 | | | | Hurricane Season and Elections!
As I am writing my comments for this newsletter, we in the final weeks of preparing for the November 8, 2022, general election. If you have not visited the League’s nonpartisan online voter guide, VOTE411.org, I would encourage you to do so and to make others aware of its existence. The online voter guide is one portion of our League’s work this past year to engage our community about the election, voter registration and where candidates stand on issues.
We are also cleaning up from a recent storm that could have been worse and are thankful it wasn't. Some of our members have shared stories about minor property damage, downed trees, or street flooding. We continue to be thankful for the safety and well-being of each of our members and your families. You truly are the heart of the League of Women Voters.
To be prepared for various possible weather situations, I am asking our members to do two things: Subscribe to your county’s weather alert notification system and request your vote by mail (VBM) ballot. In the unlikely event that you need to evacuate the area, even for a short period of time, you want to ensure that your vote is counted. Your local county will provide updates on flooding, roadway closures and congestion, shelters, and other necessary information. Our members and the communities we serve remain our top priority, so I am asking that you be proactive with your safety and your vote.
If you have not subscribed to our social media pages or are not receiving communications from us or our state League, I would encourage you to do so. We have several member engagement opportunities and would love to see more of our members participating. Our Voter Registration Director, Rhona DiCamillo has a steady request for voter registration support but we can only say yes when we have members who are trained and willing to support these events. In October we conducted Voter Registration Sunday, October 2, at the Jax River City PRIDE and will be conducting Voter Registration Saturday, October 8, at the Trans-Form the Vote “Party with a Purpose” event.
|  |
Our League will be collaborating with or supporting statewide or national campaigns that will be coming to the Jacksonville area in October and will be asking members to serve as volunteers.
- Thursday, October 6: We Draw the Lines will be coming to Jacksonville to educate voters about the redistricting process in the state of Florida and provide updates about pending litigation that challenges the existing Congressional maps approved by the Florida Legislature and signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis. Participants will also can learn more about existing maps and the importance of judicial races. You can sign up for that event at Mobilize.
- Friday, October 21: We will also support the 10 Million More Black Voters Matter tour as they come to Jacksonville. This tour will help create awareness about voter apathy, suppression, offer voter registration and GOTV mobilization especially among our Black community members. While there is not yet a sign-up link for this event, we will provide one to our members as it becomes available.
Collaborating with others in our community not only gives us an opportunity to conduct voter registration and voter education, it gives us an opportunity to connect with others, to hear about the challenges and issues that exists, and to form lasting relationships that can benefit us personally and as an organization. I hope to see more members joining in the work whether it be voter registration, healthcare, education, reproductive health and justice, election protection, or as poll workers.
There is always work to do. And we welcome YOU to join us in that work!
— Lanelle Phillmon, LWVJFC President | | |
 | | First Wednesday Speaker Series: Personal Stories from Before Roe v. Wade
Wednesday, October 5, 12:00 pm
Join us via Zoom on the first Wednesday in October to hear personal stories of accessing reproductive healthcare before Roe v. Wade with Toni Van Pelt and Reverend Christopher Martin.
TONI VAN PELT
Although Toni Van Pelt is retired from her first career as a travel agent, she stays very busy. She currently serves as the vice president of her local National Organization for Women (NOW) chapter. Most recently she served as the president of the NOW. She served on the board of the NOW as the Southeast Regional Director and as the Florida NOW’s president and treasurer.
She is a former vice president of the Center for Inquiry and the first director of public policy. As a congressional lobbyist, she organized and directed one of the first public policy offices of the secular humanist movement in Washington, DC. Her key focus during her working career was on women’s rights, LGTBIA plus issues, the importance of science to the well being of the nation, on the validity of separation of religion and government, and the defense of democracy and secularism.
She has a long herstory of coalition building with like minded groups. She is a veteran of Congressional and state political campaigns working for candidates as well as ballot issues.
|  |
REVEREND CHRISTOPHER S. MARTIN
The Rev. Christopher S. Martin is a retired Episcopal priest. He is married to Sandy Martin and they live at Fleet Landing in Atlantic Beach. He has been active in the League of Women Voters since 2015. When Christopher moved to Jacksonville in 1969, he came as a newly ordained Lutheran pastor to serve a mission in church in Mandarin. Within his first year, through a mutual friend, he met a Presbyterian minister named Rev. Marvin Lutz. Together they formed a local chapter of Clergy Consultation Service, which offered abortion counseling and referrals for women in need.
After Roe v. Wade, Rev Marvin Lutz and Dr. Max Super founded the Jacksonville Women’s Center for Reproductive Health, the first non-profit, free standing abortion clinic in Florida. Soon after, Christopher joined the board of directors for the center.
Christopher was later invited to join the board of Planned Parenthood of North Florida. He became Chairman of the Board in 2005. After a merger with the Planned Parenthood affiliate in Gainesville, it became PPNCF in 2009.
Although retired from his position, he still supports and works for reproductive health and freedom for women. He is the father of two daughters.
| | |
Membership Appreciation Dinner
We are in the process of completing the final plans for our Membership Appreciation Dinner and look forward to seeing our members again in person. The dinner will take place Sunday, November 13, at 5:00 pm at the University of North Florida Adam Herbert University Center in the Board of Trustees room. Please mark your calendars and keep an eye on the email announcement that will be coming out shortly. We have much to be thankful for and our members are at the top of that list!
If you would like to volunteer to assist us with set up, attendee check-in, or other needs the day of the dinner, please email Lanelle at lwvjaxfc@gmail.com.
Election Protection Volunteers Needed
We’re recruiting volunteers to make sure eligible voters know how to cast their ballots and make sure they are counted. There’s a role for everyone.
As we inch towards Election Day, we need volunteers who can monitor elections in person and volunteers who can do voter outreach and identify disinformation online. This is crucial work, but we can’t do it without you.
To learn more about becoming an election protection volunteer or sign up for training, go to Election Protection.
Low Voter Turnout Precincts
Do you live in a low voter turnout precinct? Don’t know or not sure? You can review the history of voter turnout for each of your county’s precincts or your own by reviewing voter turnout by precinct at your Supervisor of Elections website. You might consider ways you can increase voter turnout in your precinct by doing any of the following:
- Sign-waving at major intersections during high traffic times (make sure your sign indicates election dates and ways to register to vote)
- Put flyers up on bulletin boards at community centers, coffee houses, convenience food stores
- Speak with others in your neighborhood, church, book club or other social groups and ask them to engage in their community and neighborhoods.
- Share reliable election information on your social media
- Join others in GOTV “Get Out the Vote” neighborhood canvassing, literature distribution or post carding events.
Education Committee News
The LWVJFC Education Committee will meet virtually on Thursday, October 20, at 11:00 a.m. If you are interested in joining our committee, please email Linda Mann at education@lwvjaxfc.org. We will be discussing legislative priorities for the next Legislative session beginning in March, as well as reviewing our overall program for Education prior to the LWVFL Biennial Convention next spring.
One of the items for action at this time is identify observers for the Duval County School Board meetings. If you are interested in volunteering for this effort, please contact Linda at the above email address.
Voter Registration Committee News
The Voter Registration Committee has been busy in September registering voters and answering questions about voting and the upcoming election. A big thank you to Susan Goldring, Paige Gottlieb, Elizabeth Head, Janie Jones, Kiki Karpen, Sandy Martin, Bobbie Nord, Donna Padgug, Lynn Paul, Julie Theodore, and Kathy Turnowchyk for volunteering at Keiser University, Sable Palms Apartments, University of North Florida (UNF) and Beachwood Apartments.
In October we will continue to register students at:
• UNF on Wednesday, October 5
• We Draw the Lines on Thursday, October 6
• Transgender Awareness Project on Saturday, October 8
• 10 Million More Black Voters Matter Campaign on Friday, October 21
A big welcome to our new committee members Elizabeth Head, Victoria Bryant-Riggins, Claudia Marshall, Bernadette Miron, David Miron, and Donna Padgug. If you would like to join us on the Voter Registration Committee, please contact Rhona DiCamillo at lwvjaxfcvote@gmail.com and she will send you the link for training.
As a reminder to all League Members, the deadline to register to vote for the upcoming General Election is Tuesday, October 11, 2022. Please take a minute to check to make sure that your voter registration information is up-to-date. You can check your status at www.registertovoteflorida.gov.
| Support LWVFL on AmazonSmile!
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support the League every time you shop, at no cost to you.
When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to our Education Fund.
Click here to sign up now! Ensure you chose or search for the organization as “League of Women Voters of Florida Education Fund,” not LWVFL or any other abbreviated iteration.
| | |
Amendments Presentation and Jeopardy
Thank you to our members who came out for Amendments training and Jeopardy September 24 at the Regency Square Library. It was such a joy to spend time with fellow League members, learn about the amendments that will be on our ballot and enjoy a little fun while learning a little more about our Florida legislature, election laws, voter registration, and League history.
While the work we do can be very serious, we can have fun while doing it! We look forward to similar events soon. While I neglected to take photos during the event, I did remember to grab a quick photo with the members who arrived early and stayed late to set up and break down the room.
The League will be providing the Amendments presentation throughout our community. If you know of an organization that would like to request a presentation, please direct them to our website at lwvjaxfc.org, where they can request training or a speaker.
| | | | Replay of Last Month’s Speaker Event
| | |
| | We can't do it without you! Please join in recognizing our new and returning members from last month.
New Members—Welcome aboard!
• Gina Darenge
• Maria Johnson
• Claudia Marshall
• Patricia Vail
• Maria Johnson
Returning Members—Thank you so much for choosing to renew!
• Marianne Barnes
• Rhona DiCamillo
• Claudia Mrshall
• Kathleen Kane
• Mary Thaler
• Dianne Battle
• Nan Lefever
• Susan Rodgers |  |
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.
| | |
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. | | | | 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.
| | |
Contact Us
We look forward to hearing from you!
Phone: 904-355-8683
Email: LWVJAXFC@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.
You are receiving this email because you opted in at one of our events.
Our mailing address:
League of Women Voters Jacksonville/First Coast
PO Box 330353, Atlantic Beach, FL 32233
To keep receiving our emails, add us to your contacts / email address book.
You have received this message from the mailing list of LWVJFC. If you would prefer not to receive these emails in the future, go to the opt-out page and modify your privacy settings. You can also request to be removed from our database completely.
|
| |