August 2024 Contents President's Message PLEASE VOTE: 2024-2025 slate of officers Update: VAN training recording Voter registration training: In-person (9/11) and virtual options One person, one vote initiative: A session from LWV-Oregon (9/11) LWV-VA Right to vote study info sessions (Multiple dates) Chance to serve: Voter registration at Bass Elementary back to school night (9/12) Chance to serve: Naturalization Ceremony at Poplar Forest (9/17) Upcoming: Registration events at local colleges start this week! Upcoming: Virginia Election Protection Coaltion info session (Multiple dates) Reports: Electoral Board Reminder: The new fiscal year has begun! Virtual Tools: LWV-VA Fact Checker |
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It’s hard to believe that we are less than one month away from National Voter Registration Day (NVRD), on September 17. The League of Women Voters has a long history of being the largest on-the-ground partner for NVRD, and there are already over 400 Leagues signed on as official partners! LWVLY definitely understood the assignment and has numerous opportunities for all members to participate in voter registration events in the upcoming months. We had a successful voter registration event this month at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church in Lynchburg, and we have upcoming voter registration events at CVCC, Randolph College, Heritage High School, and Poplar Forest. More information on these events can be found in the newsletter. We hope to see you at one of them! This month also marks the 104th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. While this is an important milestone, we must remember that the 19th Amendment secured voting rights for only some women. Significant gender inequities continue to exist in our nation even today. Therefore, this week the League of Women Voters kicked off our 2024 Women’s Inequality Day campaign. This year, the League of Women Voters' campaign will focus on empowering women to make their voices heard for Election 2024 and equipping them with essential voter information through tools like VOTE411. Throughout next week, join the League in making sure that #WomenVote2024 by sharing your daily actions with voters in your community on social media. Onward and upward, Bethanie Mickles, Esq. (President) |
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On Sunday, August 18, 2024, the LWV-Lynchburg hosted a voter registration drive at the Pleasant Valley Baptist Church Annual Homecoming celebration in Lynchburg. Volunteers included Bethanie Mickles, Esq. (LWV-Lynchburg President) and Muriel Mickles, Ed.D. (LWV-Lynchburg Vice President). Four college students registered to vote at this event. |
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PLEASE VOTE: 2024-2025 slate of officers |
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In last month's bulletin, members were invited to vote on a change to the LWVLY Bylaws. This change passed, allowing for a somewhat more flexible leadership structure. With this change accomplished, the outgoing Board presents this leadership slate for your consideration: President: Bethanie Mickles, Esq. Vice President: Muriel Mickles Secretary: Jan Willinger (continuing her term) Treasurer: Sue Stengel (beginning a new term) Communications Officer: Crystal Howell (beginning a new term) Your ballot will be available for 30 days. Please vote by September 30 here. |
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Update: VAN training recording |
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Over these past few days, Michelle Moffitt (Director, Partnerships + Data for the Virginia Civic Engagement Table) received multiple requests for a recording of the VAN training advertised in last month's bulletin. To view that training, please complete the VAN compliance quiz, and then you should be able to view the recorded training. |
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Voter registration training: In-person (9/11) and virtual options |
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Are you interested in registering new voters but have been hesitant to do your training online by yourself? The Lynchburg Registrar's Office has graciously offered a one hour, in person training session for League members on Wednesday, September 11 at 6:30pm. Every League member who registers voters must be certified by the Virginia Department of Elections training through the ELECT program--and certifications expire each year on June 30. The training is easy to understand, and we promise you will always be placed with a more experienced League member when you start off. Plus, there are a number of fun events for you to choose from this fall. To make effective use of the Registrar Office's time and resources, this in-person program requires a minimum of five people. If you would like to participate, contact Jan Willinger at janintheburg@gmail.com or 434-444-5076 by Monday, September 9. Training will be held at the Lynchburg Registrar's Office, 825 Kemper Street. If you would rather complete your Voter Registration training at home, you can also take the DOE Online Voter Registration Training Interactive Course online, anytime that works with your schedule. Don't forget to confirm with the affidavit after you complete the training so that you can participate in upcoming voter registration events. You can complete the online training by clicking here. |
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One person, one vote initiative: A session from LWV-Oregon (9/11) |
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Hi everyone, I want to make sure that state and local leaders on this list see this message, and share with your members.
As you may know, the LWV’s “One Person/One Vote” initiative is about getting National Popular Vote passed in enough states so that the candidate who wins the most votes in the whole country becomes president. (It’s the first phase of our national “moonshot” to eliminate the Electoral College.) But many members may still be unfamiliar with how The National Popular Vote plan works.
Hence, we (the NPV Network) are hosting a Zoom National Popular Vote “Kick Off” session on Wednesday, September 11th from 7:00-8:00 pm (Eastern Time). Our speaker, Daniel Lishansky, JD, will explain how it works and address some of the common myths.
Please send this notice to other members who may be interested. All members (in all states) are welcome.
To join this Informational Session, please click here.
Happy Election Season all,
Barbara Klein
(LWV Oregon) |
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LWV-VA Right to vote study info sessions (Multiple dates) |
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LWV-VA will share findings from LWV-VA's right to vote study on Thursday, September 12 at 7pm and again on Sunday, September 15 at 2pm. Both can be accessed using the information below. Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88173296215?pwd=7nk5ulKudU1QhLw5Aa0wd3EPm7CwCu.1
Meeting ID: 881 7329 6215
Passcode: 234459 LWVLY members, please note that voter assistance groups like LWV-VA have noted a marked uptick in "Zoom bombing," the intentional disruption of Zoom meetings, often with threatening language and images. Please DO NOT share the link and password above beyond LWVLY membership. |
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Chance to serve: Voter registration at Bass Elementary's back to school night (9/12) |
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William M. Bass Elementary will host their annual back to school night on September 12, 5-7pm. They have invited LWVLY to register voters, and we need volunteers to help staff this event! Please contact member Molly McClenon (m.mcclenon@comcast.net) if you would like to participate. |
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Chance to serve: Naturalization Ceremony at Poplar Forest (9/17) |
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A naturalization ceremony will take place at Poplar Forest on September 17 at 11am. LWVLY will be there to register newly naturalized citizens to vote, and we need volunteers to help staff this event! Please contact member Niro Rasanaygam (niro_r@hotmail.com) if you would like to participate. |
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Upcoming: Registration events at local colleges |
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LWVLY will be registering voters on September 4, 11am-1pm, at Randolph College during the college's annual community involvement fair. Weather permitting (and the forecast is looking lovely!), the event will be held outdoors on Suntrust Plaza. If you would like to help staff this event, please contact Muriel Mickles (murielmickles@gmail.com) and MJ Pearson (mjlp55@gmail.com). LWVLY will also be registering voters at CVCC's Student Appreciation Picnic on September 25, 11:30am-2pm. If you would like to help staff this event, please contact Muriel Mickles (murielmickles@gmail.com) and MJ Pearson (mjlp55@gmail.com). Dates and times for events at the University of Lynchburg and Virginia University of Lynchburg are still TBD. |
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Upcoming: Virginia Election Protection Coalition info session (Multiple dates) |
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The Virginia Election Protection Coalition, Virginia’s largest nonpartisan voter protection and advocacy effort made up of over 50 nonprofit organizations, will host three upcoming information sessions for nonprofits, faith organizations, businesses, campus departments, student organizations, and other neighborhood and community leaders for us to share more about you can mobilize your organizations and communities to protect the vote in 2024. Annually, the Virginia Election Protection Coalition recruits, trains, and mobilizes hundreds of nonpartisan volunteers across the commonwealth to assist voters and report issues at voting locations. Combined with the 866-OUR-VOTE national hotline and undertaking voter education campaigns across Virginia, we are gearing up to assist hundreds of thousands of voters across Virginia. As key leaders in our community, LWVLY members are invited to attend an info session to learn more about joining us to ensure every Virginian can access the ballot box. During the hour-long information session, you’ll learn more about the following: What Election Protection is and what we do How your organization can make a difference for voters How you and your members can sign up as nonpartisan volunteers Resources and materials to fight voter suppression
Who Should Attend:
Anyone representing an organization or community group in Virginia or DC is encouraged to attend. That includes nonprofits, faith organizations or congregations, campus organizations or academic departments, businesses, unions, local organization chapters, and more! If you have a group of people that you think should be involved, you should attend. For individuals not representing an organization, please sign up for more information here. Who Is Hosting: The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and the Virginia Civic Engagement Table will host the information sessions. How to Attend: You may attend any of three upcoming information sessions: Thursday, September 4, 2024, at 11AM ET. Thursday, September 4, 2024, at 7PM ET. Wednesday, September 18, 2024 at 7PM ET. Click the date above that you’d like to register for, and you’ll be taken to the registration page for it. The content in each session will be identical. Multiple dates and times are offered for attendee flexibility. LWVLY members, please note that voter assistance groups like VEPC have noted a marked uptick in "Zoom bombing," the intentional disruption of Zoom meetings, often with threatening language and images. Please DO NOT share the links above beyond LWVLY membership. |
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The Electoral Board, Two Court Cases and Protecting our Next Election A few reminders about how Electoral Boards are composed and their duties: In Virginia, all Electoral Boards (EBs) consist of three members, two from the same party as the Governor and one from the other party. Thus, when Youngkin-R was elected and replaced Northam-D, the composition of all Electoral Boards changed. The Electoral Board hires the registrar. The Registrar hires the office staff, including the Deputy Registrar. According to Virginia code, hiring, training and overseeing Officers of Election (OEs, sometimes called poll workers) is the responsibility of the Electoral Board. In practice, about half of EBs actively recruit and select OEs and in about the other half that responsibility is designated to the registrar. In Lynchburg it had been primarily done by the Deputy Registrar Kim Conner for many years. Now it is done by the EB secretary Betty Gibbs. What makes this so complicated is that the Electoral Board members are appointed because of their party affiliation and then are charged to act in a strictly nonpartisan manner. Same with Election Officials: the Chief is from one party, and the Assistant Chief is from the other party. Election Officials "when practicable" are to be evenly divided between the parties. BUT all are expected to act in a strictly nonpartisan way. The court case recently filed by Peter Alexander contended that absentee ballots were improperly handled in the recent Ward IV Republican primary which he lost to sitting Council member Chris Faraldi. His case was very publicly and strongly supported by Council members Marty Misjuns and Jeff Helgeson, resulting in three special City Council meetings and the censure of two Council members. (Please see last month's bulletin for a selection of news articles describing these events in greater detail.) I attended many of these proceedings. It became apparent to me that Alexander and his supporters did not understand the steps involved with processing and counting absentee ballots. Eventually he dropped the case. Another case was brought by former Registrar Christine Gibbons against Electoral Board Secretary Betty Gibbs and new member Steven Troxel. Gibbons charged that she had been unlawfully let go because of her party affiliation. There were also complaints against the Deputy Registrar whom she had supported. A charge of racial discrimination was not allowed to be presented. Gibbons lost her case. For excellent reporting of this case, read Mark Hand's articles in The News & Advance. Changes: I have attended most of the Electoral Board meetings and all but one afternoon of the above court case. I've witnessed a serious tug of war over who will control the Officers of Election list. Recently it changed. Now applications to be an Election Official are sent to the home address of the Secretary of the Electoral Board, not the Registrar's Office nor to City Human Resources (OE are actually city employees). The EB Secretary processes them and maintains the list, not the Deputy Registrar. The Electoral Board still must vote to approve each OE. Another change: Previously a person could agree to represent one party even if they usually considered themselves a member of the other party. This was the main way balance between parties was achieved. Sometimes more Ds were needed, then more Rs. My experience was that most people who worked as Officers of Elections were first and foremost committed to fair, peaceful, and accurate elections. Otherwise they would not be invited to serve again. About 2019, the Virginia code changed. Now party designation must be verified by each party's chair. A person cannot declare their affiliation. However, it is still possible to be unaffiliated. How can we protect the integrity of elections? Become an election official, that is work administering the election. You must work from 5:00am to at least 8:00pm for a small amount of pay. Vital work! Or become a designated observer for the party of your choice. Then you are allowed to be inside the polling space and observe what happens. You can leave and return. Observers are also allowed inside after the polls close to witness the closing of the poll and the reporting of the results. Just speak to your party chair about volunteering. Respectfully submitted by Molly McClenon |
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Reminder: The New Fiscal Year has Begun! |
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Treasurer Sue Stengel reminds all members that annual dues were due by June 30. If you wish to remain a member for the 2024-2025 fiscal year (and we hope you do!), please pay your dues online at our website or, if you prefer, mail a check to PO Box 3042, Lynchburg, VA 24503. |
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Virtual Tool: LWV-VA Fact Checker to Combat Mis- and Disinformation |
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Tool: VerbaAI The League of Women Voters of Virginia in partnership with VerbaAI, has established a fact-checking website which uses AI to find political statements and then check them against known and trusted sites. These include Snopes, PolitiFact, LeadStories, and Fact Check.org. League members are also active in locating and submitting questionable stories for review. According to Virginia League President, Joan Porte, “The ubiquitous spread of election lies is a clear danger to our democracy. This is just a piece of the work that we do to protect voters, but it is vital.” The website will be active through the November general election and beyond. According to Porte, “We have the dubious distinction of being one of two states with major elections every year. Unfortunately, false information shows no signs of stopping so we will remain vigilant." Read the full info sheet from LWV-VA here. |
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The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization encouraging the informed and active participation of citizens in government. It influences public policy through education and advocacy. We never support or oppose any political party or candidate. |
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