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Forums, Meet & Greets, Tabling, High Schools - You're doing it all!
I'm writing this immediately following our monthly local League President's call, and I never leave those meetings feeling anything less than inspired. Our Leagues are doing awesome work! We are led by outstanding people and have the most awesome volunteers imaginable!
During the calls, I update our local League leaders on what's going on at the state level and what LWVK has in the works. Each local League leader then updates everyone about what their League is working on, and WOW! What an impressive outpouring of activities is being planned for the next couple of months.
Based on the number of Candidate Forums and Meet & Greets, Kansans can never say they didn't have the opportunity to be informed about what their city or school board candidates stood for. And beyond the sheer number of events, Leagues are collaborating with a diverse group of organizations to host these forums. From other civic organizations to news outlets to college campus groups, this allows us to have a broad outreach to our fellow Kansans.
And there's a whole lot of tabling going on. Tabling at fall festivals, street fairs, and community nights out. A great opportunity to engage with Kansans, to encourage them to register to vote, ensure their registrations are up to date, and educate voters on the issues. It's also a great way to see your neighbors!
With school back in session, Leagues are back in the high schools, educating our future voters on the importance of being civically engaged and how to register once they hit that milestone.
And if all that wasn't enough, you are welcoming new citizens at naturalization ceremonies, encouraging them to exercise their new right to register and vote. If you've never volunteered at a naturalization ceremony, I highly recommend it. You will not leave without being changed by the experience.
So, as summer winds down, the weather begins to cool, and you're looking for something to do with some of that free time, I encourage you to reach out to your local League and volunteer. After all, these activities don't run or staff themselves. They require us to make them happen. Hope to see you at an upcoming event soon!
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Election Deadlines!
Oct. 17 - Last Day to Register to Vote
Oct. 18 - Advance Voting Begins
Oct. 31 - Deadline to Request Advance Ballot
Nov. 6 - Advance Voting Ends
Nov. 7 - GENERAL ELECTION | Special Legislative Committee on Elections - Sept. 28-29
By Cille King, LWVK Advocacy Chair
We are concerned about the Special Committee on Elections hearings Thursday and Friday, Sept. 28-29. In addition to the usual reports from Legislative Research, Post Audit, Revisor's Office, Secretary of State's attorney, and a former legislator, Chair Mike Thomson has filled both days' agenda with testimony from two groups; the Foundation for Government Accountability (https://thefga.org) and Liberty Lions League (Liberty Lions League), which previously testified before the Kansas Legislature in 2022.
No time is allowed for other groups or individuals to speak. Written testimony is allowed, so LWVK has provided written testimony. The lack of public opportunity to address the committee with other viewpoints is a real concern and could be something LWVK could address in a press release.
The committee’s agenda can be found on the kslegislature.org site under the Special Committee on Elections. The committee will hear about election laws, voter registration and legal issues, election security, voter roll maintenance, advance voting, advance ballot deadlines, 3-day grace period for mail ballots, voting machine integrity-software-security, and remote ballot drop boxes and ballot harvesting.
Go to https://www.cisa.gov/rumor-vs-reality, an official website of the U.S. government and Department of Homeland Security which refutes election rumors with reality checks. Some of the rumors addressed by the CISA link are on the agenda for the Special Committee on Elections: Voting machine integrity, voting machine software and security, and remote ballot drop boxes/ballot harvesting.
Click here to read LWVK's Testimony submitted to the Special Elections Committee.
| Election Study Timeline, Presentation available
By Vicki Arnett, LWVK Study Chair
Nov. 20, 2023 - LWVK Election study committee will send final draft of position to Vicki Arnett.
Dec. 9, 2023 - At LWVK board meeting, discussion and vote on proposed position to send to local Leagues for their consensus meetings.
Jan. - Feb. 2023 - Local Leagues hold consensus meetings on the proposed Election position.
March 1, 2024 - Local Leagues send comments/notes to Vicki Arnett to finalize in preparation for vote at annual meeting April 2024.
Richard Pund is offering an election method educational program for your league to learn more about alternative voting methods. Please contact him at Richard.Pund@gmail.com to schedule a 60 to 90 minute interactive learning session for your local members. If your local League hasn't scheduled one, but you are interested in learning more, Richard can include you in an upcoming Zoom meeting.
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Membership Report
By Carol Benoit, LWVK Membership Chair
Below is LWVK’s current Active membership as described in the Roster database on Aug. 31, 2023. Our prior year ended Jan. 31, 2023, and those totals are included for comparison with the totals at the end of August 2023. The total number of Active Members by League is gathered from Roster at the end of each month and reported to the LWVK Board.
Active Members on Current Active Members
League Name 1/31/2023** 8/31/2023
Emporia 57 55
Great Bend 12 12
Johnson Co 305 287
Lawrence-DC 222 212
Leavenworth 37 45
Manhattan-RC 103 107
Salina 64 66
Topeka-SC 176 197
Wichita Metro 161 167
At-Large Members 7 8
**Official LWVUS Roster numbers
| Local League Highlights
By Cathy Hedge, LWVK Communications Team, LWV of Manhattan-Riley Co
The kids are back in school. Meanwhile, the League is busy educating our larger communities. Candidate forums, tabling events, meet and greets, and National Voter Registration Day. League members are everywhere. To voters in need of a straight story, we are visible, vocal, and valuable.
In addition to their many candidate forums throughout the county, LWV Johnson County hosted the Johnson County Community College Board of Trustees candidates. On Sept. 9, a panel of immigration authorities presented: Immigration Crisis? What is the state of immigration in the U.S. & Kansas in the 21st Century. Check their website to see if a recording has been posted.
LWV of Lawrence-Douglas County held their annual garage sale Sept. 16. Proceeds go to their scholarship fund. Members held tabling events to educate voters at the Lawrence Art in the Park on Sept. 16 and 17 and they will be at most Saturday Farmers Markets until right before the election.
LWV Wichita Metro joined the Root the Power Connecting-Back to School Drive on Aug. 13. They gathered and distributed school supplies for students and teachers. They continue to be an active presence at the Hughes Metroplex's large Naturalization Ceremonies.
Whether your local League is in print, on-line, at a forum, or simply talking to new neighbors, thank you for sharing the information Kansans need to know in November. If you have local highlights to share, please email Cathy Hedge. We are also eager to hear from our At-large members.
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VOTE411.org, Wheel of Knowledge
By Susan Quinn, LWVK Voter Services Chair
VOTE411.org is live - Yay! Thank you to the Voter Services team (Carole Neal, Teresa Briggs, Sonya Czarnecki, Cathy Hedge, Marie Hernandez, Debbie Kitchin, Cori North, and Janice Walker), and especially, a huge thank you to the LWVUS teammates that helped us with all the bumps.
Great Bend's idea about a “Civic Wheel of Knowledge” has been adopted by the Shawnee County and Johnson County Leagues. It’s created a lot of connections with people who usually wouldn’t approach our tables during community events. Feel free to find out about ideas like this from other Leagues.
| Rumor vs. Reality with Election Issues
Second in a series of three articles
By Janice Walker, Intra-League Co-Coordinator
Election integrity has been a focus for political groups since the 2020 presidential election. To counteract the many disinformation narratives, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) developed an online information site https://www.cisa.gov/rumor-vs-reality. This is an official website of the U.S. government and U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Click here for 3 common rumors and corresponding reality checks from the site that deal with: 1) Ballot scanner problems, 2) Election observers may be intimidating, and 3) Ballot secrecy. | |
LWVUS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy
The League of Women Voters is an organization fully committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in principle and in practice. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to the organization’s current and future success in engaging all individuals, households, communities, and policy makers in creating a more perfect democracy.
There shall be no barriers to full participation in this organization on the basis of gender, gender identity, ethnicity, race, native or indigenous origin, age, generation, sexual orientation, culture, religion, belief system, marital status, parental status, socioeconomic status, language, accent, ability status, mental health, educational level or background, geography, nationality, work style, work experience, job role function, thinking style, personality type, physical appearance, political perspective or affiliation and/or any other characteristic that can be identified as recognizing or illustrating diversity.
Check out this guide for understanding the LWV DEI policy.
| LWVK Office Move and Office Administrator Search
We continue to search for an Office Administrator for our Topeka LWVK office, averaging15 hours per week (job description found here). Please help us fill this important role. Also, LWVK will be relocating our office from the YWCA to the old Stout Elementary School, 2303 SW College, Topeka, KS, 66611, at the end of September. Our phone 785-234-5152 & P.O. Box 2366, Topeka, KS, 66601, remain the same. |
The League of Women Voters of Kansas is a grassroots, volunteer, political organization with members at large and nine local Leagues across the state. For nearly 100 years, LWVK has encouraged the informed and active participation of citizens in government and influenced public policy through education and advocacy. The League does not endorse candidates or political parties.
Support our ongoing work. Donate to LWVK today.
LWVK information is available on our website. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook or Twitter.
Making Democracy Work®
League of Women Voters of Kansas President
Martha Pint
president@lwvk.org
“VOTER Notes” Editor
gracewilsoneditor@gmail.com
LWVK Office Administrator
office@lwvk.org
About the Newsletter
Does your League have a success story, innovative program, or commendable action you want to share with your sister Leagues across the state? Send it to the VOTER Notes so we can feature a League each month! Share your stories; they encourage other Leagues and help everyone know that we are all in this work together.
- LWVK sends the VOTER Notes monthly newsletter to local board presidents and communications teams to distribute to their local League members, generally the first week of every month. If you are finding it online and not in your inbox, please tell us. At-Large Members receive the newsletter directly via email. Newsletters are also posted for public viewing on lwvk.org.
- During the legislative session, LWVK sends a weekly email containing Paul Johnson’s “Policy Watch.
- Submit photos or stories of your LWV activities. Deadline for the July 2023 VOTER Notes is Thursday, Sept. 28.
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