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Friend, 

Our Nation

October has flown by, and it’s hard to believe that Election Day is just nineteen days away! As we inch closer to November 8, LWVUS has partnered with incredible organizations to get out the vote and register voters ahead of important deadlines. I’m proud to share that LWVUS is a national partner of Vote Early Day, a movement ensuring all Americans have the tools they need to vote early. I encourage Leagues to join us next Friday, October 28, for this nationwide campaign. Leagues can learn more and sign on here. 

Our League

During election season, as our political atmosphere gets more contentious, our organization is under a microscope as we work to provide nonpartisan election and candidate information to voters. This often puts us on the receiving end of attacks on our nonpartisan stance and reflects the gaining steam of election mis- and disinformation across the nation. 

We’re especially seeing this trend when Leagues attempt to host candidate debates and forums. Candidates will make baseless accusations about the League’s political leanings to avoid answering tough questions and tackling issues that may be politically charged. Our nonpartisan stance — stated in our founding documents from over 100 years ago — says that “the League shall not support or oppose any political party or any candidate.” This hasn’t changed in over 100 years.

We’ve held positions on issues for decades, and this hasn’t changed either. There is not a new policy position of ours that candidates are reacting to. So why do they suddenly take issue with our positions now? It’s not because we’ve changed. It’s because they’ve made a purely political calculation to dodge their job interview and want to blame the messenger. Debates are essential to our democracy, and if candidates refuse to appear, it is a loss for voters. In response to this growing issue, our CEO, Virginia Kase Solomón, and I authored an op-ed on the harmful impact of debate dodging. I encourage you all to share this with fellow League members and within your social circle.  

Despite these challenges, we will continue to engage candidates in voter information opportunities. We recently refreshed our guidance for Leagues around candidate refusal to debate, which is available on the League Management Site. Together, we will continue to inform ALL voters of their rights in our democracy.

In other League news, birthday celebrations are in order! Next Thursday, our favorite nonpartisan voting resource, VOTE411, turns sixteen. Join us on October 27 and celebrate VOTE411’s “Sweet 16” with our social media toolkit.

Working with you and for you every day.

In League,

Deborah

Election Misinformation Webinar Series: Session Two

Spotting Election Misinformation and Understanding Motivations Behind How and Why It Spreads

Attendees will learn about the motivations behind different propagators of misinformation and fact-checking basics to feel more confident about sharing and acting on accurate, credible information.

REGISTER HERE

No Time to Fail Virtual Screening

Join us for this free, virtual screening of No Time to Fail. Co-presented by the League of Women Voters, attendees can join a live Q&A featuring filmmaker Margo Guernsey and Adam Ambrogi from LWVUS.

GET TICKETS

Election Misinformation Webinar Series: Session Three

How to Debunk Misinformation and Engage in Productive Conversations Without Confrontation

This session will focus on how to have conversations about misinformation in a productive, nonconfrontational way that will yield positive outcomes.

REGISTER HERE

See the full list of upcoming events on the League Management Site.

With so much at stake this November, we are partnering with the state Leagues in Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin in the weeks leading up to Election Day to text thousands of women voters to get out the vote, all while coming together and having fun! Sign up here.

Voters deserve to know where candidates stand on the most important issues in their community. Even after multiple contacts from League volunteers across the country, some candidates have not yet answered our VOTE411 voter guide questions. 

Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen a number of concerned voters writing letters to the editors in their local papers calling on their candidates to answer VOTE411 voter guide questions. This small action has had a big impact: our VOTE411 team has seen an influx of candidates reaching out to answer voter guide questions.

Join voters in the critical weeks before Election Day and encourage your candidates to answer our VOTE411 voter guide questions. League members looking to call on candidates can refer to our pressure campaign letter-to-the-editor template on the League Management Site. Additionally, we strongly encourage Leagues to share this guidance from VOTE411 on your social media profile and within your networks. 

We are excited to partner with Vot-ER, an organization engaging voters through health care, to organize get-out-the-vote phone banking opportunities. We encourage Leagues to sign up for a volunteer shift to call on voters from underrepresented communities. Training will be provided at the start of every short volunteer shift — all you need is a computer and a phone! 

• Tuesday, Oct. 25 | 6pm – 8pm ET
• Friday, Oct. 28 (Vote Early Day) | 12pm – 2pm ET
• Thursday, Nov. 3 | 6pm – 8pm ET
• Saturday, Nov. 5 | 12pm – 2pm ET

Once invisible to the public, election administrators have now become the focus of ongoing coordinated campaigns of disinformation regardless of pulling off the most secure election in our history amidst a global pandemic. No Time to Fail is a documentary that gives voices to the experiences of this largely invisible and indispensable workforce of election administrators during the 2020 election and all the challenges they faced.

On Oct. 27 at 5pm ET, in partnership with Election Hero Day, the League of Women Voters will co-present a free virtual screening of No Time to Fail, with a live Q&A featuring filmmaker Margo Guernsey and Adam Ambrogi from LWVUS. Get your tickets and RSVP here.

The League of Women Voters Education Fund (LWVEF) is pleased to announce three new programs: the 2023 Youth Voter Registration project, the 2023 New Citizens Voter Registration project, and the 2023 Former and Currently Incarcerated Voter Registration project. As part of these programs, LWVEF will award pass-through grants to state and local Leagues that undertake voter registration activities aimed at young voters, new citizens, or serve formerly or currently incarcerated voters.

All grant applications are due by midnight on Nov. 30, 2022, with decisions announced in late December. Grants will only be considered for Leagues attending at least five events within the grant year (Jan. – Nov. 2023). Leagues must agree to undertake activities in a nonpartisan fashion and must also agree to collect contact information from registrants, as allowable, in order to conduct get-out-the-vote follow-up. 

Leagues can find additional information on the applications below: 

• 2023 Youth Voter Registration Project
• 2023 New Citizens Voter Registration Project 
• 2023 Former and Currently Incarcerated Voter Registration Project

Please contact Morgan Murray at mmurray@lwv.org with any questions.

• Blog: A Look at American Civics Education
• Social Media Toolkit: VOTE411's Sweet 16
• Toolkit: Election Preparation Toolkit

With Election Day right around the corner, we’ve recently updated our VOTE411 social media graphics and customizable templates. Graphics are sized for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Templates can be used for local and state elections, and we encourage Leagues to tailor any messages to fit races in their community. Access these refreshed resources on the League Management Site.

If you missed the local League media training for the 2022 elections, check out our resource page on the League Management Site. There, you can find a recording of the training, a slide deck, and links to important messaging resources as we head into the 2022 elections. This training is highly recommended for all local Leagues!

As part of the 2030 Census planning efforts, the public is invited to share feedback on how the Census Bureau can improve the public’s experience with the census. With this input, the Census Bureau aims to better reach and count historically undercounted people, and overcome challenges, while encouraging everyone to respond to the 2030 Census. LWVUS has created guidance for Leagues with instructions on how to submit their own comments. For questions regarding this request, please reach out to Kristen Kern at kkern@lwv.org.

We're excited to debut our Instagram filters for VOTE411. Instagram users can now go to their Instagram stories and share that they're election ready thanks to VOTE411. Users can search for these filters on Instagram, but League members can access the filters below:

• Left
• Right

From Nov. 6 to Nov. 18, the LWVUS UN Nations Group and fellow LWV members will attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP27), both in-person and virtually. Severe climate crises occurred this year, most notably flooding in Pakistan. COP27 will emphasize the impact of climate change, focusing particularly on the needs of the African continent. Join LWVUS to see how the United States, Europe, and China address climate issues. Interested League members can access firsthand reports from participants via the LWVUS UN and LWV Climate Google groups. To join the Google groups, please email csagona@lwv.org. Members can also stay up to date on LWV UN’s Twitter. 

Post-election, the Annual League Survey (formerly the Semi-Annual League Survey) will be sent to the field in November and close out in December. The purpose of this survey is to collect data about our membership, partnerships, and League work to tell a complete story about the organization’s impact. The data collected will be shared League-wide in the new year. In the coming weeks, we'll be sharing documents with frequently asked questions, a glossary of terms, and a copy of the survey for your reference. We'll also be adding weekly office hours to help us reach a 100% response rate. The highest-ranked League leader that we have on file will be contacted via email with an individualized survey link, ensuring only one response from each League is collected via the online form. The benefit of your League submitting a survey response is that with the information you provide, we'll be creating state- and national-level factsheets. This can help document your League's impact and demonstrate change over time, energize and inspire your volunteers, inform your strategic decision-making, and support your fundraising efforts. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mariana (mschmalstig@lwv.org).

Did your League’s fiscal year end on June 30? If so, you probably need to file your Form 990-N by November 15. All Leagues that receive less than $50,000 in income must file an e-postcard return (also known as Form 990-N) every year, with only a few exceptions. With so much going on during midterm election season, it’s a good idea to submit your League’s Form 990-N as soon as possible. It should only take a few minutes to complete for most Leagues. Form 990-N is entirely web-based; there isn’t a paper version. More information can be found here.

Nominating committees play a vital role in defining and ensuring the League’s future success by recruiting and selecting strong candidates for boards of directors and subsequent nominating committees. To support nominating committees in their work, over the next several months we’ll be sharing resources for nominating committees.  

Finding good candidates starts with a good job description. Job descriptions help the nominating committee understand its duties, give committee members a clear idea of what qualifications are necessary for the open positions, and outline expectations for candidates.  

• LWVUS Nominating Committee Job Description 
• Board Member Job Description Template 

In the nominating committee process, as with all League work, applying a DEI lens and reflecting on preferences, traditions, and requirements (PTR) strengthens the process and its outcomes.

• LWVUS Urged COP27 Heads of Delegations to Raise Climate Concerns
• LWVUS Urges the Senate to Pass the Respect for Marriage Act

• Almost four years after the Tree of Life synagogue shooting, the League of Women Voters of the Greater Pittsburgh (PA) Area registered voters to honor shooting victim Melvin Wax. Read the piece: Voter registration event before Steelers game honors fallen in Tree of Life attack.
• LWVUS’ VOTE411 coordinator and League member Whitney Oxendahl put together North Dakota’s first state-wide voter guide. Read the profile here: Civic-minded Fargo woman builds 1st statewide voter guide for North Dakota.
• The League of Women Voters of Oklahoma is preparing for Election Day by making sure every Oklahoman is ready to vote. Learn more about their work to increase voter registration and educate voters: League of Women Voters Prepares for Election Day in Oklahoma.

STAFF HIGHLIGHT

Meet Our Senior Director of Direct Response and Digital Development

Cathy Jenkins is the senior director of direct response and digital development for the League of Women Voters.  In this role, Cathy manages direct mail and digital fundraising for both LWVUS and LWVEF and oversees planned giving fundraising. Cathy brings more than 25 years of fundraising experience to the League. Cathy lives in a National Park in Maryland with her husband and two daughters.

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.