The Voter Newsletters - League of Women Voters of Johnson County

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Date: 7/23/2020
Subject: LWVJoCo Update: Increasing voter turnout and other ways to engage
From: LWV of Johnson County

Hi ~~first_name~~:

This week's update includes information on several opportunities to learn and engage, including a webinar, an online learning course, a candidate forum and an opportunity to make an impact on voter turnout. Keep reading for more information.

You can help increase voter turnout

Just over half of eligible voters participated in the 2016 presidential election per the Voter Network. In Kansas, local elections averaged 21 percent last year. Out of all the efforts to encourage people to vote, there has been one option that has proven particularly effective — personal outreach. The Voter Network (aka Mainstream Coalition) launched Voter to Voter in 2018, a program in which volunteers connect with family, friends and others they already know to encourage them to vote. They are seeing 25 percent higher participation from voters that connected through the program.

Our League has its own Voter to Voter team. To join, email Jill Quigley. To learn more about the initiative, visit the Voter to Voter website.

Six reasons to have confidence in mail-in voting

Voters can trust in the safety and security of the mail-in voting process, regardless of recent claims to the contrary. Since 2000, more than 250 million votes have been cast via mailed-out ballots, in all 50 states, according to the National Vote at Home Institute. And by-mail voting was used by a quarter of the electorate in 2018, according to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.

Read six reasons to be confident in mail-in voting, and be sure to share.

Join our intern Hadley and raise your voice!

Historically, young voter participation in elections lags the rest of the population. Even after a significant increase in 2018 compared to 2014, only 35.6 percent of voters age 18 to 29 voted versus almost half of the next lowest participating demographic group. (See the data at census.gov.)

So, to all young voters out there, now is your chance. Take the time to vote, and invite your friends and family members to do the same.

Stay engaged

Send in those mail-in ballots!

Johnson County began mailing ballots to voters on July 15. The sooner you return your ballots, the sooner you will be removed from campaign advertising lists — no more phone calls or mailers.

Advance in-person voting is underway in Johnson and Wyandotte counties.

For times and locations, visit our voting info page.

Upcoming candidate forums

Candidate forums provide an excellent opportunity to learn more about the candidates.

Visit our Events page for more details on the U.S. Senate candidate forum this Saturday, July 25, 12 p.m.

Webinar: The Fight for the Right to Vote | July 23, 2 to 3 p.m.

Join this League of Women Voters webinar, featuring guest speakers from The Leadership Conference, And Still I Vote and All Voting is Local for a discussion of the systemic racism embedded in our election processes, including voter suppression tactics that disproportionately target Black people and people of color. You will also learn how you can get more involved in collective efforts to upend these practices.

Free learning opportunity

To help Americans begin the conversation about social equity, the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance is offering the online course, The Equity Journey, free of charge for 30 days, beginning July 15. Learners will explore the meaning of equity, test their own understanding of privilege and learn how to advance equity in their own organizations and communities.

The Johnson County Election Office still needs assistance.

Help open and flatten mail-in ballots. Shifts are still open through the first week of August. Contact Amber Stenger if you are interested.

Celebrate the 19th Amendment centennial with a visit to the Johnson County Museum (in-person or virtual).

The museum's Women and the Vote digital exhibit is available at the Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center Cultural Commons through Dec. 31, 2020. You can also see a League of Women Voters of Kansas pop-up exhibit through July 25. Both exhibits are also viewable online here.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the tour of the Johnson County Election Office!

Questions or concerns?

Contact Us

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