Skip to main content
Member Login E-Newsletter Donate
Election and  Candidate  Information
Position General Amendment on Voting
What to do if your vote is challenged: Practical advice as midterm elections approach
We Denounce False Claims About Election Security
Save Act Statement(from the League of Women Voters of Kansas)
HomeEmailingsNewsletters/Emailing
Date: 10/30/2026
Subject: The VOTER Newsletter - Oct/Nov 2026
From: LWV of Johnson County


Volume 78, Number 9 | October 2026

Double-feature!

Unpacking the Midterms and Kansas Opinion Journalism
 
Join us for a conversation with Clay Wirestone, KS Reflector Opinion Editor and author of the 2026 book Opinionated.
 
First in our double-feature morning: Need to process election results and wondering what comes next? Bring your questions! In a nonpartisan, fact-based conversation, we can unpack the results together and look ahead to the January legislative session and beyond.
 
Next, Clay will discuss his book, Opinionated, the history of opinion journalism in Kansas, and why thoughtful opinion writing matters to our public discourse, communities, and democracy.We'd love to have you in the room to unpack what happens(ed) on November 3, and reset for the learning, thinking, and doing ahead. And maybe you'll find your next book...
 
Open to everyone: LWV members, friends, and our community!
 
Saturday, November 7 at 9:30 am (doors open at 9:00 am)
at Shawnee Mission Unitarian Universalist Church
9400 Pflumm Rd.
Lenexa, KS  66215
 
DON'T FORGET TO VOTE BY NOVEMBER 3RD! 
 
Now a great time to share information with your friends and neighbors, or invite them to become a member! More information about how to join or renew your membership is available below. You can download our Calls to Action sheet below for more ideas on getting your friends and neighbors involved in voting. Thanks for being a part of the League of Women Voters of Johnson County!
Need a ride to the polls?
 
Load VOTE26 into the Lyft app before Tuesday, Nov. 3, for 50% off (up to $10 off) on a ride to your polling place. It works on rideshare, bikeshare, or scooter rides, from 5 AM to 10 PM local time, wherever you are.
 
voting girl
UPCOMING EVENTS

Suffrage Cantata

Five choirs. Generations of women. One powerful story.
 
 Join Carmen KC and four area choirs for Andrea Ramsey’s Suffrage Cantata, a powerful musical telling of the decades-long fight for women’s right to vote. Featuring singers ages 16 to 79, this intergenerational performance brings history to life through music and spoken word while honoring the courage, sacrifice and perseverance of the women who fought to make their voices heard. Together, more than 100 singers will reflect on how one generation’s fight for a voice at the ballot box became a right carried forward by the generations that followed.
 Sunday, Nov 15 at 3:00 pm
Tickets $10/adults or $6/Students
Learn More and Purchase Tickets
 
 
 
Getting Oriented to the League
Whether you are an existing, new, or prospective member of the League of Women Voters of Johnson County, KS, please join us for an informative one-hour session about the history of our chapter and the current volunteer opportunities. 
 
    

Check the Events Calendar to see or register for all upcoming events!

 
 
PRESIDENTS CONVERSATION
Just a few days left now.  Are you one of the thousands who cast early votes bringing Johnson County to near record numbers for a non-presidential year?  Or are you one who waits until Election Day, because standing in line on that day is itself a badge of patriotism?  But maybe you haven’t voted because you are so frustrated or disgusted about the values or positions of some on the ballot that you are tempted not to vote at all. If so, please think again. 

Probably you know that casting a vote for or against proposed amendments or local issues is crucial to your everyday life and the community where you live.  And the candidates who are not offensive to you deserve your considered decisions as to which of them would be the better public servant in the positions they seek.  So often local elections are decided by just a few votes; and in those cases, your vote makes a major difference.  

Most of us often have a strong belief that one candidate stands out as the better choice.  That vote is easy.  But what about the quandary when both or all of the candidates are just unacceptable?  I don’t know of a single solution that works all the time for everyone or for any one individual. All voting rights are precious, including the choice not to vote.  Most of us want to avoid doing harm and would like to make a clear choice.  Here are three options that might apply in this election.

Vote for the least objectionable candidate. Pro? If you research or inquire about all of the stated (and apparent) positions of each candidate, and not just their respective positions on certain issues, you may be comfortable holding your nose and voting for the “lesser evil”—the candidate likely to do the least harm in this particular office. Con? You will have voted for a candidate that you simply cannot accept in good conscience.  If that is impossible for you morally or intellectually, consider further.

Refuse to vote in that race only, and participate fully in the rest of the ballot. Pro? You did not compromise a strongly held  belief while you fulfilled your voting rights and obligations. Con? Low voter turnout in a single race may allow a voting minority to choose this officeholder.

Write in a candidate. Pro? You will not have wasted your vote, and you will have delivered your  message of one voter’s rejection to  these candidates and to their sponsoring parties.

There may be other pros and cons for each option, and there are surely other options for voting choices that are unique to you.  In any event, if you have not yet voted, do not miss the opportunity on November and again next August.  You may regret not voting, but it is most unlikely you will regret that you voted and lived up to your civic duty and your political right.   
 
Alleen VanBebber
LWV JoCo President
OBSERVER CORPS REPORTS
obs corp logo 2025
 
This month, we welcome two new observers to our team! Amanda Spake is now helping the team keeping track of the Board of County Commissioners, and Eva Mohr is observing the Olathe School Board.  Thank you, Amanda and Eva, for stepping up to keep us informed!
 

_________________________________
TEAM UPDATES
Project 1020 Cold-Weather Prep
 
Since our League meets at the Shawnee Mission Unitarian Universalist Church, we have the opportunity to help the residents of Project 1020's cold-weather shelter, which is open from December 1, 2026 to April 2027.

If you wish, you may bring items to our November 7 League meeting to help stock their shelves with non-perishables such as cereal and bread or popular snacks such as popcorn and two liter bottles of any kind of soft drink. 

We don't have a meeting in December, so please bring your donations to the November meeting for collection. Project 1020 may call for additional items later this winter. Thank you in advance for your generosity!
Please Pick Up Your League Name Tag
 
New members who joined our Johnson County chapter from October 2025-August 2026 have permanent name tags waiting for them at each of the Saturday League events at Shawnee Mission Unitarian Universalist Church. Please pick yours up and wear it when you are volunteering as part of the League or attending political events to build awareness of our organization.

If you have joined since September 2026 and would like a name tag, please contact Membership@lwvjoco.org or let us know at the welcome table at a Saturday event and we will have one made for you!  
Important Information about Annual League Membership Dues

We welcome new members to our chapter. The suggested annual League membership fee is $75, but a minimum of $20 may be paid to fit your circumstances. Please go to www.lwv.org. This is the national league's website, which processes all dues. You may renew your annual membership the same way. Renewing members receive email reminder notices 30 and 60 days before their membership expires. At any time, you can check the national site to access your account or create one if you are not yet a League member. 

If you need assistance to establish or renew your membership, or just don't feel comfortable with the online process, please come to the check-in table at Saturday meetings, and we will be happy to assist you. 

To help us succeed, donations to our Johnson County chapter are most welcome and appreciated in addition to membership fees. Donations in any amount may be made on our website, www.lwvjoco.org. Please look for the donate button. 

With questions, please contact membership@lwvjoco.org.
STAY CONNECTED
   
Our monthly newsletter, The VOTER, provides information on League programs and events. Get it delivered to your inbox. Subscribe for free!
 
 View past issues of our newsletter. 
 
 We welcome your feedback! Please contact The Voter Newsletter Editors
 
Find us on social media: FACEBOOK- INSTAGRAM- YOUTUBE
Return to Previous Page