Letter from the President, October 2020
Dear League members and friends of the League,
Here we are, just about two weeks away from November 3. Our last day to vote. Many of us have already voted. Others have made their plan to vote. In the short time left, we still have a job to do. 

If you have not yet voted—make a plan to vote, follow your plan and vote.
If you have voted, or when you have voted, ensure that others vote.

It is never too late to encourage voting.
Help people vote informed, direct folks to the LWVIL Illinois Voter Guide.
Answer questions about Voting By Mail. 
Call, text, email. Post on social media. Make more calls. 
Step up, take part, motivate.
No excuses.

Get out the vote. It’s on all of us.  
President
League of Women Voters of Illinois 
Illinois Voter Guide

Non-partisan coverage of every race in every county in the Illinois 2020 General Election! 
With 54 League candidate forums, 89 candidate statement videos and 159 candidate Q&A’s from local Leagues, IllinoisVoterGuide.org (IVG) is your go-to statewide voter resource. Voters from all over the state can use this one-stop-shop to make a plan to vote, targeted to their home address.

With the IVG, you have all the information you need to register, confirm registration, request a mail-in ballot, research candidates, review judicial candidate ratings, find voting locations and hours, find drop box locations, print a saved sample ballot to take to the polls, and receive a reminder to vote. This year the guide is also available in Spanish! 

Become familiar with the IVG and promote it widely in your League and personal social media posts (we have graphics you can use). Activate your networks and help people exercise their right to vote.  

LWVIL Voter Service chairs have devoted countless hours to this gargantuan effort and work with the IVG programmers every day to quickly correct any issues and add/amplify useful content. Please send comments to voterservice@lwvil.org.
Spread the Word

Suggested Election Season Messaging
  • Make a Plan to Vote
  • Register online using IllinoisVoterGuide.org until October 18; in person any time at an early voting site or on election day.
  • Go to IllinoisVoterGuide.org (now in Spanish) to research candidates, set up reminder alerts, and more.
  • Vote Early
  • Vote by Mail - Sign it/Seal it/Drop it/Track it

Graphics
We have graphics that you can use on social media or print as cards or flyers. Many come in both English and Spanish.

Useful Hashtags
#Iwillvote, #Illinoisvoterguide.org, #LWVIL, #yourleague, #makeaplantovote, #voteearly, #signitsealitdropit, #trackyourballot, #vote
WTTW Voter Guide
Produced with help from the League of Women Voters of Cook County, WTTW's voter guide features two-minute recorded messages from candidates. Search by race, candidate or district on an interactive Illinois map. Follow updates of ongoing political coverage from WTTW News.
You have the right to vote. You may cast a regular ballot unless a challenge to your ballot or voter qualifications are challenged. If that challenge is sustained at the polls, you have the right to cast a provisional ballot before leaving the polling site.

If you feel your vote is in jeopardy, call Election Protection at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683). Assistance is also available in Spanish at 888-VE-Y-VOTA (888- 839-8682), in Arabic at 844-YALLA-US (844-915- 5187), and Asian languages at 888-API-VOTE (1-888-174-8683). A video American Sign Language line is available at 301-818-VOTE (301-818-8683).
Volunteer to Protect Voter Rights
No Legal Experience Necessary

The Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights needs volunteers in its call center and in the field. 
 
Call center volunteers answer calls made to the 866-OUR-VOTE hotline from across Illinois and Indiana from their home computer. Field volunteers respond on call and in person to issues as they arise at polling places.

Many shifts can be done virtually; all CDC protocols are followed for in person shifts. All volunteers must complete an online training. Sign up.
New Voter Activation Effort
LWVIL is using a grant from the Just Democracy Illinois Coalition (via the the MacArthur Foundation) to further two goals: 1) increase voter registration and activation in specific communities and 2) educate people in pre-trial detention about their voting rights.

Grant funds are being used to print cards and yard signs in English and Spanish promoting the use of the Illinois Voter Guide. Cards and signs are being distributed by local Leagues and partner organizations throughout the state.

Leagues can also download and print English and Spanish versions of the cards and yard signs.

Funds are also being used to reach those in pre-trial detention, being building off of work done by LWVIL, LWV Chicago and Chicago Votes to ensure that the Jail-Prisons-Voting Act is implemented for Illinois elections. Please contact Jan Dorner at voterservice@lwvil.org to help implement this program in your county.
Fair Tax Voter Information

League Members have been hard at work advocating for the Fair Tax Amendment. So far, we have presented dozens of programs informing voters why they should vote for the Amendment. Fair Tax yard signs are available now: contact issues@lwvil.org. League members are encouraged to display them prominently 100 feet from the entrance to polling places.
Veto Session: What to Expect
The Illinois General Assembly reconvenes every fall for a two-week “veto session.” In 2020, sessions have been scheduled for November 17, 18, 19 and December 1, 2, 3. Technically, at the veto session, Illinois legislators are supposed to consider bills the Governor has vetoed, but it is not unusual for other initiatives to surface for a vote.nd be voted upon.

With the abbreviated General Assembly this year, the Governor did not veto any bills. Since a 3/5 majority is required to pass bills during the Veto Session, it is possible that instead of a Veto Session there will be a "Lame Duck" session in January 2021, when a simple majority is required.

If there is a Veto Session, the League of Women Voters of Illinois will sponsor a Webinar on November 10 which will address the following initiatives:

Clean Energy Jobs Act Bill (CEJA)
Why is CEJA so different from all the other clean energy bills being considered? Find out at this LWVIL Zoominar on Saturday, October 24 at 11 am. There will be a 30 minute video, followed by a 30 minute Q&A with Andrew Rehn of the Prairie Rivers Network and Jessica Beverly of the Sierra Club.

Illinois Ethics Reform
In August, sixteen Democratic lawmakers unveiled nine ethics proposals as part of legislation that could receive bi-partisan support in the upcoming veto session. With multiple corruption investigations in both Chicago and Springfield, Illinois lawmakers have been under pressure to enact ethics reform.
Criminal Justice Position Consensus Meetings
The Criminal Justice study is crucial to updating our position, which is 20 years out of date. An updated position will give all state Leagues the standing to speak on issues affecting our communities. We need all local Leagues to participate in the consensus study and return their response forms by January 31.

Due to the depth and breadth of available information, many local Leagues are scheduling more than one consensus meeting. We have initial information for consideration to serve as a springboard to your League’s research, and we urge you to share any additional articles you find pertinent. Please submit these and any questions you might have to issues@lwvil.org using the subject line “For CJ Update.”
Electoral College
Did you know that abolishment of the electoral college by constitutional amendment has been a League position for 50 years? Thanks to three years of diligent work by LWVIL’s Electoral College Committee, it was added as an LWV-US program item for 2020-2022 at the National Convention this year! 

LWVIL’s Electoral College Committee is now delivering virtual presentations on abolishing the electoral college by constitutional amendment. Endorsed by election law experts, the one-hour presentation provides an opportunity for local Leagues and other community and civic groups to offer engaging and informative programming to members, friends and the public. 

Contact Joy Guscott-Mueller at issues@lwvil.org for more information or to schedule a presentation. Additional information is also available on our website.
Election Dates to Remember
  • TODAY - Make a plan to vote
  • October 18 - Last day to register to vote online (Registration allowed at voting sites through November 3)
  • October 19 - Early voting begins in Illinois 
  • October 29 - Last day for election authorities to receive application to vote by mail (it is recommended that voters apply well ahead of this date)
  • November 3 - Election Day 
  • November 3 - Last day to turn in or postmark a vote by mail ballot 
The League of Women Voters Illinois Education Fund (LWVILEF) encourages the informed and active participation in government by providing civic education and voter services. Make a difference today for you and your community with a tax-deductible gift to support our work to defend democracy and empower voters.
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