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Congratulations to the winning candidates in the August Primary. Thank you to everyone who cared enough about our community to throw their hat in the ring!
The Sarasota League had an impact on the Primary voter turnout!
New voter suppression laws were designed to make it more difficult to Vote-by-Mail (VBM) and to impede organizations such as the League from registering voters. To counter this, we launched our first comprehensive media campaign "Your Vote is Your Voice," along with forums, speakers and voter registration drives. While the August Primary voter turnout and VBM ballots cast were down significantly statewide, Sarasota County far exceeded the State average on both.
Sarasota County voter turnout held steady versus 2022, exceeding the state average by over 50%. Vote-by-Mail ballots were down 40% statewide. At a 24% drop, Sarasota tied Lee County for the lowest drop in the state.
LESSON LEARNED:
People who are concerned, and educated on the issues, show up to vote!
The attendance at our Sarasota Memorial Hospital panel discussion and voter forums, along with the interest in our School Board report cards, were well beyond expectations. We had record-breaking attendance and YouTube views of our Primary candidate forums, swelling to over 1200. We engaged the press with event information, OpEds, and Vilia Johnson's interview on "Empowering Voices" (WWSB ABC7). Our newsletter now reaches over 1000 subscribers with a 69% open rate.
Taking this election turnout lesson to heart, we will move forward into the General Election by continuing to inform and empower voters. Our election plan includes:
Encouraging residents to register and reapply for their VBM ballot.
Providing educational events and forums.
Engaging with the press on key issues and events.
Publishing vote411.org and Voter Guides.
Emailing and posting key event reminders so you won’t miss a thing!
And to start us off, read on, and see what we have in store for you!
In League,
Shawn Bartelt, president
League of Women Voters of Sarasota County
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