President's Column

By Chris Kuthe

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By the time you read this article the November 5th election will be very near. The LWVKA has worked hard. We have registered and educated voters at colleges, high schools, parole offices, KPL coffees for the unhoused, residences and events for senior citizens, Farmers Market, Art Hop, Kalamazoo Literacy Council, Ladies Library Association, Black Wall Street and candidate forums. We have reached out to voters with over 20,000 voter guides, 1,800 personalized post cards, 24,000 text messages and digital billboards. We have done what we can to defend democracy and empower voters. 

Michigan has a very secure system of voting. Our clerks have secure and accurate voter rolls. Our clerks work all year to verify voters’ eligibility, identity and residency. Our election officials make sure we have secure and accurate voting. They verify a voter’s identity and make sure they have not already voted before issuing a ballot. They double check absentee ballot signatures before they are counted. Michigan has secure and accurate counting of ballots. By using paper ballots and tested optical scan machines, we have one of the most accurate systems in the country. (Many of our LWVKA members attended the testing of the voting tabulators.) Through our county and state boards of canvassers we have secure and accurate results. These boards review records and procedures and conduct post election audits to confirm the accuracy of our elections. (Many of our members will observe the Board of County Canvassers after the election.) As you hear mis/disinformation about the 2024 Presidential election, please share and remind others of the security of our Michigan voting system. 

My hope is that you can feel proud of what we have accomplished and hopeful for the future. Now it is time to trust that the wheels of democracy will turn. Aedín and I would like to sincerely thank you for all your hard work this election season.

Calendar

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NOVEMBER 2024

Native American Heritage Month

n1 Climate Change, Environmental Justice and

— Biodiversity Committee, 9 a.m. zoom (Chris Kuthe)

n5 Election Day, Presidential

n7 Board of Canvassers, Observation begins

n9 E.V.E.N.T.S. Meeting, 10:30 am, Zoom (Barb Dircks)

13 Development Committee Meeting, 10am, Zoom (Ken Manley)

— Statewide Advocacy, via Zoom 7pm, click HERE to sign up

19 Book Group, Master Slave Husband Wife, by Ilyon Woo

— Board Meeting, Calhoun County

20 You’re Invited! One Well Brewing, 5:30 p.m. (Tentative date. Watch for email)

25 Board Meeting, LWVKA: 6pm, Zoom (Aedin Clements/Chris Kuthe)

November Voter Registration Update

Aimée Bedard

Our League was very busy over the past month registering voters and providing Voter Guides and Early Voting information. We participated in over 15 tabling events collaborating with familiar partners such as Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo College, Loy Norrix and Gull Lake High Schools, and Story Point and Spring Valley Crossing Senior Living. We tabled at the Farmers Market, Senior Expo, KPS Coffee Connections, and a Citizen Rising event. 

We were excited to share voter information at new sites, Michigan Works and the Kalamazoo Innovative Learning Program.

With your assistance and that of members of the People Church, we also sent out over 1,000 Get Out the Vote postcards to new voters. The League would not have reached as many voters as we did without your help and that of friends of the League! Thank you to all our volunteers: Paula Aldridge, Andrea Allen, Kay Anderson, Emily Bettencourt, Aedin Clements, Angela Erdman, Connie Ferguson, Anne Flynn, Denise Hartsough, Carolyn Heineman, Jennie Hill, Deb Josephson Chris Kuthe, Ken Manley, Paula Manley, MerriKay Oleen-Burkey, Carol Pauly, Kathy Purnell, Cheryl Robard, Judy Sivak, Liane Smith, Sue Sobeck, and Janice Werbinski!

Native American Heritage Month

4 Election Hero Day

5 Election Day

11 Veteran’s Day

28 Thanksgiving

29 Native American Heritage Day

LWVUS has added a new feature to VOTE411 which displays campaign finance information. Voters can see who funds candidate campaigns when researching the candidates before voting.

 VOTE411 and the LWVUS Women’s Inequality Day Campaign are finalists for two Anthem Awards. These awards celebrate purpose and mission driven work globally. VOTENOW|VOTE 411 is a finalist for Human and Civil Rights—Product Innovation or Service. VOTE NOW|LWV’s Women’s Inequality Day is a finalist for Human and Civil Rights—Community Engagement.



LWVUS has formed Young Voters Power (YVP) inviting leaders ages 18-35 to work on empowering and mobilizing voters. These young people receive training and resources to engage and empower voters in the local community. The League encourages young people to join YVP.

Annual Fall

Fundraising Appeal

You will soon receive the annual LWVKA Fall Fundraising letter in your mailbox. Your financial support for the work of the Local League is vital.

Of the $60 you pay for dues, $32 goes to the LWVUS and $23 to the LWVMI. Thus, $5 stays for the work we do locally. Without your support LWVKA could not do all the important nonpartisan voter education throughout the community. 



Please consider donating this fall and thank you to all who have supported us in the past.

Public Accuracy Test

Aedín Clements

League members observed public accuracy tests for Kalamazoo County, the Cities of Kalamazoo, Portage, Galesburg and Parchment, the Village of Climax and for Cooper, Kalamazoo, Texas and Oshtemo Townships. 

In all except the Kalamazoo County tests, LWVKA members were the only observers present. Observers report that clerks and staff were welcoming, that seating was provided for observers, and that clerks explained the process and answered questions. League observer comments were very complimentary about the way clerks explained the process.

Reports from observers all describe a process where the clerks’ offices ran a test to ensure that the tabulator program correctly deals with each ballot. Clerks’ offices had already tested all tabulators and for the Public Accuracy Test, they ran test decks of ballots through a number of their tabulators. For the City of Kalamazoo, four tabulators were selected for testing, including one for a split precinct. In some cases, an election committee or commission, which included members from outside the clerk’s office, such as the City Attorney and City Assessor for Kalamazoo, managed the Test along with the Clerk’s office. In other cases, members of the clerk’s office conducted the Test. 

In all instances, observers saw the tape checked at the beginning, ensuring that it was at zero votes, then the ballots fed in, some being halted by the tabulator which then displayed the reason that the ballot was problematic, and giving the voter the option of retrieving it or casting it. After all ballots had been fed into the tabulators, the total votes were checked to ensure that they were accurate. At the end of the process, all test materials were placed in containers that were then sealed.

Thanks to the League members who served as observers and sent those informative reports! Thanks also to the clerks and staff whose care and accuracy is reflected in our observer comments. 

Observers: Lotta Burns-Jarnefelt (Climax), Madeline Cimini (Galesburg), Ineke Way and Aedín Clements (City of Kalamazoo), Connie Ferguson and Aimee Bedard (Kalamazoo County), Denise Hartsough (Kalamazoo Township), Lindy Rose and Chris Kuthe (Oshtemo), Kimberly Bender (Parchment), Carol Pauly, Angela Erdman and Linda Shafer (Portage), Deb Freiman and Rick Freiman (Richland), Carolyn Heineman (Texas), Kathlene LaCour and Andrea Allen (Cooper).

Our final book discussion of this year will be on Tuesday, November 19. Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom by Ilhon Woo is the book that we will discuss. As usual, we will gather at Kazoo Books on Parkview, any time from 6pm, with the discussion beginning at 6:30pm.

You're Invited!

By Barb Dircks

The next invitation to get acquainted and socialize is scheduled for Wednesday, November 20th at 5:30. We’re planning to meet at One Well Brewery at 4213 Portage Rd. 5:30. We will send out an email, and hope to see many League members there.

News from the

Membership Chair

By Jennifer Snyder

Since our last newsletter, we’ve been pleased to welcome Susan Caulfield, Elizabeth Coss, and Peter Zillmann, all of Kalamazoo.

Giving Tuesday

Paula Manley

#GivingTuesday 2024 is Tuesday, December 3rd. Retail stores come together to offer deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. #GivingTuesday brings the nonprofit community together on a universal platform to raise awareness about the importance of supporting our valuable missions and work.

In this time of heightened partisanship, gridlock and increased frustration among the public, there has never been a more urgent need for the reasoned, factual, and civil voice that the LWVKA brings to our community. 

Consider giving your support to the LWVKA on Tuesday December 3rd You may donate on the lwvka.org website or send your check to LWVKA PO Box 2106 Kalamazoo, MI 49003-2106.