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Date: 7/1/2020
Subject: The VOTER Newsletter - July 2020
From: LWV of Johnson County



The VOTER

Ready to cruise for voters?

Take part in the first KCK Souls to the Polls car caravan! 

 

LWV is among the many community and faith groups working to engage voters in Wyandotte County. On Saturday, July 11, dozens of cars will drive through three precincts with the lowest voter turnout.

All are welcome to transform their vehicles into voting billboards with homemade signs and self-decorated windows. We’ll distribute 30 car magnets with messaging that encourages people to register to vote and publicizes ksvotes.org and VOTE411.org.

LWV of Salina came up with this idea as a way to get people to register to vote during the pandemic when in-person voter registration drives were not possible. Many other Leagues throughout the country are now taking to the streets in similar caravans.

Make plans to help us get out the vote!

 

Date: Saturday, July 11

Time: 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (10 a.m. if you want to borrow our glass markers to decorate your car windows)

Meeting Place: Kansas City Kansas Community College, 7250 State Ave., Kansas City Kansas—We’ll meet in the large parking lot by the main entrance of the Jewel Student Center.

RSVP so we know how long our caravan will be!

Call for Action Nears!

    A new COVID phase has arrived. For some, isolation continues. Others now visit family or close friends outdoors. A few have eaten on a restaurant patio, or even inside!


    Like so many other organizations, we are learning as we navigate activism. We now offer a mix of “home alone” and action items to our 357 members. Of course, all in-person events will offer social distancing/personal protection.


    In our July pipeline: 

    • Take part in the members-only virtual discussion about PBS’ program, “The Vote,” on Wednesday, July 8 from 6 to 7 p.m. (Register now to participate in the discussion led by LWVJoCo member Dawn Rattan with KU historian Diana Carlin.)

    •  Join us co-presidents at the Souls to the Polls car caravan through low-turnout precincts in Wyandotte County on Saturday, July 11. Headed by LWVJoCo member Ann Sanders, this get-out-the-vote program is a collaboration among WyCo faith and civic communities. Sign up to participate.

We now have the ability to text members with important information. But you have to grant us permission to do so.


Look for an email from LWV of Johnson County asking if you want to receive alerts via text. (You can also do this by logging into lwvjoco.org and updating your profile.)  We think this is an important new way for us to alert and mobilize our members.


You are the heart of LWVJoCo. Our commitment to protect voter rights needs member action. Let’s get going!


Amber Stenger and Ellen Miller, co-presidents



LWVJoCo Meets with JoCo Election Officials

Keeping votes, voters and poll workers safe during the 2020 elections is the priority for Johnson County election officials, Co-presidents Ellen Miller and Amber Stenger reported at the June board meeting. The two met with Johnson County Election Commissioner Connie Schmidt and Deputy Commissioner Fred Sherman to let them know LWVJoCo members are ready to help them keep elections safe, fair and accessible during this pandemic.


Ellen and Amber also expressed LWVJoCo’s support of the county’s decision to mail all registered voters in Johnson County mail-in ballot applications for both the primary and general elections. (Wyandotte County election officials also mailed applications to all registered voters.)

 

The two commissioners agreed to attend LWVJoCo’s October meeting to provide us with updates on election procedures.

Here are other important takeways from the meeting:

  • They are encouraging people to vote by mail. 

  • In an effort to keep crowds to a minimum, Johnson County is not reducing the number of in-person early voting (seven) or election day polling places (172). 

  • The in-person voting process will be as contact-free as possible. Each poll worker will receive a PPE kit, sanitization and social distancing guidelines will be observed, and each voter will receive a two-sided pen/stylus for voting.

  • At in-person polling places, voters can mark a paper ballot or use a voting machine.

  • All mail-in ballot applications and ballots will be processed by hand. 

If you are interested in seeing the process in person, join us for a tour of the Johnson County Election Office on Thursday, July 16, 2020, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Contact Amber Stenger  for more information.



Join LWVJoCo members in a discussion following the airing of "The Vote" on PBS about the unsung leaders of the women's suffrage movement and the deep controversies over gender roles and race that divided Americans then — and continue to dominate political discourse today. 

Watch "The Vote" on PBS on Monday, July 6, and Tuesday, July 7, from 8 to 10 p.m. 
Join our facilitated virtual discussion on Wednesday, July 8, from 6 to 7 p.m. 

Registration is required for this event. Information on how to join the Zoom discussion will be in the registration confirmation email.

This event is open to all LWVJoCo members. If you are not yet a member, please visit lwvjoco.org and join today!!


United Community Services of Johnson County (UCS) Seeking Community Input

on County's Housing Market


The cities, county, and United Community Services of Johnson County (UCS) are seeking community input on the County's housing market in a newly released housing survey. The survey is part of a county wide housing study currently underway and provides an opportunity for people who know the communities in Johnson County best to share their insights.



Please take a 15-minute survey to help UCS understand the housing needs in our community.
 Responses will be collected through the end of July 2020. Click on one of the links to take the survey online (survey is available in English and Spanish):


Click here to learn more about this work.



Hadley Kaff
Barbara and Anthony Hill
Nicole Hastings
Aimee Burrow
Michael Poppa
Rebecca Smith
Beverly Withers
Linda Houston
Tinna Hung
Donna Hoch
Jo Branine
Esther Grenz
Noeline Woolrich
Janet Porter
Steve Porter
Amy Dickens
Laurie Coleman
Meghan Coleman
Lisa Bonds

Hadley Kaff
Member Spotlight: Hadley Kaff
 

Too bad, Paris. Change of plans! Learn more about LWVJoCo's new intern.



It’s Election Season! How's Your Swag?

Inspire voter engagement with our yard signs ($10 each) and T-shirts ($15).

Contact Ann Norbury to make arrangements to pick up your purchases.

(She's willing to meet at any JoCo library parking lot.)


Observer Reports

Catch up on the actions, decisions and proposals of our local public officials. Read the summaries by League members who attend several public meetings in our area.

 


 

As you know, it takes many hands and skills to serve voters.

Here are a few needs we have:
Proofreader - periodically, when we need a keen eye
Graphic Artist - periodically, when we need visual pizzazz
Zoom Techie - to help facilitate our online events


If you can help with any of these, please
Contact Us.

54th Biennial Convention LWVUS
 
LVWUS held it's first-ever virtual convention in June. Read the 2018-2020 Biennium Impact Report.
Board and Committee Briefs
  • Our nominating committee for 2021 is complete! Karen Wuflkuhle will head the team charged with finding the right people to lead our League in 2021. Other committee members are Cathy Matlack, Danielle Keller, Kathy Jennings and Donna Lauffer.
  • Is it time for you to renew? Many memberships expire June 30. Renewing is quick and easy on our new website
  • Rep. Sharice Davids participated in a virtual roundtable about safe voting in a pandemic, as reported by the Shawnee Mission Post. Co-President Amber Stenger is quoted in the article.
  • Sign up to get text alerts from LWVJoCo. Log into lwvjoco.org. In the dropdown menu underneath your name in the top righthand corner, click on "Profile." Under "Personal Info," click on "Contact Info." Scroll down until you see "Other Contacts." Enter your mobile number and click the "I agree" box. Call ClubExpress at 1-866-457-2582 for tech support. 
 
  • Mary Lou Jamarillo and Ann Sanders led another successful workshop about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) for board members and committee members in June. This was the second of three workshops our DEI Chairs have planned for this summer. The workshops are part of our ongoing mission to make our League more inclusive and inviting to all members of our community. See the June issue of the LWVKS Newsletter for additional helpful and timely DEI resources.

  • Co-President Amber Stenger and other Leaguers from Missouri were interviewed on Cowtown Conversations, a KKFI radio program. This article contains a link to listen to the interview.

 


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