|
V o t e r S e r v I c e s U p d a t e
by Karen Darby
Voter Services started 2024 with a BANG! We scheduled 17 voter registration events from January 16 through February 5, Voter Registration Deadline Day for the March 2024 Primary Election. These were separate from the many FirstVote events scheduled in January by our Civics Education Director, Helen Cordes.
On January 16 and 17, our volunteers staffed registration tables at Austin Community College’s Round Rock, San Gabriel, and Cypress Creek campuses. We obtained 68 total in-person registrations from ACC students and handed out another 16 mail-in registration forms.
Greg and Janice Wallace continued their outreach to our senior citizens in assisted living with a voter education session at The Delaney in Georgetown Village on January 18. They also helped 2 people complete Ballot by Mail applications and took in 3 voter registrations.
On January 11, President Felicia Miyakawa, Voter Services Director Karen Darby, Grace Thomas, attorney with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and LWV Wilco’s Member at Large, Nan Bulla, took a tour of the Williamson County Jail in preparation for setting up voter registration and education sessions for eligible incarcerated inmates. We plan to start these sessions in March so that any inmates who register can vote in the May local election. Our efforts will include instruction on how to request and complete ballots by mail.
Judi Doyle, Voter Guide Lead, has been working with her team to put together Williamson County’s portion of the Voters Guide that will be published digitally on Vote411.org and also in print. She needs helpers to distribute the printed Guide on or about February 9! The local Voters Guide is a joint project of LWV Austin Area and LWV Wilco.
We are pretty well staffed for the rest of our voter registration events through February 5, but even if you didn’t sign up and want to shadow us to see how it’s done, you will find us here:
Jan. 27: MLK Celebration – Old Town Park, 105 N. Brushy St., Leander – 10 to 2
Jan. 27, Feb. 3: Georgetown Public Library – 402 W. 8th, Georgetown – 12 to 3
Jan, 27, Feb. 3: Liberty Hill Public Library – 355 TX 332 Loop, Liberty Hill – 12 to 3
Jan. 27, Feb. 3: Round Rock Public Library – 200 E. Liberty, Round Rock – 12 to 3
Feb. 5: Deadline Day at Temple College – 1600 Innovation Blvd., Hutto – 9 to 1
Feb. 5: Deadline Day at Lark & Owl Booksellers – 206 W. 6th, Georgetown – 10 to 3
Feb. 5: Deadline Day at Thundercloud Subs – 1110 I35 Frontage Rd., Round Rock – 12 to 5
BONUS: Helen Cordes, Civics Education Director, also set up a Deadline Day voter registration event at 309 Coffee, 309 South Main, Georgetown, from 8 to 10 a.m.
If none of these events tickle your fancy, stay tuned. We are working on coordinating volunteers for Election Protection (in person at polls or on the phone) and setting up one or more candidate forums for the fall general election!
Thanks to all our wonderful volunteers, new and seasoned, for stepping up to empower Williamson County voters! |