A Note From the President, April 2022
April 22, 2022, is the world’s 52nd Earth Day - the most widely observed secular holiday on the planet. 

Inspired by Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, the day was aimed at increasing public awareness about pollution and growing that awareness to a national agenda of action. 

And grow it did, into an international movement. Soon after the first Earth Day, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was formed and multiple pieces of federal legislation were created for the protection of human health and conservation of the environment here in the US.

From Rachel Carson to Senator Nelson to Greta Thunberg - the movement gained momentum and continues to expand. The secret strategy behind the expansion of awareness, the growth of environmental activism and the changes which have resulted ? Very simple. Education and voting.
  
For more than a century, the League has been promoting this strategy–education to increase awareness and voting to achieve change. Providing access to information, protecting and expanding voting rights, this is the path to a healthy planet and a healthy democracy. 
 
When it comes to voting, we can all be agents of education and change. As Leaguers we are all steeped in voting awareness–and it is incumbent on us to share what we know, and the information we have access to, with others. We can be the change. We must be the change. 

We have three months leading up to our June 28th primary election. The time to share out everything we know is now. Right now. Share the election date. Share the fact that vote by mail ballot applications are available online. Share our calendar of candidate forums. Share IVG as the source for all voting information. 

Empower your family and friends, neighbors and communities. Motivate them to be change agents - to use their power to vote. 

Education. Change. Healthy planet, healthy democracy. The power is ours to use. 

Allyson
President
League of Women Voters of Illinois
To learn more about climate change and climate action in Illinois and across the world:
GOTV With IVG
Every Leaguer in Illinois can help Get Out the Vote (GOTV) with LWVIL’s Illinois Voter Guide (IVG). This one-stop guide includes voter information for every community in our state - where and how to register, apply for a vote by mail ballot, find a polling place, what candidates are on the ballot. No matter where you are activating voters, you can send them to the IVG for the information they need to vote informed.
 
Encourage voters to sign up to be notified when candidate information is available in the IVG. Add IVG graphics to your League website and facebook page - you can find them on the LWVIL website under Voting & Elections>Illinois Voter Guide. Encourage your networks to share too! 
 
With the IVG, everyone can join Team GOTV!
Vote By Mail Application 
Remind voters that the first step to voting by mail/drop box is to apply for a vote by mail ballot from their election authorities. It’s easy to do from the Illinois Voter Guide - just click the button to be sent to the correct place on the State Board of Elections website. 
It's Time for Candidate Forums
Candidate forums are a League hallmark and an excellent opportunity for all League members to educate and engage voters in their community. Whether in-person or virtual, recordings of forums will be available in the Illinois Voter Guide for maximum accessibility. 
Gubernatorial Candidate Forums 
LWVIL is partnering with ABC7 and Univision to hold candidate forums for gubernatorial candidates running in the June 28 primary election. The Republican forum will be recorded on June 2 and televised at a time to be determined. Forum coordinators are awaiting responses from Democrat gubernatorial candidates.
Candidate Forum Calendar
Help voters find out what candidates are saying—remind people about your local League’s candidate forums! Check out the LWVIL website under Voting & Elections>Candidate Forum Calendar for a statewide forum calendar.
Fact Checking During Forums?
League Moderators are not responsible for fact checking candidate statements during a forum. This has the potential to appear biased and compromise the League’s nonpartisan status. LWVIL has prepared the following statement for Moderators to use in their opening remarks:

Candidates are expected to accurately represent the facts. The League of Women Voters is not responsible for the accuracy of statements made by candidates. It is the responsibility of the public, news media, opposing candidates, et al. to fact check statements made by candidates if deemed necessary.

The statement is also included in the Branded Slide Deck for Candidate Forums, which is available on the LWVIL website, under For Members>League Resources, scroll down to Voter Service, Candidate Forums.
LWVIL Pollwatcher Policy
With two elections approaching in 2022, the LWVIL Board of Directors has approved a Pollwatcher Policy to guide local Leagues who are considering applying for pollwatcher credentials from their election authority. The deadline to apply for pollwatcher credentials for the June 28 Primary election is May 19. Please find the LWVIL Pollwatcher Policy on the LWVIL website under For Members>League Resources, scroll to LWVIL Board Policies.
High School Voter Registration Information
Local Leagues are encouraged to use this email template to contact their school districts regarding the implementation of Illinois law SB825, High School Voter Registration. This law requires the State Board of Elections to prepare information on voter registration for high school students. High schools are required to distribute flyer A and flyer B to all of their students. Distribution can be electronic.

The email template and flyers can be found on the LWVIL website under For Members>League Resources, scroll to Voter Service.
Observer Training
Thursday, June 9, 7:00–8:00 pm
The League’s trained Observer Corps are a respected part of the community— they work to keep local governments accountable and community members informed.

Register to attend. Members only. Registration closes 24 hours prior to the event. The event link will be sent a day in advance and one hour before the event.
Report: General Assembly 2022
Important legislation supported by the League was passed by both Chambers during a spring session shortened by more than 1 ½ months because of the June 28 primaries. The General Assembly has 30 days to send newly passed legislation to the Governor, who has 60 days to sign it into law. Any vetoed legislation is returned to the General Assembly. 

League-supported legislation now on the Governor’s desk for signing includes:
Budget: Permanently expands access to Illinois’ earned income credit
Education HB900 (Budget)
  • Increases Evidence-Based funding for FY 2023
  • Increases funding for Early Childhood Programs by 9%
  • Provides funding for Minority Teacher Scholarships
Elections SB829: Provides for accessible vote by mail for Illinoisans with print disabilities. 
Healthcare HB4343: Expands access to free and affordable healthcare to low income Illinois residents ages 42 and over. 
Housing HB2775: A renter’s source of income cannot be used as grounds to deny them a lease. 
Immigration SB3144: Ensures that the state has the infrastructure to provide legal representation for deportation cases.
Join the Issues and Advocacy Committee
The LWVIL Issues and Advocacy Committee is looking for issue specialists to join as offboard members of this standing board committee. LWVIL issue specialists are dedicated volunteers who track legislation and make recommendations about whether the League should support or oppose bills based on our positions.

There are current openings for issue specialists in the areas of election policy, immigration, healthcare, reproductive rights, and ethics in government. The committee is also seeking people to help with leadership of the committee – organizing reports, updating files, etc. Interested? Contact issues@lwvil.org.
EVENT CALENDAR
Check out the event calendar on the LWVIL website and connect with other local Leagues. Go to the event calendar for information on how to submit your League's educational events for posting.
Thank you for supporting our work to defend democracy and empower voters.