Vote411 & Printed Voter Guides Available – Get Ready to Vote!

Please help spread the word out: Vote411.org and the printed Voter Guides have been distributed throughout our local area!

Vote411.org and the Voter Guide provide essential information about the upcoming election, including candidate questionnaire responses, ballot measures, and voting procedures. Whether you're a first-time voter or a seasoned participant in our democracy, Vote411.org and the Voter Guide are excellent nonpartisan resources to make informed decisions.

Thanks to the forty-five volunteers who delivered nine thousand plus Voter Guides to schools, libraries, municipal offices, cafés, grocery stores, retirement homes, organizations etc. This is a huge team effort and we have receive lots of thanks from the community.



If you need a print guide and don’t have one handy, just go to our website and download a copy.

Unite and Rise 8.5

Aedín Clements

Unite and Rise 8.5 is the campaign of the League of Women Voters to build an 8.5 million-strong body of engaged voters who will work to protect and defend our democracy.

The LWV produces a Playbook every quarter, and the current Playbook focuses on building strong intentional partnerships to expand the League’s reach and impact. If you have not yet seen it, check your email for the subject line ‘Power Playbook 3 is NOW LIVE’ sent by lwv@lwv.org.

We have partnered with many groups in our recent candidate forums, and we appreciate the inspiration and guidance from the national League as we develop these relationships with a view to increased mobilization of activists over the coming months.



See the article by Denise Hartsough – Connect with the Larger League! – to learn how you can become more involved.

Candidate Forum Update

Following our September forum for the City of Kalamazoo the League of Women Voters of the Kalamazoo Area collaborated with the Portage Zhang Senior Center, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, El Concilio, ISAAC, NAACP Metropolitan Kalamazoo Branch, and the YWCA to host a successful City of Portage Candidate Forum for Mayor and City Council candidates on October 1st. One of the two Mayor candidates and six of the seven City Council candidates participated in the forum answering questions on topics including their qualifications for office, the environment, public safety, and the impacts of funding cuts on the community. We also took questions from the audience.

Thank you to Dr. Regena Nelson for moderating the forum and to Chris Kuthe for keeping time. Thank you to our Forum Planning Committee and content contributors: Aimee Bedard, Aedín Clements, Barb Dircks, Connie Ferguson, Denise Hartsough, Janet Jones, and Chris Kuthe. Thank you to our onsite volunteers who made the forum a success: Gloria Foster-Wimbley, Vanessa Marzette, Terri McDonald, Carol Pauly, Pamela Rups, Gail Walter, Laura Wheeler, and members of our sponsor organizations. Special thanks to Laura Wheeler for overseeing the live stream and Ben Jones of NowKalamazoo for making an excellent video of the forum. Click HERE to watch the City of Portage Candidate Forum



Our final event was a “Meet the Candidates for Kalamazoo City Mayor and Commissioner” gathering held at St. Joseph's Catholic Church on October 18th. The Kalamazoo Literacy Council and NowKalamazoo organized the event along with the Edison Neighborhood Association and Edison Resident Scholars. We were pleased to be invited to partner with this group, to be involved in the planning, and to assist by keeping time during the forum. Thanks to Claudia Wink-Bason who took care of our information table.

Thanks for Text Banking!

Denise Hartsough, VP for Program & Advocacy

League members texted registered voters in our area, urging them to sign up for the Permanent Absent Voter List. The list allows a voter to receive an AV ballot for every election without having to request it each time.

In less than a day, LWVKA sent 4164 text messages! Thank you! And thanks to LWVMI Education Fund for covering the cost.

Once we hear from the text banking company how many of those voters signed up for the list, we will let you know!

Giving Tuesday

#GivingTuesday 2025 is Tuesday, December 2. 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 2. You may donate on the lwvka.org website or send your check to LWVKA PO Box 2106 Kalamazoo, MI 49003-2106.

LWVKA Donor Appreciation

LWVKA held its annual Donor Appreciation Event on September 30 at the Park Club. Each year the LWVKA Development Committee hosts the invitation-only event to thank major donors who have given financial support to the LWVKA the past year. Dr. John Clark, Chair of the WMU Political Science Department, gave a presentation on “Defending Democracy”.

Public Accuracy Testing 

Aimée Bedard

Before each election the Public Accuracy Test is conducted to determine that the program(s) and the computer being used to tabulate the results of the election counts the votes in the manner prescribed by the law. The Public Accuracy Test for the November 4, 2025, election was completed on Thursday, October 9, 2025, for the following Kalamazoo County municipalities: Charleston Twp, Comstock Twp, Cooper Twp, Kalamazoo Twp, Oshtemo Twp, Pavilion Twp, Richland Twp, Ross Twp, Texas Twp, Galesburg City, Kalamazoo City, Parchment City, and Portage City. Observers were able to see a new procedure implemented starting with this election – testing of the Voter Assist Terminal hardware and the ballots. Thank you to League members who observed the test: Rick Anderson, Aimee Bedard, Vicki Clinton, Gloria Foster-Wimbley, Denise Hartsough, Pam Jackson, Holly Jensen, and Chris Kuthe. 

LWVMI Updates

Denise Hartsough, VP for Program & Advocacy

No Red Tape!

Many people are signing a petition for a constitutional amendment that would require documentary proof of citizenship for voting in Michigan. Some are dismayed when they find out what they signed—because signature gatherers are not legally required to tell the truth when soliciting signatures. Many are paid per signature and thus say whatever will get a signature, for example, “Free ID!”  

Please tell everyone you know not to sign any petition without carefully reading the 100-word summary on the petition sheet. We can’t trust what the circulator says. We need to read for ourselves.  

We already affirm our citizenship and do not need barriers to voting. Showing a birth certificate alone would not suffice for the 80% of married women who have changed their name. No Red Tape for Michigan’s married women—or for any other voter!

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Connect with the Larger League!

Denise Hartsough

Your State League gathers members from around the state on Zoom for regular networking meetings.  

Any interested member can find the Zoom info at www.lwvmi.org under the tab for Members; click on LWV Only. If you need the password, ask your co-presidents or me.

Upcoming in November:

• Wed., 11/5, 7pm  Unite & Rise 8.5 Mobilization Network.
  Learn about Play Book 3!
• Wed., 11/12, 7pm  Membership Leadership. Tips from other Leagues 
  about how to grow.
• Thurs., 11/20, 7pm  Debrief for Board of Canvassers Observers. 
  Share your experience!

Regular meetings for other networks will start in the new year—Voter Service, Observer Corps, Local League Advocacy. Find your niche!

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LWVMI Advocacy Decisions 

Denise Hartsough

LWVMI supports:

• Civil penalties for false statements designed to prevent an individual 
  from voting--SB 633 
• Freedom to Read Act, affirming that ultimate responsibility for material selection lies with the library director--HR 4251
• Regulation of microplastics in consumer products and 
  drinking water--SB 503, 504, 505 
• Use of force training for law enforcement--SB 333 
• Fair electric vehicle registration fees--SB 593 
• Universal and unified healthcare coverage in MI—HB 4407
• End to prison gerrymandering (report home addresses for redistricting, 
  not prison address)--SB 537

LWVUS Update

By Paula Manley

LWVKA/Calhoun County

Geographical Unit

Susan Stuart

LWVMI Co-President Denise Hartsough was the speaker at our annual meeting on September 23, 2025, at Marshall United Methodist Church. Denise spoke on the importance of Unite and Rise 8.5 and the need to “show up” and ”speak up” as individuals and members of LWV to support voting rights and the U.S. Constitution. Recent and new members were asked to share their reasons and passion for becoming members and how to channel those into ways to become active participants.

The Management Team of Anne Flynn, Linda Smoot, Kitty Knoll, Susan Stuart, and Sue Rosko were re-elected. Peggy Sindt was elected as Treasurer. Paula Manley will continue to serve as our mentor from LWVKA.



Several members participated in NO KINGS rallies in Battle Creek and Albion and continue to staff LWV table events throughout the county.

LWVKA Officers and Board Members