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Date: 8/8/2020
Subject: The VOTER Newsletter - August 2020 (correction)
From: LWV of Johnson County




 
Ready, set, vote! Help us Power the Vote in 2020 and 2021. Join us for an interactive, organizational party to lay the groundwork to effectively engage and empower voters.
 
Registration required. Open to the public.

Our Leaguers in Action

Whether it’s “home alone” or on the road, our Leaguers have answered the calls! Throughout this newsletter, you’ll see all of the ways our members have been busy engaging voters and protecting democracy despite the pandemic!

  • 🚗 Souls to the Polls Car Caravan. Read why this get-out-the-vote activity was a huge success. Many thanks to WyCo civic and faith groups who made this happen.

  • 🏢 Johnson County Election Office tour. About 20 Leaguers and friends got a VIP tour with Election Commissioner Connie Schmidt to see all of the ways mail-in voting is secure. Read more.

  • 🗳Volunteer support of election staff. Thirty-five League members volunteered 220 hours the past few weeks to help Johnson County election staff process an estimated 100,000 mailed ballots. See below for a list of all who donated their time to support our election office staff. 

  • Power the Vote Virtual Preview Party, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 7-8:30 p.m. It’s back and better with no calories! Don’t miss the small breakout chat rooms, “door” prizes and exciting updates about what’s coming up and how can YOU help. Register now for our first-ever virtual preview party.

  • 📲 Member Check-in. Keeping in personal touch with our 374 members is tough in this COVID era. Thanks to the thirty, yes thirty, Leaguers who’ll telephone everyone in August to see how they’re doing. They’ll also ask if you prefer text, phone or email alerts about help needed or hot news. Why? As the election pace quickens, the board must be able to reach you dependably! 

  Ready to act? Read emails and visit our website regularly. Then sign up to participate.  2020 is the year for Leaguer action that protects our constitutional right to vote.

Amber Stenger and Ellen Miller, Co-Presidents



Members Direct, Board Responds

Remember our annual meeting on March 7? Over 110 of us were together, in person, in the same room at Atonement Church! Presiding federal judge Julie Robinson gave an inspiring speech on breaking barriers and forging a path to leadership. 


At the business meeting, we voted on a budget, slate of officers and bylaws changes supporting our IRS application for 501(c)3, tax-deductible status. Last and certainly not least, members gave the board “directions,” which the board discussed at the July board meeting. Below is an update on where we are with each direction.


Important note: Well into 2021, LWVJoCo will hold only virtual meetings to protect participants’ health. It’s possible that a hybrid “virtual-with-small in-person audience” could be considered for mid-2021 or later. 

 
Amber Stenger and Ellen Miller, co-presidents
Eleven Directions and Status
1. Pursue Thursday evening meetings to better incorporate the Jewish community.
Status: The virtual “Legislative Recap” with Paul Johnson and Michael Poppa was held on a Thursday night. About 50 participated. The same weeknight is being considered for future virtual meetings. Another summer event, a small group discussion about “The Vote” documentary, took place on a Wednesday night. Our fall monthly meetings will take place virtually on Saturday mornings, but they will be recorded for later viewing.
 
2. Consider a poverty simulation event similar to one suggested by Judge Robinson.
Status: All in-person meetings are on hold due to COVID-19. Consider for 2021-22.

 
3. Study a position on early childhood education and/or kindergarten.
Status: Bylaws Art. IX, Principles and Program, permits studies to be proposed by the board, sent to members three weeks ahead of the annual meeting, and then voted on at that meeting. Usually studies last one year, but may be extended to two. In addition, a proposed new study must have a named leader who has accepted that responsibility.

4. Consider providing child care during Saturday meetings.
Status: All in-person meetings are on hold due to COVID-19. 

5. Coach members on how to promote our presence on social media to help expand our reach.
Status: The next e-blast encourages members to share LWV news on their own social media newtworks. Unsure how to do it? Planning has started to offer a Zoom session on “Social Media Basics” to members in the next few weeks. 

6. Consider a study of voter suppression in Johnson and Wyandotte counties.
Status: Getting out the vote is the top priority for FY2020-21. Evaluate this topic after the 2020 elections.
 
7. Increase efforts of voter registration, voter education, voter information and membership activities on college campuses. 
Status: Due to COVID-19, it is unclear if either Johnson County or Kansas City KS community colleges will have students on campus. Voter Services has prepared videos and Powerpoint presentations with voter registration information/voter engagement information that can be used by activity directors, instructors, etc. Posters/flyers have been printed with QR codes and hashtags to appeal to this age group. (Read more about that below.)
8. Create an education program on fact-checking, way to address fake news and communicate effectively. Resurrect the previous work on fact-checking rather than starting new efforts. This work became a presentation with the Speakers Bureau. 
Status: The recent e-blast had an article addressing misconceptions about the security of voting by mail, followed by a social media campaign to counter false information. We encourage members to share those with their networks. We will continue to share and promote resources and workshops to members that help distinguish fake/promotional stories from credible news.

9. Work to review the local position summaries through the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Status: Top priority for FY2020-21 is getting out the vote. The DEI co-chairs will recommend a priority for this task after the November 3 election. 

10. Educate general membership on DEI and national direction to incorporate DEI in everything we do. 
Status: The DEI co-chairs are leading a top-down model towards this goal. Work started with the board earlier in the year and continued this summer with three 90-minute workshops for board members and interested members. All LWJoCo committee chairs will be asked to utilize our DEI model and resources with their own committee members starting soon.
 
11. Propose an informal survey of statues of real, named women in Johnson County and what statues of women there should be in Johnson County to inspire young women. 
 Status: Top priority for FY2020-21 is getting out the vote. But after November 2020, we will research how to link a local statue survey with LWVJoCo’s recent $1000 donation for the nation women suffragist memorial. This donation was funded with surplus revenue from the 100th Anniversary celebration.  Located in Occoquan, VA, where our foremothers were incarcerated, the memorial which will include their statues: of Mary Church Terrell, Carrie Chapman Catt and Alice Paul. Our name will be inscribed on the memorial’s donor wall.



Summer DEI Workshops Build Foundation For Our Leaders

With the amazing leadership of DEI co-chairs Mary Lou Jaramillo and Ann Sanders, our League continues to progress on its mission to become a truly inclusive organization. 

Sanders and Jaramillo created three, 90-minute workshops to help our board and members learn more about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). During the summer, about 20 members, including several committee chairs, participated in the virtual workshops on Saturday mornings. They took self-assessments, did group exercises, discussed case studies and had candid conversations exploring DEI on personal, organizational and societal levels. 

This was part of LWVUS’s renewed commitment to DEI. In 2018, the League identified its lack of racial, economic, age and social diversity as an impediment to achieving its mission and as a barrier to greater impact and growth. That year, LWVJoCo created two board-level leadership positions to direct our local efforts to achieve this mission.

Save the date

Our collective DEI journey will continue at our September 12 meeting. Juan M. Rangel, Jr., director of family engagement for SCHOOLSMARTKC, and Andrea Hendricks, senior executive director-diversity and inclusion strategy at Cerner, will share their life experiences to help us explore the power and promise of DEI. Each participant will be asked to reflect and commit to enriching their communities. 

A Call to Action: A Personal Exploration of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Saturday, Sept. 12
9-10:30 a.m.
Online (details to come)

Photo Gallery: Souls to the Polls Caravan in Kansas City, Kansas
 
 
See all the photos in our Facebook album.

Voter Registration Team: Geared Up and Looking for Volunteers

Our posters, flyers and business cards are ready for distribution. We plan to display them to high schools, junior colleges, libraries, businesses, churches, fitness centers, hospitals, clinics, senior living centersbasically any place where people might be! If you have any ideas or contacts, let us know.
 
 We will be posting volunteer opportunities to help deliver our materials in late August/early September, so watch our website. There will also be opportunities for Zoom meetings to review how to register voters online, fill out the paper forms, use social media and QR codes, and share our YouTube videosWe will need everyone’s help to encourage voter registration and engagement for the November election. Let us know how we can help you help us!

 

 

 Barbara Delcore

Susan Watts


We appreciate the 200+ hours these members worked to help the Johnson County Election Office staff process the 90,000+ mailed ballots.
Aimee Burrow
Ann Schuster
Becky White
Cathy Nix
Cindy Shriver
Diane Kuhn
Donna Lauffer
Dorothy Crooks
Eileen Marshall
Ellen Miller
Ellen Porter
Evie Curtis
Jan Brunks
Janet Milkovich
Jean Frankel
Jo Dinkins
Julie Martin Lester
Kay Heley
Laura Blair
Leslie Mark
Lisa Bonds
Lora Enfield
Lynn Hardy
Mary Coffman
Nancy Anstaett
Patti Regan
Paula Brunner
Robyn Hart
Sara Funk
Sheryl Maguire
Tinna Hung

Member Spotlight: Victoria Smith
 
This photo enthusiast is helping to create League events with an appeal to younger voters. Learn more about Victoria.

In Memoriam

We pay tribute to Eleanor Lowe for her work to improve the lives of the people of Kansas. Lowe joined the League in 1965 and served as co-vice president and voter services chair. She also was a Mission Hills City Council member and president of Mainstream Coalition for several years.

 

Read more about her many accomplishments. 


Yard Signs - $10.00
T-Shirts - $15.00
Rhinestone "VOTE" Pins - $20.00
Car Magnets - $5.00

Contact Ann Norbury to make arrangements to pick up your purchases. (She's willing to meet at any JoCo library parking lot.)

 
Get your election swag today!

Observer Reports

 

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


 

Annual Report Editor
 
Start: January 2021
End: March 2021
 
Each year, we create an annual report to highlight our League's activities and accomplishments for members. The editor collects and proofs the reports from committee chairs and compiles the information for publication in March.
 
Interested? Please contact Amber Stenger.


Suffrage Event at Shawnee Town 1929
JAMMIN' ON THE GREEN WITH GRAND MARQUIS - CELEBRATE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE!
 
When: August 26, 2020 -  7:00-8:30 PM              Where:  Shawnee Town 1929 - 11501 W. 57th St.

This is THE date – the actual date - that Congress passed the 19th amendment 100 years ago! We will be Jammin’ with the Grand Marquis as we celebrate its passage with Girl Scouts presenting the colors and hoisting the Women’s Suffrage banner, songs, and anniversary cake. The Grand Marquis will feature songs by Bessie Smith, one of the all-time great female jazz performers of the day. Come help the community mark this momentous occasion!   

FREE Admission              
Museum Website

Board and Committee Briefs
  • Many thanks to member Dawn Rattan and KU Professor Diana Carlin for facilitating such an interesting discussion for members following the airing of “The Vote,” a PBS film about women’s suffrage. About 25 people took the opportunity to share their views of the documentary and deepen their understanding of the historical context of the movement. 
  • Thousands of Leaguers, including several LWVJoCo members, attended LWV’s first virtual national convention in June. If you missed it, you can find full details of actions taken. There you will also find links to videos of the panel discussion mentioned above, the keynote address from CBS Evening News Anchor Norah O'Donnell, and LWV CEO Virginia Kase. You can find the Convention Workbook here. The 2022 National Convention will be held in Denver, Colorado.
  • The new website is a hit! Nearly 600 people logged into lwvjoco.org in June, adding up to more than 6,000 page views. Communications Chair Mitchell Krasnopoler has done a wonderful job acquainting members with the website. 

  • The board voted to donate $1000 from the proceeds of our 2020 Centennial Celebration to a national women suffragist memorial being created to honor the courage and commitment of women who fought to get the 19th Amendment passed. The Turning Point Suffragist Memorial, located in Occoquan, Virginia, will include statues of Mary Church Terrell, Carrie Chapman Catt and Alice Paul. The name of our League will be inscribed on the memorial’s donor wall.

  • 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. 

Can This Voter Be Saved?
Conversations With Reluctant Voters
 
A friend, who is a new League member, recently asked, “How do you deal with a relative who announces they can’t bring themselves to vote for the candidate of either party, so they refuse to vote at all. That’s just wrong!”

Having never had to deal with this, I emailed several fellow Leaguers for suggestions. These responses may help you in your conversations with apathetic voters:

“This is a frequent question. Maybe one response would be to acknowledge the dilemma, and then ask if that person wants others to decide for him or her. Follow up by saying, 'I want to decide for myself, not let others do it for me.'”

“I’m not sure preaching about citizen responsibility being important to a democracy is effective. Maybe asking the reluctant voter questions about how to maintain a democracy might initiate a conversation and some thoughtful reflection.”

“I remind them that practical decisions are required. Especially this year.” 
 
“Looking for a perfect fit is the enemy of the best fit.”
 
“I remind them that many bad politicians are elected by people who didn't vote.” 
 
“In our system, governmental decisions/policies are directed by how people vote. We use ballots, not bullets, as used in other governmental systems.”
“Your vote is your voice. If you don’t vote, then don’t complain.”
 
“Not voting leaves public decisions in the hands of others—you’ve lost control.”
 
“Their vote is especially important in local elections. Local elections are the ones that most affect our day-to-day lives (roads, schools, public safety) and many are not partisan (or overtly partisan).”
 
“Recommend she watch 'The Vote' on PBS. After you see how women fought for decades to take the right to vote, it's harder to not exercise it now.” 
 
“Would they care if they were not allowed to vote? Choice takes on new meaning when framed in that way.”
 
“Suggest they vote the change they want to see. If they are good with how things arethe status quo then don't bother voting.” 
 
Submitted by Kathy Minges

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