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League of Women Voters
of Jacksonville First Coast
Email: lwvjaxfc@gmail.com
(904) 355-8683
PO Box 330353
Atlantic Beach, FL 32233
Copyright © 2020 • All Rights Reserved • Terms of Use Privacy Policy • Powered by ClubExpress
Date: 9/4/2022
Subject: LWVJFC Newsletter September 2022
From: League of Women Voters of Jacksonville/First Coast



 
 The Voter
September 2022

President’s Message

What a Very Busy and Productive Month!


While this recent Primary Election did not have huge voter turnouts, I am thankful to those who stepped forward to serve as election workers, and those who volunteered as poll watchers, election protection, or served candidates or your political party in some other capacity. While the League remains a nonpartisan organization, we recognize that our members have political affiliations and work hard to see their candidates get elected. 

Like many of you, I voted in the Primary election and served as an election worker. How rewarding it was to work with Duval residents from across political parties to provide the services and support necessary for our local elections to take place. I was excited to hear from other League members who served as election workers in Duval and other counties and hope more members will consider working upcoming elections. If you are not familiar with the eligibility criteria, the training dates, or the registration process to become an election (poll) worker, phone your Supervisor of Elections office who can provide you with the information necessary to get started.


Every aspect of our local, state, and national society will be on the general election ballot: education, healthcare, voting rights, reproductive health and justice, infrastructure, housing, economy, taxes, national security, environment, immigration reform, community safety, and just about anything else that impacts our day-to-day lives. 

Don't let others decide your fate. Get out and vote! And, consider speaking to at least 10 others in your circle of influence to ensure they too are voting. You can find information on candidates at our nonpartisan online voter guide at Vote411.org.
 
— Lanelle Phillmon, LWVJFC President

News & Events

Voter Registration, Elections and Everything in Between!
 
Wednesday, September 7, 12:00 to 1:00 pm

Registration required: Meeting Registration - Zoom 
 
St. Johns County Supervisor of Elections Vicky Oakes will join us on September 7, one week after Election Day, to share with us about the recent primary. She will also share about the impact of recent changes such as redistricting, laws affecting voter registration, and poll security. Then she will let us know how she is preparing for the general election in November.
 
Vicky began her career in the Elections Office in March 1988, serving as the Assistant Supervisor for 23 years. She was appointed Supervisor of Elections by Gov. Rick Scott on September 6, 2011. Vicky was elected in 2012, 2016, and 2020 to serve as Supervisor of Elections. She is fully committed to conducting safe, secure, and accurate elections for St. Johns County. 
 

Local Program
At the conclusion of our guest speaker’s comments, we will put our Local Program to a vote for approval and use in this coming year’s local League work. We appreciate the support of members who helped generate the original input and those who helped fine tune it with feedback these past ten days. You can view the final copy of the Local Program HERE.

Jacksonville Civil Rights Conference

I had the opportunity to attend Jacksonville's inaugural Civil Rights Conference and meet several local civil rights icons from Jacksonville's past, present and even our future. This was a rare and rewarding opportunity to hear firsthand stories of life in Jacksonville during Jim Crow, Axe Handle Saturday, the work to integrate businesses, and the impacts of segregation on education. It was also an opportunity to hear from local business leaders about the steps they have been and are taking to recognize and address inequity, lack of access to and acceptable in education and apprentice programs, and the need to uplift work in the community.

One thing that could not be overlooked during this three-day conference was the love that each of the local leaders has for Jacksonville, their commitment to seeing our community be more inclusive and welcoming to all people, and the need to remove barriers to education and factual history.

To see more about the conference and speakers, you can go to: Jacksonville Civil Rights Conference – United Way Northeast Florida and 'A struggle that is not over': Jacksonville Civil Rights Conference focuses on racial equity.
 
— Lanelle Phillmon, LWVJFC President



Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The League of Women Voters works on issues and policies that seek to create a more perfect democracy for ALL people. Much of our work impacts members of our community who are disenfranchised as voters but are often those most harmed by legislation that seeks to disregard reproductive health and justice, creates barriers to education, voter registration and vote by mail, and restricts public speech and community engagement. 

As we move forward with our work, we will seek to increase our collaboration with community organizations and persons which will allow us to better understand the needs and voices of those who often benefit from our work. We encourage our members to attend the virtual League of Women Voters of Florida's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) meeting which is held the first Wednesday of each month at 6:30 pm. The next meeting will take place Wednesday, September 7, and requires registration for attendance. Register at: Meeting Registration - Zoom.



Ways to Get Involved

If you are still considering ways to get involved with League work but have not yet found your issue or committee, please contact our President or a local board member so we can connect you to the work. We respect that many of our members are still working, have leadership roles in other organizations, have family responsibilities and commitments, or travel extensively. There are many opportunities that take place virtually, are short term opportunities or present opportunities to collaborate with others in the community or at the state level. 

Our local League focuses on Voter Registration and education, Public Education Policy, Healthcare, and Natural Resources/Environment. The League of Women Voters of Florida has committees for Clean Energy, Gun Safety, National Popular Vote, Healthcare, Natural Resources, Immigration, Education, Election Reform, Poverty, Juvenile Justice, Reproductive Health and Justice, and Ethics and Campaign Finance. 

We are more than happy to connect you to work that allows you to use your time, talent and energy in ways that contribute to the greater work of the League and benefits our communities. 



Voter Registration Update

The Voter Registration Committee held one voter registration event in August at the University of North Florida. Dianne Main led this event and reported that the event went well and that several students were able to register on paper and on-line. League members also shared QR codes if they wanted to register online later as well as how to get a vote by mail ballot if they were registered to vote in a county other than Duval. Our other volunteers were Jane Lockett, Suzanne Martin, and Karen Parish. 

We will continue to provide voter registration services at UNF and are working on coordinating the next one in September. 
 
Upcoming voter registration events:
• Beachwood Apartments on Thursday, September 8
• Keiser University on Thursday, September 15
• River City Pride on Sunday, October 2
 
Sign-up emails have gone out to all Voter Registration members.
 
To have enough volunteers for these activities as well as other voter registration opportunities that will come up, we need help. If you are not yet trained to do voter registration, please reach out to Rhona DiCamillo, Voter Registration Director, at lwvjaxfcvote@gmail.com for details on how to become a trained member of the voter registration committee. 
 
Also, if any of our League members are aware of upcoming community events where we could do voter registration, please share those details with Rhona. We are always looking for community events to do voter registration and have conversations with community members about the great work of the League and the importance of voting. 
 


Education Committee Report

Our Education Committee will resume virtual monthly meetings on Thursday, September 15, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm. If you are interested and not already on the committee, please email Linda Mann at lmann971@gmail.com
 

 
Join Us for Amendments Presentation and Jeopardy

We hope you will join us Saturday, September 24, at 2:00 pm at the Regency Square Branch Library Community Rooms A and B. We will provide an overview of the three Amendments that will be on the General Election ballot and will also enjoy a game of Jeopardy that will engage us on League history, the Florida Legislature, election laws, and other topics. It will be an opportunity to meet other League members, learn and connect with the work we do.

Mark your calendars to attend. A separate email will be sent providing a sign-up link.

 

LWVJFC New Member Virtual Orientation
 
Sunday, September 18
2:00 to 3:00 pm
 
Learn all about the League. Meet LWVJFC leadership, committee chairs, and other new members. While this presentation is designed for new members, all current members and non-members are also welcome.
 
 
 

In Case You Missed It

Replay of Last Month’s Speaker Event
 
Replays of many past speaker events are available on our YouTube channel.


Membership Update

We can't do it without you! Please join in recognizing our new and returning members from last month.


New Members—Welcome aboard!
 
• Cynthia and Ken Caudle
• Rachel Cox
• Eleanor Fails-Hayden
• Jane Hartwig
• Andrea Hershorin
• JoAnn Jacobs
• Lori Lange
• Patricia Vail
• Susannah Wright

Returning Members—Thank you so much for choosing to renew!
 
• Marianne Barnes
• Brittny Shay
• Karen Droege
• Patricia Jones
• Jo Ann and Stephan Leimberg
• Kathy Turnowchyk
• Susan Rodgers
• Laura Strickland
• Susan Schantz
 
Please email Membership Director Karen Parish at lwvjfc.membership@gmail.com if your name was missed. 
 

Be sure to check out our new website, lwvjaxfc.org, with an easy way to join or renew online, even if you prefer to pay by check. Click on the blue “Join Today” button at the top of the Homepage.

 
Members who wish to renew must log in. If you are using a Mobile device, you will need to select Desktop at the bottom of your screen to receive the Login prompt.

Donors

We wish to acknowledge and thank those who have made donations this month:
  • Elaine Furman
Our website, lwvjaxfc.org, offers an easy way to make donations to LWVJFC, even if you prefer to pay by check. Click on the red "Donate" button at the top of the Homepage.
thank you


Volunteers
Volunteers Always Needed 

Quite often, our League needs volunteers to help with small tasks that are not time consuming but vital to our leadership and membership.

If you are willing to help make phone calls, be trained to send text messages, or assist in other ways, please contact us and let us help you figure out how to invest your time in our League and our democracy.

Contact Lanelle at lwvjaxfc@gmail.com to discuss topics and abilities.  
 
For more specific volunteer tasks, click HERE.

Stay Connected

Local

Stay up-to-date on all local upcoming events on the LWV of Jacksonville / First Coast: 

 

• Website 

• Facebook

• LinkedIn


Regional
The Regional Facebook Group, LWV Florida North Region Leagues, includes Alachua, Bay, Jacksonville/First Coast, Okaloosa & Walton, Pensacola Bay Area, and Tallahassee.

 

State
For statewide news and action items, visit the LWV of Florida

  

National

The League of Women Voters of the United States


Contact Us

We look forward to hearing from you!

Phone: 904-355-8683

EmailLWVJAXFC@gmail.com

Postal Address:
Please use the address below even if a form or document you have received from the League gives a different one.

League of Women Voters Jacksonville First Coast
PO Box 330353
Atlantic Beach, FL 32233

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization encouraging informed and active participation in government. We influence public policy through education and advocacy.
Copyright © 2021 League of Women Voters Jacksonville/First Coast, All rights reserved.
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PO Box 330353, Atlantic Beach, FL 32233

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