7 Things to Know About Voting in 2020
1. California Primary Elections were moved up from June to Tuesday, March 3, 2020.
2. The process for No Party Preference voters to request a party’s primary ballot remains the same, and more information can be obtained from the Los Angeles (LA) County Clerk’s Office. 3. Voting By Mail (VBM) remains the same and ballots may be:
4. The "I Voted" Sticker remains the same and will continue to be enclosed with VBM ballots or given at voting locations. 5. The 10-Day Early Voting Period (in-person) remains the same and will be offered at select voting locations such as the Santa Monica Main Library, Joslyn Park, Marine Park and Virginia Avenue Park. Early Voting Centers will be available throughout LA County. 6. Vote Centers (formerly Polling Places) can quickly accommodate any voter registered in Los Angeles County thanks to electronic rosters that allow election workers access to voting data in real-time to look up pending/cast ballots or process conditional voter registration forms. More Vote Centers will be available from 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. throughout LA County. Click here to find a Vote Center near you 7. New Ballot Marking Devices will now offer accessible and multilingual features allowing voters to arrange the device based on their needs and vote privately and independently. Check out this device now at a Demo Center near you. Click here for more in-depth info and to watch the how-to-vote video > REMINDER: Take the Survey to Help Shape the Future of Housing and Community Development in Santa Monica
What are the housing and community development needs in your neighborhood?The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides annual CDBG and HOME entitlement funds to the City of Santa Monica. Available funding can be used to provide decent housing, suitable living environments, and expanded economic opportunities for low- and moderate-income persons in our community. The City of Santa Monica invites residents to help shape the next five-year Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan, which identify Santa Monica’s highest priority needs and the associated goals, strategies, and activities to address them through HUD’s CDBG and HOME programs.
The City wants you to have a voice in how it invests this funding! Please assist the by filling out this survey: As you complete this survey, please consider:
1) the needs of your community and 2) how those needs can be addressed. 
Register for Spring Classes!Don't miss out on the fun this spring! A new session of recreation classes for all ages begins in March. From sports and art to engineering and cooking - there is something for everyone! Registration is now open! Visit RecScape
Our Winter 2020 Newsletter is here!
Stay up-to-date with all the NOMA news by clicking here to download the latest edition. 
Assistance for Low Income Seniors in Santa MonicaThe Preserving Our Diversity (POD) program provides cash-based assistance to low-income, long-term Santa Monica residents. The assistance is in the form of monthly payments that can be used to cover basic needs.
To be eligible for the POD program, you must meet the following criteria:
Help for Caregivers
The Adult Day Services Center at WISE & Healthy Aging provides free emotional support, information, and referral to community resources for those caring for a family member with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, or stroke. These support groups are open to the community. Learn More > 
Santa Monica’s Heritage Tree Program recognizes outstanding trees throughout the city. The goal of the program is to educate citizens and raise community awareness about tree diversity and the city’s rich history by focusing on a limited number of designated Heritage Trees. Nomination Form
Learn More About MODE On-Demand Service for Older Adults Living in Santa Monica
Big Blue Bus has partnered with Lyft to provide on-demand services to replace the Dial-A-Ride program for older adults and people with disabilities living in Santa Monica. The new service is called MODE (Mobility On-Demand Every Day). Lyft’s flexible transportation service network will allow MODE to meet the high demand for service during peak times when members are most interested in traveling while increasing efficiency when the demand for transportation decreases. Learn more about the MODE program at bigbluebus.com/mode.
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“Blue at Night” Your Late Night Connection to Expo
Beginning Monday, April 1, 2019, only Lyft Shared rides will be eligible for Blue at Night service; standard Lyft rides will no longer qualify.
What's Blue at Night? Big Blue Bus has partnered with Lyft to provide Blue at Night, an on-demand shared ride service to and from Expo stations in Santa Monica, for just $3 every Friday and Saturday from 8pm-3am. What's Lyft Shared? Lyft Shared helps group riders traveling in the same direction into a single Lyft car, when seats are available. When using Lyft Shared, you may be paired with up to three (3) separate riders along your route. To get started, download the Lyft app and enter promo code SAMOBLUE3. For more details, visit: bigbluebus.com/blueatnight. |
NextBus - Check Realtime Bus Arrival
Big Blue Bus has instituted the NextBus system for real-time bus arrival information to our customers.
What is NextBus? The highly advanced NextBus system makes predictions about when buses will arrive at a given stop. Predictions are made using a combination of GPS tracking and computer modeling. This information is used to provide customers with the estimated number of minutes until their bus arrives. How can I get arrival predictions using NextBus? With NextBus, arrival information can be accessed on your computer, via text message, by phone, or on your smartphone. Learn more about using the system on our NextBus page With real-time arrival information, you are in control. Here on the Westside, we know traffic congestion is a fact of life, and our buses are not immune to delays. However, instead of waiting and wondering at a bus stop, NextBus allows you to know when your bus will actually arrive. That might mean knowing you have a few extra minutes to grab a cup of coffee before the bus comes, or knowing exactly when to leave home in order to meet the bus. |
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Having your car fingerprinted
Police Officer Marilyn Amiache from SMPD In Santa Monica, if your car was broken into and/or stolen and recovered you have a choice to bring your car in and have it finger printed. In fact, we encourage you to do so. One fingerprint located inside your vehicle could lead us to a suspect and be enough to have him or her arrested and prosecuted. |
Crime MappingClick here for a map of local police activity in Santa Monica. Use the Santa Monica Police Department's crime mapping system to obtain crime information and register for crime alerts.
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North of Montana Association: Working Together for a Better Santa Monica
