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Friend, 

Happy New Year, League leaders! 

I am looking forward to an exciting and busy 2024. Over the next year, we will help empower voters to make their voices heard in the 2024 elections, come together for our National Convention in Washington DC, and continue our transition to our new membership management platform, ChapterSpot. The work we are doing together is essential in the League’s vision of creating a democracy by the people, for the people — all of the people. Today and every day, I am honored and proud to serve our democracy with you, and I cannot wait to continue this work in 2024!

While it may be hard to believe, primary elections are just around the corner. Voter education and empowerment are critical components of our mission, and it is essential that voters have access to the information they need to cast an informed vote. I am excited to share that we have created new VOTE411 public service announcements (PSAs) asking voters about the issues that matter most. Our “What Do You VOTE411?” PSAs are available in both English and Spanish and can be found on the League’s YouTube channel. These videos are a great resource for your League to share on social media or with your community. 

In other League news, I want to remind you to update your League’s roster to reflect active membership by January 31. League roster managers can make any updates through the Roster Manager Portal. To prepare for our transition to our new membership system, we are also asking each League to designate a ChapterSpot point of contact. If you have questions about how to update your League's roster, please reach out to rostersupport@lwv.org. For questions about the ChapterSpot transition, contact membership@lwv.org. 

Finally, as we celebrate the new year, LWVUS is preparing for our National Convention in DC in June. I hope to see many of you there! Registration and hotel reservations will be open by the end of this month. Additionally, the submission form to propose bylaws amendments is now open and closes on February 26. Leagues can find updated information on the Convention website. Stay tuned for more updates! 

Working with you and for you every day.

In League,

Deborah

See all upcoming events on the League Management Site.

• Action Alert: Tell Congress to Ensure That the ERA is Published

Leagues across the country are encouraged to participate in Program Planning, our grassroots process for choosing the League Program for 2024 – 2026. The Program Planning Survey is now open for local and state Leagues to recommend the programmatic focus for all levels of the League for the upcoming biennium. Find a link to the survey, as well as Program Planning instructions, on the League Management Site. The survey closes on Friday, March 10. For questions, contact progplan@lwv.org.

• Blog: Artificial Intelligence’s Impact on Election Mis- and Disinformation

Thank you to the 70% of Leagues who responded to the 2023 Annual League Survey! The evaluation team is working diligently to analyze the data and create materials for use at every level. To help Leagues demonstrate their achievements, LWVUS is offering factsheets for Leagues who completed the survey. State Leagues will automatically receive a factsheet. Local Leagues, ILOs, and MALs can request a factsheet here. If you would still like to submit your 2023 Annual League Survey data and need your individualized link, please contact evaluation@lwv.org. Additionally, after receiving feedback from Leagues, the 2024 Annual League Survey will be shorter. Check out resources on the League Management Site for more information!

Make sure you update your League’s roster to reflect active membership by January 31. Leagues can update their roster on the Roster Manager Portal. This is a good opportunity to ensure that your League’s officer list is up to date, including term dates, and to add member join and expiration dates. This information will be helpful when data is transferred to ChapterSpot and will determine your League’s delegate count at Convention 2024. Additionally, we are asking Leagues to identify one point of contact for ChapterSpot, our new membership system. Learn more about our membership system and the transition on the League Management Site.

Registration and hotel reservations for the 2024 Convention will open in January. Updates will be provided in the League Update and on the Convention website. Information continues to be added to the Convention website. Leagues can now: 

• Propose Bylaws Amendments 
• Request Hardship Designations 
• Review the Leaders Guide to Program Planning and Other Program Planning Support

One of the many important business items at the national convention is the review and possible amendment of the LWVUS Bylaws. The process for proposing an amendment (along with specific requirements) is available now. All proposed amendments are reviewed by the Bylaws Committee. They can be reached at bylaws@lwv.org.

• Letter: LWVUS Joins Comments Urging DoD to Collect Data on Service Member’s Experience with Family Planning Services 

• Letter: LWVUS Joins Letter to House on Pregnant Students Bill

• Liz Tentarelli, president of the League of Women Voters of New Hampshire, spoke to The Boston Globe about what voters need to know ahead of the first primary in the nation. Read now: What to know about the New Hampshire primary, whether you’re voting or not.
• The League of Women Voters of Nebraska filed an amicus brief in a case before the state’s Supreme Court over a law that would restrict reproductive health care and gender-affirming surgeries for transgender youth. Learn more: League of Women Voters of Nebraska files amicus brief in Planned Parenthood case.
• A circuit court ruled in favor of the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin in its lawsuit to clarify voting rights protections. Read the League's statement: Court Rules Wisconsin Absentee Ballot Rules Violate Civil Rights Act.

Special Notifications: To help keep members informed, LWVUS sends this bi-weekly, internal email newsletter to state and local League presidents, as well as other highly engaged League members. The League Update includes important announcements about upcoming trainings and webinars, grant opportunities, messaging resources, stories from Leagues nationwide, and surveys to help LWVUS serve Leagues better. This newsletter is curated for League members specifically and is not intended for public consumption or distribution. 

Do you know a League member who wants to receive this email? Members can subscribe to receive the League Update here. Please do not reply to this message. To unsubscribe, please click the “unsubscribe” button at the bottom of this email.