@StarrHall.com

FUENTE FLIC – Attorney M. Jude Egan

Egan Law presenta la Family Law and Immigration Clinic (FLIC), «Walk In»

Si desea más información, visite www.fliconline.us.

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1224701/FLIC_Logo.jpg

CONTACTOS: Donald Tremblay – Relaciones Públicas y con la Comunidad, 718-664-3405, dtremblay@earthlink.net O Starr Egan- Relaciones Públicas y con la Comunidad, 805.540.4550, Starr@StarrHall.com

FUENTE FLIC – Attorney M. Jude Egan

GVB Biopharma Begins Cannabigerol (CBG) Studies to Assess Therapeutic Potential

LAS VEGAS, Aug. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — GVB Biopharma, a pharmaceutical company specializing in hemp and cannabis-related consumer products, announced today that it has established the process and infrastructure for producing medicinal products from cannabigerol (CBG). This natural cannabinoid is a critical precursor molecule to two well-known cannabinoids: tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).

…

With this venture, GVB Biopharma creates a scientific foundation and professional network for a research and development program for CBG, allowing for the rapid development of licensable intellectual property. In addition to CBG, this well-vetted process can be used to identify and develop other target molecules of interest.

The process will be established in two phases with two parts each. In the first phase, GVB will conduct extensive literature review of research on the endocannabinoid system and the effects of CBG, using the results to create an annotated database of scientific research. Next, GVB will oversee the chemical characterization of CBG, confirming the absence of pollutants and identifying important features like potency and shelf life.

In the second phase, GVB Biopharma will create a biological characterization of CBG and assess its therapeutic potential and other meaningful uses. These efforts allow GVB to compile scientific evidence showing the value of CBG products to regulatory agencies, allowing for efficient access to the marketplace.

GVB Biopharma sets the industry standard for rigor in developing, testing and manufacturing hemp and cannabinoid products for the discerning consumer. With its state-of-the-art facilities for hemp processing in Oregon and white-label consumer product manufacturing in Nevada, GVB Biopharma sets the standard for product quality. From using rigorous research, to testing the genetic stability of seeds, to verifying the cannabinoid capacity of its plants and purity of the distilled oil, the integrity of the GVB Biopharma process is reflected in every product.

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SOURCE GVB Biopharma

Recognized for Innovation, Ironclad Unveils a Telling Business Story in the COVID-19 Era

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Behind every change in business is a change in contracts. That’s illustrated in the first-of-its-kind data report released today by Ironclad, the leading digital contracting platform. Ironclad has been focused on empowering companies with contract data during the evolving crisis. Recently, the company was recognized for its breakthrough product and strong employee culture as number 35 on Fast Company’s 100 Best Workplaces for Innovators, alongside companies including Google and Slack.

The data in contracts is a barometer of business health, setting the pace for every business transaction and relationship. Yet contract data remains one of the most underused sources of operational intelligence. Ironclad aims to illuminate this data for modern businesses in its inaugural contract data report, «Contract Data Unveiled: COVID-19 Impact Report.»

The report analyzes anonymized and aggregated data from over 100,000 contracts on its platform—spanning a dozen different industries—in the months preceding and following the onset of the pandemic. As the crisis continues to develop, the report offers exclusive intelligence into companies’ responses to COVID-19, new pivots, and the unprecedented changes in the state of business.

Key findings include:

Companies are prioritizing control and agility more than ever. Review of contracts has been at an all-time high—up 96% in April from the second half of 2019 average—as companies worked around the clock to get a handle on their obligations. Negotiation of active deals, as indicated by the number of contract versions, has also been at a record high, surging 46% from February to March.
Companies have been making fast pivots to adapt to novel demands. March saw a 117% increase in the creation of new contract types, from first-time contracts offering remote doctor visits and designating essential workers to new types of sales agreements with restaurants to alleviate the economic impact.
Legal teams at companies are stepping up in face of the crisis. Legal reviewed 80% more contracts in March than the H2 2019 average as agreements that were previously executed by other departments now need Legal’s review due to new complications.

«Contracts are a powerful barometer of company health because they enable every business transaction,» said Jason Boehmig, Ironclad CEO. «Whether it’s a new sales agreement or a new marketing strategy, every business-critical decision must ultimately be executed through a contract. So by examining trends in contract data, you can get an interesting vantage point into how the business is doing.»

Read the full report here.

About Ironclad
Ironclad is the leading digital contracting platform for legal teams. By streamlining contract workflows, from creation and approvals to compliance and insights, Ironclad frees legal to be the strategic advisors they’re meant to be. Ironclad is used by industry leaders and top innovators like L’Oréal, Mastercard, and the Texas Rangers to unlock the power of their contract data. Ironclad was named one of the 20 Rising Stars as part of the Forbes 2019 Cloud 100 list, the definitive list of the top 100 private cloud companies in the world. The company is backed by investors like Accel, Sequoia, Y Combinator, and Emergence Capital.

For more information about Ironclad, please visit https://www.ironcladapp.com.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/recognized-for-innovation-ironclad-unveils-a-telling-business-story-in-the-covid-19-era-301107914.html

SOURCE Ironclad Inc.

NASA’s MAVEN Observes Martian Night Sky Pulsing in Ultraviolet Light

GREENBELT, Md., Aug. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Vast areas of the Martian night sky pulse in ultraviolet light, according to images from NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft. The results are being used to illuminate complex circulation patterns in the Martian atmosphere.

The MAVEN team was surprised to find that the atmosphere pulsed exactly three times per night, and only during Mars’ spring and fall. The new data also revealed unexpected waves and spirals over the winter poles, while also confirming the Mars Express spacecraft results that this nightglow was brightest over the winter polar regions.

«MAVEN’s images offer our first global insights into atmospheric motions in Mars’ middle atmosphere, a critical region where air currents carry gases between the lowest and highest layers,» said Nick Schneider of the University of Colorado’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), Boulder, Colorado. The brightenings occur where vertical winds carry gases down to regions of higher density, speeding up the chemical reactions that create nitric oxide and power the ultraviolet glow. Schneider is instrument lead for the MAVEN Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph (IUVS) instrument that made these observations, and lead author of a paper on this research appearing August 6 in the Journal of Geophysical Research, Space Physics. Ultraviolet light is invisible to the human eye but detectable by specialized instruments.

«The ultraviolet glow comes mostly from an altitude of about 70 kilometers (approximately 40 miles), with the brightest spot about a thousand kilometers (approximately 600 miles) across, and is as bright in the ultraviolet as Earth’s northern lights,» said Zac Milby, also of LASP. «Unfortunately, the composition of Mars’ atmosphere means that these bright spots emit no light at visible wavelengths that would allow them to be seen by future Mars astronauts. Too bad: the bright patches would intensify overhead every night after sunset, and drift across the sky at 300 kilometers per hour (about 180 miles per hour).»

The pulsations reveal the importance of planet-encircling waves in the Mars atmosphere. The number of waves and their speed indicates that Mars’ middle atmosphere is influenced by the daily pattern of solar heating and disturbances from the topography of Mars’ huge volcanic mountains. These pulsating spots are the clearest evidence that the middle atmosphere waves match those known to dominate the layers above and below.

«MAVEN’s main discoveries of atmosphere loss and climate change show the importance of these vast circulation patterns that transport atmospheric gases around the globe and from the surface to the edge of space,» said Sonal Jain, also of LASP.

Next, the team plans to look at nightglow «sideways», instead of down from above, using data taken by IUVS looking just above the edge of the planet. This new perspective will be used to understand the vertical winds and seasonal changes even more accurately.

The Martian nightglow was first observed by the SPICAM instrument on the European Space Agency’s Mars Express spacecraft. However, IUVS is a next-generation instrument better able to repeatedly map out the nightside glow, finding patterns and periodic behaviors. Many planets including Earth have nightglow, but MAVEN is the first mission to collect so many images of another planet’s nightglow.

The research was funded by the MAVEN mission. MAVEN’s principal investigator is based at the University of Colorado’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, Boulder, and NASA Goddard manages the MAVEN project. NASA is exploring our Solar System and beyond, uncovering worlds, stars, and cosmic mysteries near and far with our powerful fleet of space and ground-based missions.

For video, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/goddard/2020/mars-nightglow

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SOURCE NASA

ideas42 takes steps to inoculate democracy against COVID-19 with the Safe Voter Playbook

NEW YORK, Aug. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — ideas42, the leading applied behavioral science nonprofit, today announced a new digital, open-source Safe Voter Playbook to help officials and innovators protect and expand voter turnout in the United States as the nation seeks to adapt electoral procedures in the wake of a pandemic. The free tools contained in the playbook offer specific, actionable recommendations and resources grounded in behavioral science geared toward making voters feel safe, secure, and equitably served when casting their ballots.

With the onset of COVID-19 and the resulting deluge of information and misinformation, it is critical that officials design election systems that help expand turnout, maintain voter trust and confidence, and ensure equitable access to the franchise. Expansion of flexible voting options, such as vote-by-mail, must be created with voter behavior in mind. The Safe Voter Playbook draws on ideas42’s previous work using behavioral design to increase voter turnout across multiple states.

The tools in this digital playbook are intended for any and all with a stake in maintaining safe, secure and fair elections – election administrators, voting advocacy groups, mutual aid groups, and community organizations. Recognizing that officials have to move quickly in the coming weeks and months, the Playbook features easy-to-use guidance for election administrators and other innovators to plug into all aspects of the voting process, as well as important messaging that can be directly adapted for anyone engaging with voters about voting options in the upcoming election.

It starts with a voter communications checklist that presents the latest behavioral principles for strengthening all forms of voter outreach, helping voters understand, trust, and participate in new ways of voting. The playbook then goes deeper, providing more adaptive designs to solve the distinct challenges COVID-19 presents in the electoral process, including:

Getting absentee ballot request forms to voters when some of the traditional channels of reaching them are no longer available, such as messages on health information sites prompting individuals to make sure they protect their health in November by requesting a mail ballot.
Giving voters a greater sense of control over the security of their ballot after they send it through avenues such as interactive ballot-tracking.
A repository of customizable mail pieces and social media collateral, ready to download and put to work.

«Active participation is the lifeblood of a functional democracy. COVID-19 added another barrier to voter turnout,» said Omar Parbhoo, Vice President at ideas42 and a leader of the Civic Engagement team. «To fight back, we’re offering free tools, drawing from our behavioral expertise, to ensure that this year, millions of people don’t have to choose between exercising their right vote and staying healthy.«

The Safe Voter Playbook is part of ideas42’s broader commitment to creating a culture of voting and civic engagement in the United States. For more information, visit ideas42.org/voting.

About ideas42

ideas42 is a non-profit that uses insights from human behavior—why people do what they do—to help improve lives, build better systems, and drive social change. For more than a decade, we’ve been at the forefront of applying behavioral science in the real world. Our efforts have so far extended to 45 countries as we’ve partnered with governments, foundations, NGOs, private enterprises, and a wide array of public institutions–in short, anyone who wants to make a positive difference in peoples’ lives. For more, visit ideas42.org

Media Contact:

Mitra Salasel mitra@ideas42.org

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SOURCE ideas42