On August 9th the League was represented at a conference on the Power of Democracy at the Santa Clara County Office of Education. The conference thrust was a focus on civic engagement, the status of political engagement in our country today, and a call to action. A distinguished group of speakers stressed the importance of civic education in their own lives and in the preservation of democracy.

Watch the Power of Democracy conference online HERE  - Panelists share perspectives. And,

Take the Pledge to support civic education engagement.

A panel of speakers from area organizations had a conversation on their perspectives of current civic education and what action could be taken. The keynote speaker was Ann Ravel, former Commissioner of the Federal Elections Commission under former President Barack Obama. Her remarks centered on the fact that civic engagement is in crisis since our citizens have become more cynical and less hopeful about the value of democracy and their influence on public policy. Trust in government officials is at an all time low. Younger Americans are disenchanted with our system of government and democracy. She gave the statistic that only 30% of millennials feel that it is essential to live in a democracy. Many believe that their vote doesn't count. She stressed that action has to be taken to bring diverse groups back into the political system; people and public institutions need to connect; and action should emphasize shared responsibilities. To do this civic education must be an integral part of the school process, stressing not only voting but participation.

At the end of the conference, those present were asked to take a pledge to support civic education engagement.

Saturday, September 23, 2017

3:00 - 4:30 PM 

13650 Saratoga Avenue, Saratoga, CA 95070

WASHINGTON - The Court today agreed to take up the partisan gerrymandering case from Wisconsin,  Gill v. Whitford.  It will be heard next term, which begins in October and runs through June 2018. 

The Court also granted the State's request for a stay, which blocks the lower court's  ruling that new district maps must be drawn by November of this year for elections in 2018.

"This is a critical step forward in the battle against excessive partisan gerrymandering," said League of Women Voters president  Chris Carson. "The decision in the lower court provides a formula that could be used to judge whether a redistricting plan is an unconstitutional political gerrymander. Members of the Court have been looking for a formula or standard, and the decision in this case will likely set the path for redistricting in 2020 and beyond. The essential question is whether the Court will finally accept a new standard and block partisan gerrymandering, or continue the Court's stated disapproval of excessive partisan gerrymandering while never finding one to overrule," Carson continued. 

Continuing the League of Women Voters deep commitment to redistricting reform, the Leagues in North Carolina and Pennsylvania have brought similar cases to that in Wisconsin, both of which will likely be determined by the outcome in the case in front of the high court.

"Partisan gerrymandering has grown much more severe and contributes significantly to the polarization in Congress," Carson continued. "For democracy to work effectively, we must have political competition between opposing views.  Partisan gerrymandering stalls democracy because politicians can effectively give safe districts to themselves and their political parties."  "Partisan gerrymandering is simply wrong," Carson said, "because voters should choose their representatives -- elected officials should not choose their voters."

"We are counting on the Supreme Court for a historic decision that will safeguard our election system and our democracy. We need a decision like the 'one person - one vote' decision that stopped some types of gerrymandering in the 1960s. The Court has an opportunity to make our elections fair and open," Carson concluded.