November 5th is Election Day!
Read on to learn more! |  | |
Election Day is Almost Here!
Thank you to our League members for the countless hours dedicated to registering and informing voters. Now, it’s time for one final push to Get Out the Vote!
Can you commit to reaching out to five people – whether they’re family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, or community members – to make sure they’re ready to vote? Here’s how you can make an impact: meet people where they are!
Connect with people however works best: text, phone, social media, Teams/Slack posts, or in person. Here’s my commitment to talk to five people about voting:
- Helping a family member who doesn’t have a car. Do they need a ride to the polls?
- Stopping by Starbucks because you know I’ll need caffeine on election day. I’ll be asking my local baristas if they have any questions about voting!
- Talking to a friend who’s unsure about voting and feels like their vote doesn’t make a difference. I’ve been sharing stories with them about new voters and their enthusiasm, and we’ve been talking about the history of suffrage. We're working through it together!
- Posting a voter reminder on Microsoft Teams at work. (See below for a sample post to use and personalize!)
- Checking in on my neighborhood’s Facebook group to answer any polling questions and help out.
How can you help? Can you commit to your own five actions to Get Out the Vote? I’d love to hear what you’re doing! Email me your five commitments to jforeman@lwvaustin.org to show how you’re making a difference.
Remember: we’re nonpartisan. If you’re using the League’s name while encouraging voting, be mindful not to discuss individual candidates. Staying nonpartisan is powerful and keeps our message strong!
Post-Election Messaging
Regardless of the results, it may be a tough week for many. As trusted, non-partisan sources of information, we can help keep calm, promote reliable info, and answer questions. Check out the talking points below and share them, or feel free to repost LWVAA’s social media posts.
Thank you for your dedication and support – LET’S DO THIS!
Return to top | | Below are the key messages the League wants to share on Election Day and post-election. Help us share reliable information and promote a sense of calm. |  | Message #1: On Election Day, you have the right to vote free from intimidation or harassment.
Voters are protected by state and federal law from threats or intimidation at the polls, including from election observers. If you feel that you’ve been a victim of, or that you've witnessed, voter intimidation or threats, please report the experience to the Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE (other languages available). If you experience an emergency, please call 911.
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 | Message #2: Count every vote! Election results are not final until certification. Election night reporting is unofficial, and those results may change as ballot counting is completed. As we wait for a final tally to be released, election officials are hard at work ensuring they count every vote. An accurate ballot count is more important than a fast ballot count. With the increase of absentee and mail voting since 2020, it is essential that every vote is counted and every voter’s voice is heard. We should all prepare for many election results to be announced after Election Day. |
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 | Message #3: Election Results - Beware of false claims about the election results. We expect bad actors to spread disinformation in order to cast doubt for their own political gain. You can report election disinformation you see online at https://reportdisinfo.org/. Election officials implement ballot processing and tabulation safeguards designed to ensure each ballot cast in the election can be correctly counted. These safeguards include chain of custody procedures, auditable logging requirements, and canvass processes. |
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How can you help promote the messages above?
If you see bad information, here’s what you can do:
- DON’T click or share. When you quote bad information, you're helping to spread it.
- DO share accurate information. Without mentioning the wrong information, set the record straight by sharing the correct messages.
- DON’T engage publicly. If someone you know is sharing bad information, message them privately and ask them to take it down.
- DO report and block. Report inaccurate information to social media platforms, group administrators and election officials. Block users you don’t know who share mis- or disinformation.
Following is LWVAA president Jessica Foreman’s post on her work’s Microsoft Teams. Feel free to edit and use. (Always make sure your company’s policies allowing posting content like this. Many organizations do not allow partisan content, but everything below is nonpartisan!)
Election Day is Tuesday, November 5th!
Did you know you get free time off work to vote? Use "Voting Leave" on SAP. [Note: Fill in your company’s policy here or delete this section if your company does not have a policy.]
Voting Times
Tuesday, November 5th from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
You can also check wait times at polling places.
What's on your ballot?
You can use VOTE411.org to download your personalized ballot. Your county elections website will have the option to do this as well. Remember that there may be many nonpartisan races on your ballot such as city council, mayor, school board, etc. And also propositions!
What should I take to the polls?
There are 7 acceptable IDs you can bring with you. (DL works!) Don’t have one of the IDs? Don’t worry! Voters who don’t have and can’t reasonably obtain one of the seven approved forms of photo ID may fill out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration (RID) (PDF) at the polls and present an alternative form of ID, such as a utility bill, bank statement, government check, or a voter registration certificate.
Remember, you cannot take a phone into the voting booth to use with your choices, so jot down your selections with pen and paper, print out your personalized ballot on Vote411.org, or take a Voters Guide with you.
You also cannot wear any campaign items to the polls. This includes items that don't explicitly say a candidate's name but have info like "I’m with her!” or "Make America Great Again!". They will ask you to turn your shirt inside out.
Your rights at the polls
If you are legally registered to vote, but your name does not appear on the voter registration list because of an administrative issue, you have a right to cast a provisional ballot.
Is there an election issue you'd like to report? You can contact your county elections official, the Secretary of State's office at 1-800-252-VOTE, or (my recommendation) 866-OUR-VOTE, a voter protection hotline manned by attorneys in a coalition of voting rights groups including the League of Women Voters.
| Communications & Technology
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In the past 30 days, views on Instagram reached 156,587 voters!
Give a big shout-out to our social media volunteers, nonpartisan organizations, businesses, and the media that teamed up to share voter education. We are grateful to work with others to empower voters and defend democracy!
Please follow LWV Austin Area on social media and share posts to reach more voters in Central Texas.
| Valerie DeBill, LWVAA's Voters Service VP, has been in the news providing voter education.
KXAN:
KVUE:
| It takes a village?
This fall we had 156 volunteers, including 24 who signed up to present. This is the biggest team we've ever had! Collectively, we spent 836 hours in 25 schools all around Travis County. We presented to 4,200 students, registered 451, handed out 100 mail-in forms and collected 245 reminder cards. All of of it in less than 5 weeks! It was hectic, but we hope everyone enjoyed the experience.
What happens to all those reminder cards?
We will be sending text reminders to ~900 seniors or recent graduates (from the 2023-2024 cycle). If you indicated an interest in texting, be on the lookout for instructions and a sign-up in the next few days.
What's ahead?
We'll take a short break after the election, then get to work preparing for the spring. We'll be sending emails on more ways to participate!
Join the First Vote! Email List |
Contact: Susana Carranza, First Vote! Chair
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Special thanks to the 46 members who participated in the event survey last month! The results were illuminating and the Development Committee has some different ideas on how to proceed with next year’s major fundraising event. Without further ado, here are the results:
- Format: Dinner and a movie received more support than a sit-down dinner. The idea of a luncheon was also very popular; LWVAA will consider that option for Education & Advocacy events in the future.
- Timing: Thursday (17 votes) won for the preferred event day/evening of the week, but Wednesday (15 votes) and Tuesday (14 votes) were not far behind.
- Movie type: Documentaries (36 votes) won by a mile, with biographical/biopics (21 votes) and comedies (20 votes) in a toss-up for 2nd place. Independent films came in 3rd (18 votes), with dramas in a decisive last place (11 votes).
- Ticket price: The majority of survey respondents said $200 (17 votes) would be the limit of what they would be willing to spend for a single ticket, while $125 (15 votes) came in not far behind. We had 9 votes to cap ticket prices at $150, with the remaining votes ticket prices under $100.
- Respondent profile: The majority of survey respondents are retired.
The Development Committee will meet on Wednesday, November 20 at 6:00 p.m. to discuss the survey results and finalize the event plan. If you are interested in joining us (either in person and over Zoom), please email Lisa Chang, Development Director, at lchang@lwvaustin.org by November 18th!
| Apply to Serve on a City of Austin Board or Commission
Take part in Austin's government by serving on a board or commission. These groups help shape and influence rules and laws by giving different viewpoints for the City Council to consider.
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| Share Austin Mayor and City Council Candidate Forum videos!
| | Watch "All About Ballot Propositions"
On October 13, we held our Fall Kickoff, with the theme "All About Ballot Propositions." We invited a panel of experts to talk about Travis County Proposition A, regarding childcare, as well as AISD Proposition A and Manor ISD Proposition A, both calling for increased school funding. It was extremely well attended. In case you missed it, have no fear: the panel was recorded and is available to view and share HERE.
Volunteer for Capitol Corps
The Texas legislature will convene on January 14. In anticipation, we will host TxLege 101. Be informed about how bills become law, and how they don’t! Learn about advocating for issues that the LWVTX supports and against those it doesn’t. Become a member of the Capitol Corps and help get the League's positions on the record.
| Travis County Commissioners Announce Legislative Priorities & Bills to Be Introduced
Travis County Commissioners Court has approved the following legislative priorities for the upcoming legislative session: more control over land-use planning in the extra-territorial jurisdiction (ETJ) parts of the county, especially as it relates to water supply and special purpose districts; and maximum flexibility in delivering County services. A recurring theme is that human services are best provided at the local level.
- Elections to be transparent and voter accessible.
- Civic engagement, especially concerning emergency services.
- Diversion of mental health care to local facilities outside of the criminal justice system.
- Multi-modal transportation, especially for rail services.
- Provide better service to residents by opposing attempts to diminish the county's authority.
They will introduce the following bills:
- Obtain long-term lease for vacated buildings at the Austin State Hospital.
- Shared enforcement of fire code.
- More flexibility to donate surplus property to nonprofit partners.
- Allow for less frequent meetings of the Bail Bond Committee.
- Deer management at the Balcony's Canyonland Preserve.
- Refile of authority to provide waste management services in ETJ. Houston and San Antonio already have carve-outs for this purpose.
The outcome of the November 5 election could impact these priorities.
| Join LWVAA for Our Annual Holiday Brunch!
Join us to welcome our newest members and celebrate all members at our annual Holiday Brunch! Visit with old friends and make new ones while enjoying a light brunch buffet!
When? Saturday, December 14, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Where? Alamo Baker Center Cafetorium, 3908 Avenue B, Austin, 78751
| Celebrate Election Day With a Gift Membership to LWVAA!
A gift of League membership is a great way to celebrate election season with your favorite democracy defenders! Whether they're a first-time voter or a super-voter, a gift membership is a great way to thank them for helping to safeguard our democracy.
Choose from three gift amounts:
- $60 will cover an Individual Membership
- $90 will cover a Household Membership (2 members in the same household)
- $5 will cover a Student Membership
LWVAA will send your gift recipient an email on the day of your choosing, along with redemption instructions. The gift amount can be applied toward a new membership or membership renewal at any membership level.
| Visit the LWVAA Shop & Get a Jump on the Holidays!
Who wouldn't love a League t-shirt, mug, or tote bag? League stickers and note cards make great stocking stuffers or additions to a gift bag! All these things and more are available from the LWVAA store on Threadless.
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Action Alerts
There are many ways to have your voice heard by elected officials and policy makers. Take action on League priorities today!
| Welcome to Our Newest Members!
| Amy Beam
Ann Berasley
Clara Betancourt
Angelia Gooden
Sherry Keller
Richard Llewellyn*
Mary Lovell* | Lezlie Morton
Christy Norman*
Estienne Phan
Lindsay Scatton
Bill Steinhauser*
Laura Tsao | | | * 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. | |