League of Women Voters of Oak Park & River Forest Newsletter October 2020 Volume 6 Issue 3
October Newsletter 2020
President's Letter
Dear Members:
It is hard to believe that October is here, and that autumn is upon us. The election is looming large, and committee members are scrambling to prepare by assisting with voter registration and supporting the Fair Tax Amendment. On the day before Voter Registration Day, a surge in online traffic caused the State Board of Elections online voter registration website to crash! Early voting has begun in some states, as voters in others still await receipt of their mail- in ballots. Early voting begins in Oak Park at Village Hall on October 19, where people can either deposit their ballots in the drop boxes or vote in person. In addition, we are still working on the 2020 Census. Due to a recent court decision, the deadline has been extended through October 31.
Our Fall Kickoff, “Reimagining Policing” was a huge success! About 75 people attended the Zoom Event. Thanks to Judith McDevitt and Cynthia Schilsky, LWV Cook County President, for hosting the event, checking in participants, and screening questions. Well done, ladies! The panelists were excellent! They answered questions from the moderator, which they received in advance, and from the audience. For those of you who missed it, you can watch the edited video on YouTube. To view it, click this link. There was a full-page article in the Oak Leaves last Wednesday, entitled “What is the Role of Police?” which was highly complimentary.
Our members virtually attended the LWVIL Power the Vote Centennial Luncheon on September 24 featuring dynamic speakers, including Valerie Jarrett, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.
Our new Secretary, Mary Ann Porucznik, will be submitting a weekly column on suffragists in the Wednesday Journal. Her column on September 23, “The Southern Belle Suffragist,” featured Julia Holmes Smith, whose amazing life was fascinating to read! We are looking forward to future columns. Well done, Mary Ann!
Our Criminal Justice Reform Committee reached consensus on Section 2, Bias in the Criminal Justice System, answering “YES” to the question: “Should there be periodic training for individuals working in the criminal justice system to recognize implicit racial and ethnic bias?” At our next meeting we will discuss Question 3, Gender Responsive Approach for All Offenders. Please take the time to read Question 3 in the document in preparation for our meeting on October 29.
Thank you all for your commitment to our mission to encourage informed and active participation in government.
Beverly Graham
Coming Soon: October Second Tuesday
Second Tuesday Forums will return on October 13, 9:30 - 11:00am, to present "Keep Calm and Vote! Exercising Your Right to Vote in 2020." Join us to hear our own Peggy Kell on safe voting practices, ask your questions about the 2020 election, and more. The flyer is here;to attend, sign up here. Hope to see you there!
Early Voting Volunteer Opportunity
The Oak Park Village Hall will be an Early Voting Site starting on October 19. Because they are expecting record numbers to take advantage of this opportunity, volunteers are being recruited to keep lines moving and answer questions. They are going to have either 3 or 4 hour shifts, starting at 7:30am and ending at 7:30pm. If you think you would be interested in helping during early voting, contact Peggy Kell.
Consensus Meeting Coming
On Thursday, October 29, the first all-member consensus meeting on the Criminal Justice Reform Questions will start at 6:30pm. Our League's committee has been reviewing the first seven questions and coming to agreement on recommendations. Members are encouraged to review the first seven questions in the document so they will be prepared for the discussion on October 29.
