October 2026

The LWVIL Member Bulletin is a monthly newsletter sent to all League of Women Voters members in Illinois.

Yesterday, we celebrated Election Hero Day, and I was glad to see Leagues across Illinois honoring the election officials, election staff, and poll workers who safeguard our right to vote and keep democracy running.

Our LWV members are election heroes, too! You've been out in your communities all year, registering and educating voters. This past weekend, Leagues participated in 'No Kings: Vote Early" events, encouraging Illinoisans to get out and cast their ballots early.

I'm proud of the work we are doing together. Thank you for all your efforts.

Becky Simon

LWVIL President

bsimon@lwvil.org

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Is Everyone You Know Ready to Vote?

Our League members are our boots on the ground in Illinois communities. Is everyone in your network—your family, friends, co-workers, neighbors—ready for the Midterm Elections on Tuesday, November 3? Be a resource for them! Make sure they have a plan to vote.

Here's what the voters in your life need to know:

What's on your ballot? VOTE411.org has all the information you need about the candidates running in your community.

Early voting is available statewide. Check VOTE411.org or consult your election authority for times and locations. Please consider voting early this election due to potentially long lines on Election Day if enough election judges are not found.

Voting by mail? Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by Election Day. Due to postmark changes made by the USPS, we recommend that you return your ballot as early as possible (and at least 7–10 days in advance) to ensure it is postmarked by Election Day, or return it directly to a secured drop box before or on Election Day. Check VOTE411.org for drop box locations.

If you're voting in person on Election Day, input your address at VOTE411.org to find your polling place. Polls are open from 6:00 am to 7:00 pm.

You can still register to vote in person and vote the same day at your early voting site or Election Day polling place. Online voter registration is now closed.

Upcoming Events & Trainings

Virtual Textbanking
Thursday, October 22 & October 29, 5:00 pm CT, Virtual, Register.
Join fellow League members nationwide as we textbank voters with GOTV and Election Protection messaging. No prior experience is required.

VOTE411 Office Hours

Mondays through November 9, 5:30 pm, Virtual, Register.

Attend our virtual office hours as you work on getting your local League's VOTE411 guide ready for the November 3, 2026 Midterm Election.

POWER ACT Lobby Day

Wednesday, November 18, Illinois State Capitol, Springfield, IL, Register.

Join our coalition partners during Veto Session to meet with legislators and push for support of the POWER Act (SB4016/HB5513), nation-leading legislation that protects Illinois from data center harms.

Lunch & Learn: Navigating the LWVIL League Management Website

Thursday, November 19, 12:00 pm, Virtual, Register.

Are you looking for materials, policies, positions or training and can't seem to find it on the website? This Lunch & Learn session will walk you through how and where to find all-things-League. These materials can be a valuable resource to easily answer questions about League policy, find historical information, access templates for standard League documents, or simply to learn more about LWVIL. This session will do a deep dive into LWVIL Issues and Advocacy materials in advance of the 2027 legislative cycle, but all sections will be covered.

And keep an eye out for future Lunch & Learn sessions!

State and Local Program Planning Explained, December 2026 (Date TBD): Prepare your League to create a local Program and find out how to provide direction to LWVIL to set its advocacy priorities for the coming year.
An Intro to the Illinois General Assembly, January 2027 (Date TBD): Learn how to navigate the Illinois.gov site to conduct research and perform effective advocacy.

Issues Briefing 2027

Saturday, February 27, Harper College, Palatine, IL

Save the date for our annual look at current issues! We'll learn from experts and be prepared to advocate for change in your community and state.

Local League Events

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

If there is a need for urgent action to defend democracy, we want to be able to reach you quickly. Opt-in to receive alerts via text message from LWVIL. This system is solely for urgent democracy alerts—we will not use it to ask for donations or to advertise events.

Volunteer For Voters

LWVIL welcomes all members who want to donate a few hours of their time to support our mission. There are plenty of opportunities—from mini projects, such as making thank-you calls, to lending your skills by joining one of our committees. Email info@lwvil.org to raise your hand!