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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
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Date: 10/29/2023
Subject: LWVJFC November Newsletter
From: League of Women Voters of Jacksonville/First Coast



 
 The Voter
November 2023

President’s Message

LEADERS NEEDED!
In just eight short months, my time as President will end. While it has always been an honor to serve as president, it was never actually my goal.  I started out as a volunteer doing voter registration with Linda Mann, Bernadette Miron, Dianne Main, and others.  These opportunities to spend time with these League leaders allowed me to learn more about the League itself and the many opportunities to do League work.  Within my second year as a member, I was asked to serve as Vice President and then because of a health issue of the President, I quickly moved from acting President to President.  I was fortunate enough to have Linda Mann (former chapter President) serve as Vice President and continue to help me learn how to conduct League business and understand League structure.
 
Very soon, our nominating committee will be asking members to consider taking on League leadership roles.  Often, members will say that they do not have the amount of time available to serve in leadership roles.  As someone who still works a full time job, has family responsibilities and is active in several other nonpartisan organizations, I understand that time is a commodity that is valuable and scarce.  I ask each League member to consider what issues exist in our community and state and what changes you are able to create that will have a lasting positive impact for our community and for future generations?  Many of our organizations (including the League) are often led by community members who are retired and this is often the result of everyone assuming they have more time but many of our retirees are spread across a number of organizations and work and are spread thin.  
If each of us takes on at least one role, one action and makes one commitment to working with others towards positive change, we can create a more perfect democracy for all people.  If taking on a League leadership role is not in your immediate future, consider supporting League work by supporting a current committee, project or tasks.  If you are even remotely interested in League leadership, I would encourage you to respond to the nominating committee's call for nominations so you can find out more about the various opportunities and perhaps create the next generation of League work and members.
 
After my time as president ends, I will still be doing League work in the local community and with LWVFL.  I am committed to the League of Women Voters and believe in the nonpartisan work we do at every level of the League. New leadership and vision is necessary and healthy for all organizations including the League. The League only exists because of our members and we need each member to support the work.
 
Lanelle Phillmon, LWV/JFC President

News & Events

Get Out The Vote Training
If you are interested in learning various methods of reaching out to local voters across our four counties in preparation for the upcoming election year, sign up via the link below.  We will conduct our first training session Saturday, November 4, 2023 at 1:15 pm at the Regency Square Library Community Rooms A and B.  No need for prior experience. We will provide training and resources. Some of the methods we will utilize will be email, texting, phone calls, canvassing in our local communities, and letters or postcards.  And, you will be able to do some GOTV in groups or from home at your convenience.
 
We ask you to sign up to ensure we have appropriate amounts of training materials:https://forms.gle/LPUbQUWbANiCtMC49

Join Us in The Veterans Day Parade
Our local chapter will be walking in this year's Veteran's Day Parade.  We will be handing out flags and voter information flyers along the route.
 
The parade takes place Saturday, November 11, 2023 at 11:00 am.  It will begin at Tailgaters Touchdown Lot (Everbank Stadium), will travel down Bay Street and will end at Prime Osborne Center.  The route is 2.45 miles in total and is a slow walk with plenty of time to hand out flyers and flags.
 
If you'd like to join us, please register via the link below by November 9th so we can provide further details to you:https://forms.gle/GVzV4MEFUptWdCxA8
 
Free parking is available for parade participants and the end of the parade route in the Prime Osborne Convention Center Parking Lot, 1130 W. Bay St., Jacksonville, FL 32204. A shuttle will be provided to transport participants from the parking lot to the Parade Line-Up at the Tailgaters Touchdown Lot.
 
Duval County has over 83,000 Veterans and over 75,000 active duty service members. While most of them may be registered to vote in Florida, some of them may be newly assigned or relocated to the area and in need of Voter Registration or Vote by Mail information. 

Membership Appreciation
Thank You 
We recently took a pause to show appreciation for our local League members who allow us to continue our work.  Some of our members may focus on one area or aspect of our work while others are engaged in multiple issues and projects.  Whether you have made a monetary contribution this past year or have supported some aspect of our work in North Florida, we recognize that without our dedicated members, the League would have no relevance. The League continues to be "people powered" and we appreciate each and every person who supports our continued efforts to create a more perfect democracy for ALL people.
 
For those who were not able to attend but were recognized, your certificate and letter of appreciation are being mailed to you. 

Lots To Do in a Short Amount of Time
For those new (and not so new) to the League, this is what the immediate future looks like:
 
November:
Get Out the Vote Training
Ongoing Voter Registration and Vote by Mail outreach
Postcard events to returning citizens
 
December:
Get Out the Vote Training
Legislative Priorities training
Legislator outreach
Postcard events to returning citizens
 
January:
Get Out the Vote actions
Lobby Days in Tallahassee
Election Protection Training
Vote411 development
Bylaws development
Postcard events to returning citizens
 
We hope you will join in with one of these events and/or the Education Action Team and/or Reproductive Health and Justice Committee, or one of the LWVFL committees. Let us know how we can connect you to the work that you are passionate about by emailing lwvjaxfc@gmail.com.

Seeking Volunteers for VOTE411
The League of Women Voters Education Fund produces an online voter guide, VOTE411.org, for federal and state races, judicial retention races, and local races and ballot measures for Clay, Duval, Nassau, and St. Johns counties. If you are interested in helping with setting up the voter guide for the 2024 election cycle, please contact Deb Miller, debunf@gmail.com.
 
We need folks to do all or some of the following: gathering race information, drafting questions for candidates, making phone calls, working with GIS maps for voting districts, and preparing announcements and social media posts about the resource. The work will start in early 2024.

We Are Headed to Tallahassee
The League of Women Voters of Florida will host Lobby Days in Tallahassee January 23-24, 2024.  For those who have not attended previously, we will attend training at our hotel, will hear directly from legislators on their priority bills, and will break up into small groups to meet with legislators about local and statewide legislative priorities.  If you are interested in learning more about Lobby Days or in attending, please provide your contact information via this link: https://forms.gle/LqAi6Nd1Wj9tAtQo8
 
Prior to Lobby Days, each League member is encouraged to call, write, email or make an office visit with your local legislators to discuss areas of concern.  If you are speaking on a League position, you are encouraged to identify yourself as a League member.  You can find contact and other information about your representatives via these links:

Seeking Nominations for Future Board Positions
 The League of Women Voters of Jacksonville/First Coast invites all members in good standing to consider submitting your names to the nominating committee for review for candidacy to our upcoming 2024 Board of Directors/Executive Committee. Please view or request a copy of our bylaws to gain an idea of what the duties and responsibilities are for the office of interest.
 
The Executive Committee positions that will be open for election in June 2024 are:
President
Secretary
 
The Elected Director positions that will be open for election in June 2024 are:
Director-Membership
Director-Voter Registration
 
Each of the four above-listed positions are two-year terms. Also, the appointed board position of Director of Technology will be vacant after June 2024, and is a one-year term. Additionally, there will be three openings for members of the 2025 Nominating Committee which serve for one-year.  The 2024 Nominating Committee members are Juanita Powell-Williams, Chair (jpowellwilliams16@gmail.com), Rebecca Lee-Duffel (Rebecca.duffell@gmail.com), Paige Gottlieb (paigegottlieb@gmail.com) and Angela DeMonbreun (angelademonbreun@gmail.com).  If you are interested in any of the above-listed opportunities, please contact either Juanita at 904-718-4354 or any nominating committee member with your questions regarding qualifications.

Equality Florida is Mobilizing for Pride at the Capitol Kick Off on January 16 and 17!
Equality Florida is seeking volunteers to travel to Tallahassee, meet with state lawmakers, and rally for LGBTQ rights. If you are interested, see the RSVP link below.
 
When: January 16th - 17th, 2024
Where: Challenger Learning Center of Tallahassee (200 S Duval St, Tallahassee, FL 32301) & the Florida Capitol

LWV of Florida Supports Amendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion

A coalition entitled “Floridians Protecting Freedom” has launched a citizen-led ballot initiative campaign to give women the right to seek abortions up to viability. Florida voters want women to have the chance to ensure that their personal medical decisions are theirs and theirs alone to make. The League of Women Voters of Florida Board of Directors has voted to support this citizen initiative effort.
 


Florida Right to Clean and Healthy Waters Petition
clean water logo
 
 

The League of Women Voters of Florida has endorsed the Right to Clean and Healthy Waters petition and we will be gathering petitions in our four counties (Clay, Duval, Nassau and St Johns).  We only have until November 2023 to gather the mandatory minimum number of petitions (891,589) across the state. 



Membership Update

New Members - Welcome aboard!
 
Suzanne Joiner
Suzanne Maxson
Christine Reiner
 
Interested in being part of the League? Click JOIN NOW

Donors

Donations are always appreciated!
 
We wish to acknowledge and thank those who have made donations this month:
 
Suzanne Martin
Elaine Weistock
Kathleen Kane
Amy Mitchell
Frances Jones
Deb Miller
 
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.

Volunteers
Volunteers are 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!
 
Phone: 904-355-8683

EmailLWVJAXFC@gmail.com

Postal Address:
League of Women Voters of 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.
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