January 2025

Attacks on voting are picking up steam, and the League of Women Voters is fighting for voting rights! LWVUS is part of a coalition that last week filed an amicus brief with SCOTUS defending vote by mail.

As League members, we need to remain focused on our mission of empowering voters and defending democracy, and that includes defending vote by mail. Gone are the days when everyone voted in person on Election Day—now more than half of Illinois voters either vote early or vote by mail. In 2024, more than 1.4 million VBM ballots were requested in Illinois!

So what can you do right now to protect vote by mail? 

• Make sure your friends and community know that vote by mail is safe and reliable
• Attend the routine public demonstration of voting equipment conducted by your election authority 
• Follow Illinois State Board of Elections on social media and share their posts (Facebook | Instagram | X/Twitter | YouTube)

Vote By Mail event for DuPage County; Pictured, left to right: Mary Tupper (LWV Wheaton), Carol Jeanne Davis (LWV Downers Grove Woodridge Lisle), Gail Ryan (LWV Naperville), Becky Simon (LWV Illinois), Julie Niles (LWV Naperville), not shown: Melissa Nachman (LWV Wheaton)

Becky Simon

LWVIL President

bsimon@lwvil.org

A League Member for 75 Years and Counting

Helen Moag has been a member of the League of Women Voters of Evanston for 75 years, making her the longest-serving League member in the state of Illinois! In December, LWVIL President Becky Simon and LWV Evanston Co-President Georgia Vlahos visited Helen in her cozy home in Evanston. Over tea and cookies, Helen discussed how she came to join the League and her experience as a League member.

Helen recalls that she had just moved to Evanston from Chicago when a neighbor suggested she accompany her to an Evanston League meeting. Helen was intrigued by the high level of discussion, finding League members well-spoken and the discussions eye-opening. Not only did she join the League and become a member of the Housing Committee, but Helen also agreed to help produce and print The Intercom, LWV Evanston's newsletter.

Helen Moag and Georgia Vlahos at the same dining room table where Helen produced the Intercom.

Women’s roles were more limited in those days. Although her husband did not do so, most husbands told their wives how to vote. Helen is grateful that this has changed and that men are listening to women and women are running for public office. Nevertheless, she doesn’t think that there will be a woman president during her lifetime, especially as she is 94 years old. She also thinks there needs to be greater awareness that the Equal Rights Amendment has yet to be made part of the Constitution.

During the 1960s, the League was involved with issues that dominated civic discourse in Evanston: a voluntary busing program to end school desegregation and the elimination of racially-motivated restrictive covenants that prohibited housing sales or rentals to certain groups. These were divisive issues. There were marches in the streets. The League supported these social changes.

As for current political crises, Helen says she has lived long enough to know these come and go. She understands that it is difficult to figure out what to do at times but hopes that issues such as immigration and persistent homelessness are resolved. She also hopes that the League continues to be vibrant and relevant in the years ahead.

US Senate Primary Candidate Forum Broadcasts

Illinois' Primary Election will take place on March 17, 2026. LWVIL is co-sponsoring several upcoming forums for US Senate candidates:

• ABC7 and Univision will stream the Democratic forum live online on January 29 at 7:00 pm. 
• Airs on ABC7 on January 30 at 10:30 pm. 
• Airs on Univision on January 31 at 4:00 pm. 
• ABC7 and Univision will stream the Republican forum live online on February 11 at 7:00 pm. 
• Airs on ABC7 on February 13 at 10:30 pm (date changed since previous announcement).
• Airs on Univision on February 14 at 4:00 pm.
• WTVP Peoria will air both Democratic and Republican forums on February 26 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm.

The WTVP forums will be offered to all public television stations in the state should they want to broadcast them. LWVIL encourages local Leagues to reach out to their public television stations to request that they air the forums.

Mark Your Calendar

Moderator Training 

Wednesday, January 28, 6:00 pm, Virtual, Register.

Saturday, February 14, 9:00 am, Virtual, Register.

Interested in learning the techniques for moderating an efficient and effective League candidate forum in the current atmosphere? While the rules have not changed much, the challenges of conducting a fair and cordial forum have. Whether you’ve gone through League training previously or are new to the position, join us for this essential training updated for 2026.

Observer Corps Training

Tuesday, February 17, 6:30 pm, Virtual, Register.

League Observers help their communities stay informed about decisions that impact them locally, while encouraging government transparency and accountability. Take this training to join the Observer Corps.

Lunch & Learn | Repairing our Civic Rift: Person, Family, Community

Wednesday, February 18, Noon, Virtual, Register.

Our monthly Lunch & Learn series will next feature a presentation from Harry Nathan Gottlieb, founder of Unify America, on innovative approaches to replace political fighting with problem solving.

Save the Date: Issues Briefing 2026

Our annual look at current issues will be held Saturday, April 11. This is a hybrid virtual/in-person event. Details and registration to come.

Local League Events

Find more events (and share your local League's events!) on the LWVIL website event calendar.

Help the League Stand Up for Democracy

When the state of our democracy is at risk, the League will stand up and show up in support. We are looking for members to join our new Rapid Response Team, which will develop guidelines for local Leagues participating in protest activity. Guidelines will cover safety measures, coalition partners, and use of signs and LWV logos. The RRT will also establish a text group of local contacts to quickly coordinate for an event. If you're interested in volunteering, please email LWVIL VP Barbara Kwiatkowsky at bkwiatkowsky@lwvil.org.

Where We Stand on the Issues

An updated version of Where We Stand is now available on LWVIL's website! Where We Stand is the platform of the League of Women Voters of Illinois. Together with Impact on Issues, the guide to LWVUS’ public policy positions, it forms the basis for all action taken by Illinois Leagues on state and national issues.

Get Social With Us

Happy New Year, Leaguers! In 2026, we'd love to see more of you following and engaging with LWVIL on social media. Click below to check us out on the platforms of your choosing.