It's August 1 - Poll Worker Recruitment Day! Look in this update for:
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In July, the board held our annual retreat and developed a plan to improve our leadership structure and communication. We focused on making our team more cohesive and ensuring everyone stays informed. We also finalized our strategies for the fall, including plans for events, voter registration drives, and community engagement. As you can see below, there is already a lot happening!
New Partnerships and Campaigns: We are pleased to announce a new partnership with KOOP, Austin's community radio station. A "Get Out the Vote" PSA will run in their weekly rotation, airing up to three times a week through election week in November. This week, it will air during "Off the Beatle Path" on Monday (12-1 PM), "The Emo Diaries" on Friday (4:30-6 PM), and "Stronger than Dirt" on Saturday (8-10 PM). Tune in to KOOP over the next few months to catch our message. Also starting this month, CapMetro buses will feature ads promoting Vote411, the League's online resource for voters. Keep an eye out for these ads as you travel around the city.
Grant Award for November 2024 Voters Guide: LBJ Family Wealth Advisors has awarded us a grant of $10,000 to go toward our Voters Guide translations. Many thanks to Debbi Voss for all her hard work on this application.
National Convention Recap: In June, the League of Women Voters held its national convention. The Daily Recap of each convention day is now available on the League Management Site. These recaps include motion numbers, unofficial vote counts, and highlights. Be sure to check them out to stay informed about the latest developments and decisions.
Special Mid-Month Newsletter: We will have a special mid-month newsletter coming your way. This edition will focus on how you can help LWVAA get out the vote for November 2024. Stay tuned for actionable steps and opportunities to make a difference in our community.
Thank you for your continued support and dedication.
Jessica Foreman, LWVAA President
Return to top | Attend: 70th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education
You are invited to join the League of Women Voters Austin Area for "70 Years After Brown: Public Education in Texas," a panel discussion and conversation that ties our past to the present and looks to the future of public education in Texas.
When? Saturday, August 31, from 1:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Where? Windsor Park Branch Library, 5833 Westminster Drive, Austin, Texas, 78723
This is a community event open to the public - you don't have to be a League member to attend. Tell a friend - better yet, bring a friend! We can't wait to see you there!
Register Now!
Contact: Sheba Washington, Director Education
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Volunteers Needed
The Advocacy & Education team is looking for five volunteers for each of the following interest areas:
Advocacy Committee
Advocate for change at the local level with other League members. The Advocacy Committee uses the League’s policy positions as a guide to identify issues important to the community and to educate membership and the public.
Observer Corps
Attend local government meetings, in person or online, and take notes on important actions taken and issues discussed. Engage in issue research to help develop questions for the Voters Guide and for candidate forums.
Education (identified as a priority by our members)
Volunteers are needed to research issues and educate our members about current trends and changes to local K-12 and higher education.
Defending the Environment
Volunteers are needed to help research and advocate on environmental issues that impact the Austin community.
Administration of Justice
Volunteers are needed to help research and advocate on issues in this area, including local policing.
| Communications & Technology
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Great News!
Starting in mid August, watch for three CapMetro buses advertising VOTE411.org and 50 buses with placards.
Listen to Kate Abel, VP Organization, on the VOTE411 PSA on KOOP, Austin's community radio, and KVRX, UT's student radio station. Claudia Torres-Yanez, Voter Registration & Turnout Director, will be featured on Univision's Radio Community Show that airs on Sundays on radio stations KLQB & KLJA.
Help! Looking for Social Media Influencers
Research shows younger and low-propensity voters are more likely to vote if they are encouraged to vote by trusted individuals and organizations. LWVAA is reaching out to partner with influencers, activists, and community leaders in the Austin area who are nonpartisan and who align with LWVAA values. Contact Grace Chimene, VP of Communications & Technology, to share names, contact information, social media handles of social media influencers you know.
Comms Volunteers Needed
Are you a creative? Do you have Canva graphic or video skills? Help us empower voters with the information they need to vote! Do you have editing skills? Help pull together the monthly newsletter! We welcome fresh ideas and energy to help us inform voters and get out the vote.
| Voter Registration & Turnout | | LWVAA volunteers register voters at the naturalization ceremony at the federal courthouse. | Volunteer Deputy Registrars Needed!
In July, we had volunteers out in the community registering voters. We continue to register voters at Austin area Alamo Drafthouse locations on Friday and Saturday nights. We have also been registering new citizens at area naturalization ceremonies.
This month we were invited to register voters at some new places like the Chaparral Farmers Market in eastern Travis County. Founder Nancy Helton explained the mission of the market is to increase food access and equity in eastern Travis county. Nancy started the market in 2022 when she noted the lack of resources in the area, which is an Austin ETJ (extra-territorial jurisdiction). LWVAA was thrilled to accept Nancy’s invitation to host a voter registration booth at the farmers market to increase voter registration and voter turnout in eastern Travis County.
Invitations to host voter registration tables are ramping up in the Austin Area, and we couldn’t be happier about that! Whether it's a farmers market, an outdoor concert or festival, an apartment complex, club, or anything in between, we’re excited there is so much interest in empowering voters and defending democracy!
This also means that we need more volunteers to both lead and serve as VDRs for recurring and one-off events. Are you a VDR? Are you ready to register voters with LWVAA? Then please visit our Volunteering Opportunities page to sign up for one or more of the many voter registration events that are happening around our area! And make it a habit to visit the page often -- we're always adding events!
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Mark Your Calendars for First Vote Training!
During the summer we focus on training and planning for the fall. If you are interested in helping to review presentation materials, to brainstorm ideas for interactive activities, and other planning tasks, contact Susana Carranza, our First Vote! chair.
We plan to book as many schools as possible between September 5 and October 4 to ensure that all seniors eligible to vote in the November election will have a chance to register to vote and learn how to get ready.
When: Saturday, August 17, 2024, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Where: LWVAA office at the Alamo Baker Building, 3908 Avenue B, Austin, 78751
| Great Turnout for Our New & Prospective Members Meeting!
Over two dozen folks packed into the LWVAA office late last month to learn a bit about the history of the League, about how LWVAA works to fulfill the League's mission of empowering voters and defending democracy, and about how they can help.
If you're already a member, how about introducing a friend to LWVAA with a gift membership?
| Show your support for the League every day!
How? Drink your morning beverage of choice from a League mug. Wear a League t-shirt. Carry your voter registration forms in a League tote bag. Slap a League sticker on your laptop or water bottle. All these things and more are available from the LWVAA store on Threadless. Let's get geared up for election season!
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Register Voters Across the Austin Area
Help needed! There are lots of opportunities to register voters!
Contact: Claudia Torres-Yanez, Voter Registration and Turnout Director
Power the Polls
August 1 is Poll Worker Recruitment Day! Working the polls is one of the most effective ways to support democracy. Sign up to be a poll worker and help our elections run smoothly. Sign up today! #PollWorkerRecruitmentDay #PowerThePolls
Apply to Serve on a City of Austin Board or Commission
Provide your perspective and provide a public service.
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| Mark Your Calendar for These Upcoming LWVAA Events
- August 17: First Vote! Training, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., 3908 Avenue B, Austin, 78751
- August 24: LWV of Williamson County's Vote and Equality rally, 9:00am, the Square in Georgetown
- August 31: 70 Years After Brown: Public Education in Texas, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m., Austin Public Library - Windsor Park Branch
- September 17: National Voter Registration Day music event with KOOP Austin Community Radio! KOOP is organizing a nighttime benefit at the 13th Floor, a club in the Red River Cultural District. There will be bands, DJs and LWV volunteers registering voters.
- Candidate forum dates for Austin mayor and City Council members (all forums begin at 6:00 p.m.):
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| LWVUS
Read LWVUS statements:
Keep up with our work through the LWVUS Newsroom.
LWVUS Blogs and press releases offer insight on League work and news.
Action Alerts
Urge your members of Congress to oppose the SAVE Act, which would require citizenship documentation to register to vote, even though voters in every state are already required to affirm or verify their citizenship status when registering to vote.
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Join us in honoring the memory of our beloved member Frances McIntyre by reading her obituary, where her family reflects on her remarkable life and contributions.
Return to top | Welcome to Our Newest Members!
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Alexandria Anderson*
Marianne Baker Bolduc
Susan Berg*
Kelsey Black
David Bolduc
Bessie Butler-Evans
Zoe Cannon
Kristie Engel
Anthony England
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| Dwan Fields
Anne Hallock
Dianne Hardy-Garcia
Candice Hopkins
Karen Johnson
Phyllis Jordan
Jean Kelchner*
Emily Klaas
Sophia Maines*
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| Susan Maze
Erin McGee
Gentry McLean*
Michael McLean*
Corri Planck
Renee Shively*
Raymond Stephany*
Lucille Stewart
Mackenzie Watson
Hollyann Wood |
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* Indicates a Sustaining Member
| Thank You to Our Sustaining and Renewing Members!
When you join LWV Austin Area, you automatically become a member of the National and Texas Leagues.
| | The League shall not support or oppose any political party or candidates. It may take action on governmental measures and policies in the public interest after significant study and consensus is reached. | |