Campaign Finance: OpenSecrets – Learn How to Find out Who Is Bankrolling Our Candidates | | | | | |
Join LWV of Pennsylvania, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 5-7 p.m., for a Zoom webinar with OpenSecrets, exploring how to use its tools and data to better understand money in politics.
The session will provide an overview of money-in-politics laws and the FEC, followed by a walk through of OpenSecrets’ updated tools for exploring federal and Pennsylvania campaign finance data.
Register HERE.
| | | LWVCDC members hard at work at second postcard-writing event, Sept. 19. | | Oct 10, Final Postcarding Session | | |
The League of Women Voters of Central Delaware County has had two popular and highly successful postcard writing events at which dozens of League members, new and old, wrote about 1,800 postcards to send to occasional voters, urging them to vote on Nov. 3.
Now we are holding our third Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) postcard writing event on Saturday, Oct. 10 from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM at the Ridley Township Public Library, 100 E MacDade Blvd, Folsom PA 19033.
These events have been a great way for new and old members to get to know one another as well as to actually make a difference in the upcoming election. We urge you to volunteer for our final session before the election.
If interested in being part of GOTV postcard writing please use the Google Form so we can contact you directly with event details CLICK HERE.
| | Don't Forget to Shop at Our Only Fundraising Event on Oct. 21 | | |
Our League is participating again this year in Boscov’s Friends Helping Friends (FHF) shopping and fundraising event.
It is our only fundraising events of the year and every penny of the money we raise by selling the coupons goes directly to fund our LWVCDC activities.
Here’s how it works: You buy a shopping pass from the League of Women Voters of Central Delaware County for a $5 donation that goes 100% to our League and they use the pass all day on Wednesday, Oct. 21, to buy items in any Boscov's store or online for 25% off each item in addition to the marked down sale price. Each shopping pass has a unique discount code to use for online purchases on the day of the sale, Oct. 21. You can also register for a $100 gift card.
We now have more than enough volunteers so just plan to come and shop 'til you drop on Oct. 21. If you want to get a pass on that day, you have to come find our table in the store. We don't know where we are going to be located yet.
If interested in getting shopping passes for yourself or to sell elsewhere, CLICK HERE.
| | We'll be at No Kings, Oct. 17, Media Courthouse | | |
On Saturday, October 17, 2026, at the No Kings, No Thrones, No Crowns, we are coming together to celebrate our right and responsibility to vote!.
Join us at the Delaware County Courthouse, 201 W Front Street, Media PA, 10 a.m. to Noon.
League members are encouraged to participate locally in actions with partners on the ground in a nonpartisan manner. We understand that we cannot control how other partners show up, and participating in any event comes with some risk. Please review our protest safety guidance.
If representing the League or wearing LWV shirts (which we encourage), please use good judgment when creating signs, which should be in keeping with our non-partisan policy. In other words, do not carry signs mentioning any elected officials by name, or criticizing a specific political party by name. Variations on the "No Kings" message are welcome, as well as criticism of recent government actions, policies, lawlessness, attacks on American values, institutions, and civil rights.
The No Kings national day of peaceful protest events are listed on the Mobilize No Kings Site. For a direct link to the Delaware County event CLICK HERE.
(NOTE: By signing up you agree to Mobilize's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Mobilize is a service provider and will share your information with the event organizer, who may contact you.)
| | Restoring Democracy the LWV Way | | |
By Anne Mosakowski
Why it Matters
On April 17, 2025, the League of Women Voters declared that the USA is in a constitutional crisis and defined the crisis as including:
● Failure or significant risk of failure of the executive, legislative, or judicial branches to adequately protect the U.S. Constitution.
● Explicit attempts to dismantle democratic institutions through governmental actions, laws, or policies.
● Federal government actions that threaten democratic institutions or the intent and purpose of the Constitution.
Read More
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We're Supporting and Promoting Green Space Referendum
You may have seen League members at tabling events handing out flyers for the Nov. 3 countywide referendum titled "Vote Yes, Protect Delco Water and Land."
The County League, which includes LWVCDC and the Radnor League, voted to support the referendum, which asks voters to allow Delaware County Council to take out a line of credit up to $120 million to fund projects to protect our drinking water and streams. Some of the money will go to improving infrastructure to mitigate flooding all over the county, advancing the Greenways trails system, preserving green space and developing Delco Woods into a great recreational facility.
It's not a lot of money in the overall scheme of things. It will cost the taxpayers little and it will repay homeowners and voters with millions of dollars in economic activity and other benefits in coming years. Go to the Protect Delco Water website for more information.
| | PA Senator Tim Kearney with our volunteers, left to right, Betty Anne Gittelman, Marianne Armstrong and Anne Bush at the Drexelbrook Senior Expo. The expo was sponsored by Kearney and PA House Member Heather Boyd Sept. 12. | | |
This election season we have interviewed four candidates for Pennsylvania House seats, two incumbents and two challengers. We will interview Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon and her Republican challenger Nicholas “Nick” Manganaro later this month.
The PA House candidate interviews are here:
Incumbent Rep. Jennifer O'Mara (D) PA House 165th District
Incumbent Rep. Lisa Borowski (D) PA House 168th District
Challenger Kathryn Buckley (R) PA House 168th District
Challenger Judy Trombetta (D) PA House 166th District
Our intern, Shaina Bijlani, has also interviewed Rep. Scanlon on topics of interest to young people. Shaina is a high school junior at the Agnes Irwin School who is planning to become a lawyer and is keenly interested in the political process. She is a member of LWVCDC.
Shaina's interview with U.S. Rep Mary Gay Scanlon is HERE.
We had an excellent Hot Topic with our Delaware County Election Director Jim Allen. The video is posted on our website and you can watch it HERE. Mr. Allen reassured us that election procedures, including mail-in voting, remain the same for November, regardless of the noise we have all heard in recent months about Postal regulations and the SAVE Act.
| | Drop Boxes Open Oct. 9: Here's Where to Find Them | |
If you don't trust the Post Office and want drop your mail-in ballot into a drop box instead, remember you can use any box in Delaware County. HERE is the county list with addresses and photos of where the drop boxes are located.
| | LWVCDC Working with Cheyney University | | |
Our League of Women Voters is part of a voting rights initiative spearheaded by the Center for Educational Equity & Civic Leadership (CEECL), led in part by Cheyney University alumna and former faculty member Felicia Seamón.
The initiative campaign HBCUs VOTE: Countdown to the 2026 Midterm Elections A Nonpartisan Civic Education & Mobilization Campaign at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania will showcase special guests, provide civic education, voter-resource information, student leadership opportunities, and community-service pathways through Election Day on Nov. 3, 2026.
We'll be on campus Mondays Oct. 5 and Oct. 12.
| | | LWV of Central Delaware County was privileged to hand out voter registration forms at the naturalization ceremony for 20 new citizens on Sept. 9 at the old Chester Courthouse in the City of Chester. They are sitting in the original jury box. The courthouse, built in 1724, is the oldest public building in America still in use. | | A very Big Thank You to All Our Volunteers This Fall | | |
By Jodine Mayberry
None of what we do would be possible without the generous time and amazing skills of our countless member volunteers. The LWVCDC Board of Directors thanks you all.
Just in the month of September, Voter Services Cochair Joanna Nealon and her crew, Judy Wertheimer, Jane Lucas, Carlyn Nelson, Nancy Quinn, and Marilyn Berberich set up and implemented six candidate interviews.
[Bill Moore talks to a student at Delaware County Community College.]
The following people participated in (or have volunteered for) tabling events just in September and October: Marianne Armstrong, Edna Bogert, Debbie Bergen, Betty Anne Gittelman, Anne Bush, Claire Rankin, Jane Lucas, Judy Weetheimer, Bill Moore, Nancy Harris, Julie Baker, J. Zingelhoffer (Ziggy), Grace O'Sullivan, Susan Westervelt, Mary Miller, Nancy Quinn, Cecile Burgurt, Lillian Mittleman, Rosemary Kesling, Kris Volpone, Nadyne Rosin. Suzanne Daulerio, Aneesah Abdus-Shakur, Anne Mosakowski and me.
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A lot of people worked behind the scenes on administrative or event activities who deserve our thanks as well:
Linda Carpenter and Anne Bush organized the recent fabulous Meet and Greet for New Members at Linda's home. Judy Wertheimer has worked hard arranging our in-person holiday gathering and annual meeting events.
Treasurer Rosemary Hughes always bakes delicious cookies and others contribute food to all three events.
Rosemary navigates the complicated ins and outs of the LWVUS membership portal and our finances. She recently completed a lengthy application to make LWVCDC a 501c(3) charity, with legal advice from Board Member Joe Lesniak.
Vice President Cathy Yungmann takes and edits our photos, puts together the annual League video, operates the Zoom events, edits our videos and maintains our social media sites. Without her skills, we'd be lost.
Rosemarie Lord and Gloria Rabinowitz run our only fundraiser, the Boscov's Friends Helping Friends fundraiser. Joan Hazbun masterfully leads the International Relations Study Group. Anne Bush and Olivia Thorne welcome and engage new members, of which we have 39 so far this year!
Secretary Rosemary Kesling maintains meticulous minutes of board meetings. Kathy Knight puts out the SignupGenius app requests for tabling volunteers and that's not a small thing. Ralf Graves leads our Civic Education committee.
I think most of all, we have to thank Anne Mosakowski as she works tirelessly (and virtually full time) to orchestrate this whole show as well as maintaining and updating the website.
I do the newsletter and email notices, which are the primary means of keeping in touch with all of you. I also keep the tabling materials.
That’s not everyone and not every job. Space limitations. I apologize if I left anyone out. It really does take a village.
| | Andrea Silva, Director of America250 PA Delco (blue dress), presented certificates of appreciation to the superintendents of the public school districts who participated in the Delco Youth Voter Initiative that presented more than 5,000 voter registration forms to graduating seniors this spring. The initiative is a coalition of the League of Women Voters of Delaware County, the Delaware County Bureau of Elections, PA Youth Vote, and the NAACP's Media and Chester branches. | | Video of the Month - The New Money in Politics | | New York Times reporter Theodore Schleifer talks about new money in politics for the Brennan Center for Justice. | |
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International Relations Study Group Oct. 13
The International Relations Study Group of the League of Women Voters of Central Delaware County meets monthly on the second Tuesday at 12:30 pm.
To generate discussion the group uses the Great Decisions Briefing Book resources put out by the Foreign Policy Association. You do not need the book to join the discussion as the group is coming to the end of the book for this year. There will be a new book next year.
On October 13, 2026, the discussion will be a review of Chapter 6 of 2026 Great Decisions titled: Multilateral Institutions in a Changing World Order.
This in-person gathering will be held at 6 Michele Drive, Media, 19063, beginning at 12:30 PM with a bag-brown lunch, a review of the Chapter video followed by the topic discussion.
For additional information contact Joan Hazbun International Relations Committee Chair.
| | Save the Date: A Tour of the Thunderbird Lodge | | |
See an historic and architectural wonder – The Thunderbird Lodge - in Delco’s Rose Valley. Learn about this arts and crafts landmark and gathering place of Utopian and progressive thinkers, including a suffragist, Mildred Scott Olmsted. A private tour will be followed by a light lunch featuring a WaWa hoagie or salad.
Date: Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026
Time: 10:30 to 1:00 PM
Location: Rose Valley Museum, 41 Rose Valley Road, Media, PA
Cost: $25.00/person
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PO Box 131,
Wallingford, PA 19086
(610) 566 5474
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