Election Cycle

JULY 2026 | Your monthly connection to advocacy and action!

Happy 250th Birthday America!

The League of Women Voters of Volusia County is your

trusted and historic place for voting information!

A message from our President

The election cycle is in full swing with county-wide tabling on Juneteenth and more to come as the lead-up to our primaries continues. In our mission to best inform the voting public, we will be presenting two forums in the upcoming weeks. The Judicial Candidate Forum is happening virtually on July 20th at 12:00. This is an event we host in collaboration with The Volusia County Bar Association. Many voters don’t have information about the judicial candidates, so this will be a clarifying event. You will find the link below. We will also have a School Board Forum on August 8th, so make sure you sign up for both.

Thanks to all of you who have emailed the US Postal Service regarding their proposed new regulations governing mail-in and absentee ballots in federal elections. The July 2nd deadline has passed, but there is ongoing litigation involving both LWVUS and LWV of Massachusetts.

Nancy Vaughn

LWVVC President 2025 - 2027

president@lwvvc.org

On June 25th, a federal judge in Massachusetts ruled that this regulation is unconstitutional and the USPS does not have the authority to implement it. We will keep you apprised of this attack on Americans’ voting rights.

Want to be a poll monitor? Here’s what you need to know:

LWVFL is hosting a coordinated nonpartisan poll monitoring program with our partners for the August 18 (primary) election, both during Early Voting and on Election Day.

Nonpartisan Poll Monitors:

• Help make sure every registered voter gets to exercise their rights.

• Trained to support voters by answering questions, reporting issues, and connecting voters denied the ballot to legal resources.

• Stationed outside of priority polling locations during early voting and election day (standard shift is 4 hours). You are located beyond the 150 ft no-solicitation zone.

• If you would like to participate, sign up here. Training will start the week of July 21. If you do sign up, kindly let your local Voter Services chair, Nancy Nusbaum, know that you have signed up.

Thank you all for the diligence and engagement you show in our electoral process. We are strongest when we educate our voters and continue our mission to keep voting safe and available to all.

In League,

Nancy Vaughn, President

Vote411.org is live. Find out Everything you need to know about the upcoming Election, where the candidates stand on specific issues and where and when to cast your vote! Don’t forget that many of these elections are non-partisan and local so your votes are extremely meaningful.

Membership Matters

Olga Hernandez

LWV Membership Roster Mgr

oah@vyndicar.com

Our members are valued, and you give us strength of numbers as we work to complete our mission.

We currently have 198 members! I sent 45 reminders to all members whose membership lapsed on June 30. LWVUS sent automatic reminders at the beginning of the month. This is year two of the membership portal, and many members are using it and selecting auto-renewal for next year's renewal. Please remember that your dues payment is split into three portions to the different levels of the League. Let me know if your bank has trouble processing the transaction; the LWVUS is hearing reports of issues from across the country.

Pam Novy

Membership Outreach Chair pnovy@cfl.rr.com

Together, we can

continue building a strong, informed, and connected League community

This month has been one of transition as I assume the role of Membership Outreach Chair, following Bonnie Friedman’s outstanding leadership. I want to extend my sincere thanks to Bonnie for her guidance throughout this transition, as well as to Kimberly Cline for her assistance in updating our printed materials and helping ensure a smooth handoff in so many ways.

Our Membership Outreach goals remain centered on Gain, Retain, and Train, as Bonnie outlined in her April report. Building on that foundation, we plan to expand the number of Meet & Greet events this year to help grow our membership across all age groups, as well as among working professionals and historically underrepresented communities. These gatherings will be hosted in homes and community locations throughout Volusia County, creating welcoming opportunities for prospective and current members to connect.

We're also exploring additional informal gatherings for Local Leaguers, including book discussions, topical conversations, and other social opportunities. These events will be scheduled with care so they do not conflict with our Hot Topics programs.

To better serve our members, we've streamlined our localized groups from four to two—East Side and West Side. Information about events will be shared with all members, recognizing that many choose activities based on their schedules rather than geography. We will continue to host events at a variety of locations and times to make participation accessible for both working members and those with more flexible schedules.

Our Membership Outreach Committee will meet in August to begin planning for the coming year. In the meantime, a small planning team has already started developing a League Trivia Night for this fall. While we're still in the early stages, we're excited about the possibilities and are currently refining trivia questions and exploring potential venues.

As we continue this transition, we'll have more updates to share in the months ahead. I look forward to working with all of you as we continue to strengthen our League, welcome new members, and create meaningful opportunities for engagement across our community.

Invitation to Attend the Judicial

Candidates Forum – July 20, 2026

The Volusia County Bar Association (VCBA) and the League of Women Voters

of Volusia County (LWVVC) invite you to attend our upcoming

Judicial Candidate Forum featuring candidates seeking election to the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court, Group 26, Carleen Leffler vs. Jeanne Stratis.

This virtual forum will provide an opportunity for attendees to hear

directly from the candidates about their qualifications, experience,

and perspectives on serving the community.

Monday, July 20, 2026

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Zoom

This event is free and open to the public.

Registration is required in advance.

Attendees are encouraged to submit questions for the candidates

in advance, questions may be submitted here.

We look forward to your participation.

Sarah Grover, Executive Director

Volusia County Bar Association

SAVE THE DATE

Volusia County School Board Candiate Forum

The future of education starts with informed voters.

Join us for the Volusia County School Board Candidate Forum

and hear directly from the candidates seeking to serve our

community's students, families, educators, and schools.

Three school board seats are open; all are contested,

and all candidates will participate. Even if you do not live in

one of these districts, votes taken by school board members

affect the entire district. Free and open to the public.

August 8, 2026

9:30 AM at the Deltona Regional Library

This is an opportunity to learn where the candidates stand

on important issues affecting public education and

ask questions that matter to you.

Mark your calendar and plan to attend!

More details coming soon.

Voter Action Cheat Sheet

for Volunteers

Click here to view and download

Speakers Bureau will be presenting Ballot Issues

There are three proposed amendments to the Florida Constitution and five amendments to the County Charter.

If you are a member of a group, invite speakers on these important topics by contacting Ann Smith. Additionally, if you want to be a speaker, contact Ann Smith at ahsmith5@bellsouth.net