Leading up to Women’s Equality Day, the League of Women Voters of the United States and League chapters from all 50 states and the District of Columbia sent a letter to the White House and members of Congress urging action for the immediate publication of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in the US Constitution. December 2024 marks 101 years since the ERA was first introduced in Congress. 

The letter sent on Friday calls for:

• US President Biden to instruct the US Archivist to fulfill their statutory duty to certify and publish the Equal Rights Amendment in the US Constitution; and
• US Congress to pass S.J. Res. 4/H.J. Res. 25, a bipartisan resolution affirming the validity of the Equal Rights Amendment as part of the Constitution and addressing the question of a time limit; or
• US Congress to pass S.J. Res. 39/H.J. Res. 82, a resolution affirming the validity of the Equal Rights Amendment as part of the Constitution and that the US Archivist must certify and publish the ERA.

The ERA has met all of the ratification requirements outlined in the US Constitution, yet it remains unpublished and many Americans continue to face discrimination on the basis of sex. The League will continue its efforts to support the ERA’s rightful position as a constitutional amendment. Read the letter on the LWV US website here.

Know the Facts! There has never been a more critical time to have accurate information about our elections. As we approach the 2024 Presidential Election, misinformation and disinformation are sowing division and distrust, suppressing voting, and undermining the entire electoral process. Fight back against election misinformation by knowing and sharing the accurate information. LWVIL’s Mis/Disinformation Task Force has compiled 12 verifiable election facts—get the full details.

Also, the County still needs Election Judges. Go here to find out what you need to do to become an election judge. High school juniors and seniors and college students do not need to be a registered voter to work as an election judge. They just need a GPA of at least 3.0. It's a great way to get young people involved in the democratic process and get paid to boot!

Would you like to have a yard sign that promotes easy online voter registration? You can for the low, low price of $20! Just go online to our website and donate $20 to LWV OPRF and a yard sign will be delivered to your house. The QR code on the sign takes you to the Illinois State Board of Elections where you can check your registration or register to vote. This is a great League advertising and educational tool to spread the word about voting in the upcoming election. Order yours today!

If you missed the June LWV IL program on "How to talk to people that disagree with you politically," you can watch the program video here. The presenter, Dr. Gina M. Masullo, discussed research-backed approaches for navigating digital spaces—and offline spaces—with people who disagree with you politically. The talk provided tangible takeaways for us to apply in your own lives in order to be more open to other viewpoints without compromising our values.

If you would like to help register citizens in person, check out the list here for upcoming voter registration events. You can help as a Deputy Registrar or just a Leaguer who passes out palm cards with voter information on it. More dates are being added daily, so keep checking the list! Contact Peggy Kell with any questions or dates of local events that we can include on our voter registration calendar.

On Tuesday, September 24, 6:30pm at the Main Oak Park Library, the LWV OPRF Fall Kick-off will discuss the implications of mis/dis-information. The panel will include the leaders of the LWVIL mis/dis task force. Joining them will be Michael Spikes, Ph.D., lecturer and director of Teach for Chicago Journalism at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. This event is free and open to the public. Share this with your friends and neighbors!

We hope you have this on your calendar and are coming to celebrate with us!

LWV OPRF Centennial Gala!

October 20, 2024 at

19th Century Club

5:30pm Cocktails, Dinner, and Program

Tickets $100

Invitations to go out September 6

More details in next week's WIP

To volunteer at the Centennial, please email co-chair Joan Petertil

The League's Observer Corps plays a key role in community education and engagement, helping their communities stay informed about decisions that impact them locally while encouraging government transparency and accountability. Take the training on Thursday, September 12, at 1:00pm to become a trained Observer. Register here.

Have you paid your League dues? Go online or download a paper copy and send it in ASAP!

LWV Cook County August Newsletter

LWV UMRR August Newsletter

LWV IL August Newsletter

LWV US August 22 Update

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