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Serving the people of San Jose, Santa Clara, Milpitas, Morgan Hill & Gilroy
January 2024
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President's Message
Democracy Is Not A Spectator Sport
Happy New Year! Or is it? Many of us are balancing optimistic anticipation of the promises a new year with pessimistic dread about what could happen in the November Presidential election.
That's why "Democracy is not a spectator sport" is the perfect theme for the year. No matter your political perspective, now is not the time to sit back and watch. It is time to be involved to ensure that all eligible voters are registered, educated about the candidates and issues, and encouraged to go to the ballot box. The League has excelled in these goals in the past, but we can -- and need -- to do more in 2024!
The first step is to attend our launch event on Jan. 25 with political analyst Larry Gerston which will also incorporate our annual program planning process. We need clear priorities that make the best use of our resources. The event is good time to sign up to help with Candidates Forums and voter outreach activities.
We are also starting the year with a leadership change. Co-President Martha Butzier resigned in December and we will miss her. Thank you, Martha, for all that you have accomplished in the past few months.
I look forward to seeing you in person on Jan. 25. Let's all work together to make sure that 2024 is, indeed, a happy new year.
Diane
Diane McNutt
President
Diane.McNutt@lwvsjsc.org
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Lunch with League
launches 2024 election year
NBC Political Analyst and Author
Larry Gerston
"Closing the Door on American Democracy"
Thursday, Jan. 25, 12 noon-2 p.m.
Three Flames Restaurant
1547 Meridian Ave., San Jose
The League of Women Voters of San Jose/Santa Clara launches the pivotal 2024 Presidential Election year with a special IN PERSON Lunch With League event, our first since 2020. In addition to hearing from NBC Bay Area political analyst Larry Gerston, Ph.D. about what to expect in election year 2024, members and community guests will provide input on national and local League priorities for the coming year and learn about opportunities to take action in meaningful ways.
Dr. Gerston engages the political process as a professor, author and analyst. He been part of the political science faculty at San Jose State University since 1974. He has written 14 academic books, including Trumpism, Bigotry and the Threat to American Democracy, published in December 2023. Dr. Gerston is the on-air political analyst for NBC Bay Area television, where he appears twice weekly, and speaks often on KCBS radio. He has also appeared on NBC Nightly News, CBS Evening News, CNN, PBS,C-SPAN, and BBC. He talks often on issues such as civic engagement and political empowerment. In his “spare” time, he has also authored four children’s books.
Tickets for the luncheon meeting are $45 per person, with proceeds going to support the League's Voter Service activities. We are anticipating a big crowd so purchase tickets NOW.
COMING UP IN FEBRUARY
Lunch With League will return to a Zoom virtual format on Thursday, Feb. 15, 12 noon-1 p.m. with Zahra Billoo, Executive Director, San Francisco Bay Area Region, CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations). It is the oldest CAIR office in the country, based in Santa Clara, and serves 250,000 Muslims in the nine Bay Area counties.
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Our League is working on Candidates Forums prior to the Primary Election on March 5, and more may be added. We need volunteers to serve as moderators, question sorters, and timers for both in person and Zoom events. If you are interested, please contact Voter Service Chair Sandy Mory.
Santa Clara County Supervisor, District 2 Candidates
Wednesday, Jan. 17, 6-8:30 p.m.
Franklin McKinley School District Board Room, 645 Wool Creek Rd., San Jose
Spanish and Vietnamese translation will be available.
San Jose City Council, District 2 Candidates
Thursday, Jan. 18, 7-8:30 p.m.
Southside Community Center, 5585 Cottle Rd., San Jose
The League is also committed to two Pros & Cons presentations to community organizations in January to review the March ballot.
ELECTION OBSERVER OPPORTUNITY l
The Registrar of Voters (ROV) is inviting local citizens to observe election activities related to the Primary Election. This includes testing of the ballot-on-demand printer, preparation and texting of the touch screen ballot marking device and Vote Center scanner/tabulator, texting of the central count ballot scanner/tabulator, processing of returned vote-by-mail ballots, operations at the main ROV headquarters and Vote Centers, and election night ballot receipt and counting. Some of these activities begin as early as mid January. For more information or to sign up, call the ROV at 408-282-3269.
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California Primary – March 5, 2024
If you are registered as NPP (No Political Party Preference), you may not get the Primary ballot you want!
In 2011, California adopted the “Top Two Candidates Open Primary Act.” As a result, in elections for U.S. congressional offices, state constitutional offices and state legislative offices, all candidates are listed on one ballot and only the top two vote-getters– regardless of party preference - move on to the general election.
The only elections where the list of candidates is specific to a political party are the offices of U.S. President and county central committee. How can you be sure to get the ballot that you want? Go to sccvote.sccgov.org to check that you are registered to vote and to see if you are registered with a political party.
If you are registered with a party, the presidential candidates for that party will be on your ballot.
If you are registered NPP (No Party Preference) your default ballot will not have presidential candidates. If you want to vote for a presidential candidate, you can take one of the following two steps:
1. To vote for a candidate from the American Independent, Democratic, or Libertarian Party, you need to request a crossover ballot. The Registrar of Voters will send NPP voters a crossover ballot notice and application with instructions about how to do this.
2. To vote for a candidate from the Green, Peace & Freedom, or Republican Party, update your registration and re-register as a member of that party.
The deadline to register to vote is Feb. 19 and the deadline to request a crossover ballot is Feb. 20. If you miss these deadlines, you can still request a conditional ballot on or before March 5 at the Registrar of Voters or at any vote center.
For more information go to the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters website or the California Secretary of State website.
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VOTE411 replaces Voter's Edge
For decades, voters in California have turned to Voter's Edge, an online voter guide, to learn more about the candidates and measures on their ballot. Leagues in California have now changed to a national similar platform, VOTE411, used by LWV throughout the country. Local Leagues will continue to contact local candidates to encourage them to post information about the qualifications and priorities. Voters will go to the VOTE411.org website, enter their address, and see what's on their personal ballot. The site also includes convenient links for voter registration, voting options, and information on Candidate Forums and Pros & Cons presentations. If you would like to be part of the new VOTE411 volunteer team for our League, please contact VOTE411 Chair Judy Conner.
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Upcoming Events
Can We Trust Our Elections?
Thursday, Jan. 25, 7-8:30 p.m. via Zoom
Tommy Gong, Chief Deputy Clerk-Recorder, Contra Costa County will share his experiences in California voting environments. He serves as an Advisory Board member for the Election Officials Legal Defense Network and has led the efforts of the Coalition of Bay Area Election Officials to collaborate on building trust in elections. Presented by the Civil Discourse Committee of the Leagues of Women Voters of Santa Clara County, topics will include the voting process, assessing credibility of election processes, trust in government, and positive and negative influences on trust. Who do you trust and why? How can we address and mitigate trust issues? Join the conversation! Register HERE
Death vs. Dollars: How Can We Deal with Chronic Diseases -- Long COVID, Lyme & Tick-Borne Diseases, Asthma?
Monday, Feb. 12, 12 noon via Zoom
LWV Bay Area presents two expert speakers on this subject: Wendy Adams who has 20 years of experience in biotechnology companies working on infectious disease, cancer and autoimmunity; and Dr. Karla Kuon who is a member of the integrative medicine faculty at UCSF and the author of The Long COVID Solution. Zoom link HERE.
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Holiday party filled with good cheer
About 75 League members and community supporters filled the home of Membership Chair Gloria Loventhal for the League's annual holiday party in December. In addition to enjoying delicious food donated by local restaurants and wine contributed by Joseph George Wines, guests learned more about the League and its ambitious plans for 2024. A HUGE thank you to Gloria for opening her home and to all the League volunteers who worked so hard to make the event a success. We especially want to thank these local businesses that donated food and beverages:
aL ChocoLat
Aqui Cal Mex Grill
Braise
Crepevine
Giorgios
Joseph George Wines
Lamella
Psycho Donuts
Round Table
Sweet Mango
The Table
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The delicious array of food provided by our wonderful donors. | |
Stephanie Ligsay, left, and Lynn Gross-Cerf | |
Cristina Cortes, left, and Gloria Loventhal | |
April Bracamonte of the Registrar of Voters, left, and Sharon Sweeney | |
Left to right, Gloria Chun Hoo, Barbara Moore, Mary Gardner, Julie Boaler | |
Guests were greeted by a holiday display representing Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali and the Koran. | | | | |
