By Janice Garry
Dear Communications Chair,
I am confident that somebody reading this can help. Some jobs in our League, like mine, are highly visible. Some jobs take place behind the scenes quietly keeping the League gears moving smoothly. Such is the job of Roster Manager. Keeping track of existing members, dues, and new members has been shared by two steadfast Leaguers, Carole Fernandez and Ruth Angaran. Ruth needs to step down, while Carole will continue her tasks. She needs a new partner. Roster Manager duties can largely be done at home and require some 2-4 hours/week. It takes an eye for detail, internet access for online data entry, use of Excel (training is available) for data reporting and a printer. This is a must-have job. If you can help, please contact me. We are grateful to Ruth for the many years she has tracked our League members and wish her well in her next chapter.
On another note, inclement weather kept us at home when we were looking forward to a Holiday Party. Well, spring is here which gives us good reason to celebrate at the Spring Equinox Party on March 22, from 5-7pm. Scroll down for details.
Finally, there is plenty of room for people who would like to help Get Out the Vote (GOTV). Let me know if you would like to join the Action Team and participate in informing voters, motivating voters and thus protecting our democracy.
Each year as days lengthen into spring plants awaken to provide food and shelter for insects and other animals. Wildlife scurries about to prepare for babies with new life that reassures us that life is about cycles and renewal. Take a moment to appreciate the buds on flora and breathe deeply. Exhale slowly. Live joyfully.
In League,
Janice
[email protected]
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Susan B. Anthony Birthday Party
February 18 @ 3:00 p.m.
Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center
837 SE 7th Avenue
The Friends of Susan B. Anthony Committee is inviting everyone to a party. We are celebrating Susan B.’s 204th birthday at the Cotton Club Museum from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 18, 2024. (Her real birthday is February 15.) There will be appetizers, non-alcoholic beverages, and, of course, birthday cake. Music will be provided by the acapella group Resonance.
Known for her tireless work for women’s suffrage, Susan B. Anthony’s role as a teacher and educational reformer is less often emphasized. The Committee has it on good authority that Susan B. might appear to discuss this neglected aspect of her life of activism. The Committee will also celebrate the contributions of African-American suffragists to the struggle for the franchise, which seems appropriate since February is Black History Month.
The Museum is located at 837 SE 7th Street in Gainesville. We are asking for $5.00 donations. Seating is limited. Please RSVP on our Facebook Event Page or email us at [email protected]. Please come and join the fun and celebrate Susan B. Anthony and the principles for which she struggled.
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Spring Equinox Party
March 22 @ 5:00-7:00 p.m.
Jon Reiskind's Home
213 SW 41st Street
Gainesville, FL 32607
As mentioned above, to make up for our canceled Holiday Party, we are hosting a Spring Equinox Party on Friday, March 22 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the home of Jon Reiskind.
The party is an hors d'oeuvre potluck, so please bring a dish to share. The LWVAC Board will provide beverages.
We are excited to celebrate spring weather, LWVAC accomplishments, and camaraderie with this in-person event and are grateful to Jon Reiskind for his hospitality.
Watch for more information coming soon!
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LWV of Florida epitomizes the League of Women Voters mission and vision at its annual Lobby Days in Tallahassee. Local League leaders from across the state convened to learn from the experts about what is and will be happening in the 2024 Florida State Legislature. And THEN they converged on the Capitol to talk to individual legislators and to attend committee meetings and legislative sessions.
Our four students from UF and Santa Fe College captured their experiences:
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Leah Edwards: "True activism is as simple as showing up; showing up for the voiceless, the silenced, and the dead."
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Gleda Kronen: "I learned how to articulate the League's points of emphasis into conversation with other lobbyists and professionals around me."
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Baylee Van Doren: "Nothing compares to actually being in the room with a senator or representative."
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Nour Alissa: "An eye-opening experience that left me with profound insights into the multifaceted advocacy efforts of the organization."
The powerful, nonpartisan reputation of the League of Women Voters was evident wherever we went. So many approached us once they saw our LWV insignia to encourage us and show their respect.
Read more about the experiences and reactions of the Alachua County attendees here.
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One superpower of the LWV is its nonpartisan education mission. Democracy thrives when its citizens are informed. The LWVAC Speakers Bureau is ready to serve.
We began the year with a presentation to the Democratic Women’s Club of North Alachua County on January 28. In a beautiful bucolic setting in rural Alachua, complete with a buffet of healthy and delicious food, a small of group of women learned about the League of Women Voters, its mission, vision, and values.
The presentation was strictly educational and nonpartisan, adhering to the LWV mandate that the League neither opposes or endorses political candidates or parties.
The Speakers Bureau Team is ready to speak to groups on a variety of topics, including the newest one entitled "Voter Empowerment 2024" which covers all things elections in Florida.
We can also customize a presentation for you as we did with The Link and Siatech Charter when we presented "Voting and Health" and with the Universalist Unitarian Fellowship on "Democracy."
Contact Speakers Bureau chair Candy Birch to schedule a program.
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LWVAC volunteers have been out in the community this past month. We've hosted GOTV planning activities, attended Lobby Days, and joined partner organizations at a Meet & Mobilize event. Our Voter Services and Speakers Bureau teams were out in the community helping with voter registration and spreading the word about the LWV mission and values. The year is just getting started, and there's still a lot to do with room for more volunteers. Read on to learn how you can get involved today! | |
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As Janice mentioned above, LWVAC is searching for a new Roster Manager. This position keeps track of existing members, new members, and dues payments. The position is shared by two people and only one is needed, so there will be training and a mentor available. The Roster Manager duties can be done at home and require approximately 2-4 hours/week. It requires an eye for detail, internet access for online data entry, use of Excel for data tracking and reporting (training is available), and a printer. This is position is critical to our League. If you can help, please contact Janice.
Voter Services Tabling Coordinator
Spring and summer are the peak times for tabling opportunities, especially with this important election season. This is where our League has the chance to keep the League brand front and center in our community. Tabling assists potential voters to register and motivates voters to vote. Tabling is fun!
Our Voter Services team needs a tabling coordinator. In short, the coordinator receives tabling requests, organizes volunteers and organizes the set-up and take-down for events. A lot of folks see tabling as a core activity of our League and are ready to help. We just need an organizer. Could that be you? Contact Voter Services to share ideas.
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LWVAC is gearing up for an important and busy election year in 2024. We have created an Action Team focusing on Get Out The Vote (GOTV) efforts. Please contact Janice if you would like to get involved.
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League at the Library Tabling Events
During LWVAC's 2024 Get Out the Vote (GOTV) Campaign, Voter Services members Lori Erickson and Candy Birch are eager to organize multiple Alachua County Library tabling events. Ideally, we will have a table at each of the 12 libraries once a month for 2 hours at peak times until November. We hope to increase League visibility and engage with current and potential voters, especially young people.
Personnel at the libraries are excited to have the League set up tables at their locations.Tabling at an assigned location requires that 2 volunteers would set up a table (provided by the library) with all the needed materials that we have collected in a rolling bin. No tents will be needed. All volunteers who do voter registration tables are required to complete the Florida League training which takes about 1 hour.
Volunteers would educate voters and potential voters about registration, help people check their registration status, help voters complete vote-by-mail ballot applications, inform people about the amazing VOTE411.org website and upcoming elections, basically all things voting. We would also welcome new members to the League. Training and mentoring is available.
If you are interested in this initiative or would just like more information, please complete this interest form. Filling out this form does NOT obligate you to any tabling event.
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Call for Nominations
This is a great time to consider becoming more involved in LWVAC leadership. The Nomination Committee is looking for volunteers to serve on the LWV Board beginning June of 2024 (after our Annual Meeting near the end of May). Learn more about the open positions and how to volunteer here. Board positions are two-year terms. The Board and Committees meet once a month, usually.
If you are interested in serving or know someone who is, please let a Nominating Committee member know. Current members of the committee are Janet Allen, Diana Boxer, Elaine Francis, Roberta Gastmeyer, and Donna Waller. Good leadership is critical to the functioning of our very active chapter, so please think about serving in one of these capacities.
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In this section, we bring you updates from your LWV of Alachua County committees. Committees are the best way to get involved in LWV of Alachua County and your local community. Feel free to reach out to the Committee Chairs to express interest, join their meetings, and get involved. | |
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Santa Fe College Chapter
Contact: Linda Mussillo
LWVSF (Santa Fe) College participated in a range of events and activities this past month of January including sending two representatives to Lobby Days: Baylee Van Doran, SF College Chapter President and Nour Alissa, SF College Chapter Senator. “Club Rush” at SF yielded 18 new members. The SF Volunteer Fair included 4 student chapter volunteers; 6 LWV Voter's Services members volunteers; six new voters were assisted to register; twelve students expressed interest in joining the LWV chapter at SF. We are looking forward to more to come at future events including the upcoming Social Justice Day Fair (2/20) and Safe Santa Fe Day (2/28). Among the planned activities for February are displays of banned books based on race; banned book giveaways; a viewing of “Selma” with a professor talk; distribution of gunlocks and education around gun policy legislative priorities from the League. As always, the club will assist new voters with registering to vote at all of these upcoming campus events!
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University of Florida Chapter
Contact: Diana Boxer
By: LWVUF President Stefanie Gadalean
The University of Florida's League of Women Voters has had a rather exciting few weeks! Our Social Policy Chair and Voter Services Chair, Leah Edwards and Gleda Kronen, made the trek up to Tallahassee with the LWVAC to participate in Lobby Days. The LWVUF also held our very first General Body Meeting on January 30th. We were honored to invite Anna Prizzia, Alachua County Commissioner for District 3, as our guest speaker shared the importance of voting as a young person and how influential local politics can be in our everyday lives. The UF League was featured in the January/February edition of the local newspaper, The Gainesville Iguana. Lastly, On February 13th, the League participated in a Spring student organization tabling event where we recruited new members while supplying voter information to students. Our next General Body Meeting will be on February 29th at 6:30 p.m. The location has not yet been finalized; however, we will be sending out the information as soon as possible.
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Contact: Gwendolyn Saffo
City Commissioner Desmond Duncan Walker will be the featured speaker as we continue our Listen & Learn series at our next meeting on February 20, 2024. She will update us on the City’s efforts regarding gun violence prevention, and we will discuss how the LWVAC can become involved with the city’s initiatives.
This committee meets via Zoom monthly on the third Tuesday at 6:30 PM. If you are interested in attending this meeting, contact Gwendolyn.
Recordings of prior meetings are available for viewing on our website.
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Contact: Barbara Frentzen or Kim Walsh-Childers
We have submitted a PSA to WUFT for the Suwannee River Area Health Education Center (SRAHEC) Navigators who assist people with their health insurance, including Medicaid or a health plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace. This is especially important due to Medicaid Unwinding and the large number of people who are losing their Medicaid benefits. We are currently working on distributing the PSA to other media outlets as well.
Our next meeting will be on March 11 at Oak Hammock.
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Contact: Roberta Gastmeyer or Jay Rosenbek
The NR Committee has launched two new initiatives this year.
- The first, led by Bennett Brummer, is a concerted effort to speed the inevitable transition to EVs in government and in the community.
- The second, under the leadership of our intern, Hannah Wing, is to analyze the economic impacts of Climate Action Plans and communicate these impacts in a reader-friendly way to League members and others in the community interested in climate change.
Progress on both will be summarized at our March, April and May NR meetings.
The next NR meeting is scheduled for February 28th, 6:30 p.m. (Note the time change) with Marianne Schmink and NKwanda Jah talking about the EMPOWER Project, a collaboration of community organizations, local government representatives, and GRU working on creating a common vision for the transition to clean energy future and ensuring equitable benefits to low-income neighborhoods through the development of green jobs, weatherization, and solar implementation.
We still encourage residents to complete the City of Gainesville's Climate Action Plan Survey. If you have not already, please take a few moments now to complete the survey. Let the City know that climate change action is important to you!
Questions, contact Jay Rosenbek or Roberta Gastmeyer.
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Contact: Mary White
Our March 12 meeting will feature Sue Legg, former LWVFL chair for education, discussing, "How Much Choice is Too Much?" Are we "first in education freedom" as Gov DeSantis claims? What's that mean? What's the cost? Does it lead to better schools?
Everyone is invited to attend. Contact Mary White for more information.
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Contact: Diana Boxer or Gwen Wagner
Last month we had a large tabling event at The Village at Gainesville, where we helped approximately 60 residents with voter registration matters.
Upcoming Tabling Opportunities
- At our League at the Libraries events, we will have a table at each of the 12 libraries once a month for 2 hours at peak times until November. See the details above.
- We will be at the Fifth Avenue Arts Festival on April 27 and 28. Contact Gwen to volunteer.
VOTE411.org is up and running for voter registration and checking your precinct. Thanks to Laurie Shorter, who has volunteered to help with VOTE411 this election cycle, all current candidate information has been entered into the platform. We will publish the candidate responses to our questions in early July. Candidates must have qualified by June 14th (judges in April). You can help by encouraging candidates you come in contact with to participate in our guide. It is a great way for them to contact voters using their own words.
Elaine Francis is working with the school and public libraries to feature the children’s book, I Can’t Wait to Vote.
Supervisor of Elections, Kim Barton and her Outreach Director, Aaron Klein spoke at our last meeting about positions as poll workers and canvassing board helpers. For more information or to sign up call 352-374-5252.
The next Voter Services meeting will be March 6 at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom. Join us!
Save the Dates: LWVAC is once again partnering with the Bob Graham Center for Public Service:
- A primary candidate forum on June 23, 2024, and
- A general election candidate forum on September 22, 2024.
Contact Diana if you would like to help with either or both of these events.
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Follow the 2024 Legislative Session
Our colleagues at LWV of the St. Pete Area brought to our attention an app to help Floridians engage civically, and we thought you might find it interesting as well.
Using the Voatz app by the Digital Democracy Project, you can track the legislation being considered and let your legislators know which bills you support from the comfort of your phone. Polling is anonymous, and you get to see your legislators' alignment with their constituents in real time. The 2024 Florida Legislative Session is currently underway, and your legislators need to know what you think about the bills being proposed. Interacting with your representatives does not have to be daunting. Download the Voatz app and start engaging today!
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Re-Request Your Vote by Mail Ballot
Please be aware that ALL Vote by Mail applications expired in December 2022. Now everyone must re-enroll in Vote by Mail every two years. To vote by mail in an election, the request must be in the Supervisor of Elections office no later than 12 days before the election. If you have not already done so, you can learn more and re-request your Vote by Mail ballot on the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections website.
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Important Election Dates
Presidential Preference Primary (for Registered Republican Voters only)
Election Day: March 19, 2024
Deadline to Register or Update Party Affiliation: February 20, 2024
Early Voting: March 8 - March 16, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day
Primary Election
Election Day: August 20, 2024
Deadline to Register or Update Party Affiliation: July 22, 2024
Early Voting: August 5 - August 17, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day
General Election
Election Day: November 5, 2024
Deadline to Register: October 7, 2024
Early Voting: October 21 - November 2
Learn more on the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections website.
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Watch for Your LWVAC Membership Renewal Notice via Email
LWVAC membership renewals occur on the anniversary of your join date. We notify members of their membership renewals via email and follow up with a snail mail reminder. Please make sure we have valid email and mailing addresses on file for you. If you need to update your address(es), please contact our membership team.
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LWV of Alachua County Leadership Team
President: Janice Garry
Vice-President: Gwendolyn Saffo
Secretary: Eileen Roy
Treasurer: Anne D’Amico
A full list of LWV of Alachua County Board Members and Committee Chairs can be found here.
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To avoid missing future LWV of Alachua County email, please add our email address to your Safe Senders List or add the From address ([email protected]) to your Address Book or Contacts. | | | | |
