Emailing - League of Women Voters Williamson County TX

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Date: 4/1/2024
Subject: YOUR LATEST EDITION OF THE VOTER; please allow images!
From: Christine Attoun

LWVWilco Newsletter-April, 2024

During March our VDR teams have been busy registering voters and educating young people at the high schools. President Felicia Miyakawa is flanked with the team of the day at Georgetown High School February 28-29.

President's Message- April, 2024

Happy April, League members and friends! I hope you have all had at least a little time to enjoy wildflower season!

Our board and volunteers have all been hustling with many outreach opportunities. This month we officially launched our Free the Vote Wilco program, which a voter registration/education program at the Williamson County Jail. I am thrilled to report that our first visit was a success, thanks in large part to the sheriff’s office and jail staff. They were so efficient and helpful! We registered 33 voters. On April 5, we will go back for a voter education class and distribution of vote by mail applications.

The primary election has come and gone, but we are not yet done with voting season. Both parties are headed to run offs for a few positions on May 28. We will also have municipal elections on May 4, and some of those elections may go to runoff, too. If so, the runoff date will be June 15. Please note that this year EVERYONE will be able to vote in municipal elections because there are countywide positions. So make sure May 4 and May 28 are on your calendar as election days. As always, we will have nonpartisan election information on the front page of our website as soon as it is available.

LWV Texas is holding its state convention later this month in Dallas. Seven of us (Felicia Miyakawa, Karen Darby, Helen Cordes, Brenda Chlapek, Christine Attoun, Nan Bulla, and Michelle Goerdel) will be attending as official delegates. We will be part of shaping the LWVTX agenda for the next two years. We will also vote on incoming state board members, and we will get to meet our counterparts from around the state.

And finally, LAST CALL FOR BOARD NOMINATIONS: at our upcoming annual meeting in May (see details below) we will be electing the following LWV Wilco Board officers for the next two years: President, Communications, Membership, Events / Fundraising, and Member at Large. (We have incumbents in office of President and Communications. The other Board positions are currently open.) We will also elect 3 members to serve on the Nominations committee, which is responsible for finding League Board and leadership candidates for 2025. scope. Please, please, please consider nominating yourself or others for one of these positions. We can only fulfill and expand our programming if we have a full leadership roster. If you want to nominate someone, please send email to Emily at Secretary@LWVwilco.org. If you need more information about any of these positions, please contact me.

Please make plans to attend our annual membership meeting on May 18 at the Round Rock Public Library. I look forward to seeing any of you there!

Happy spring!

Felicia Miyakawa

President, LWV Wilco

LWV WILCO TO ATTEND LEAGUE CONVENTION APRIL 19-21, 2024

Delegates from our League are finalizing plans to attend the biennial convention of the League of Women Voters of Texas, Embracing Our Diversity. Defending Democracy., from April 19-21 in Dallas, Texas. LWVWilco qualifies to send 11 delegates and so far, LWVWilco has 7 selected. Delegates will attend workshops and get timely advice on building and retaining membership, empowering voters through voter education, voter registration and get out the vote best practices, and much more. They will also be able to vote on the League's state budget and leadership for the upcoming year and have input on advocacy items for the Leagues statewide. If you would love to attend and you are a current member, please contact info@lwvwilco.org as soon as possible.

ANNOUNCING OUR LEAGUE ANNUAL MEETING

Make your plans NOW to attend our LWVWilco Annual Meeting on May 18th, 2024 at the Round Rock Public Library from 1:00-3:00 pm. During our annual meeting we review our League's accomplishments and plan for the year to come. We approve a budget and bylaw revisions, vote for leaders, and get to know one another. In preparation for the annual meeting, please be expecting information on the budget, bylaws, candidates etc. in your email inbox two weeks in advance of our meeting. We need and want your voice to be heard! Please plan to attend.

Volunteer Spotlight: Greg and Janice Wallace

Meet Janice and Greg Wallace, who you’ll see volunteering at just about all of our different types of voter registration and education events! Janice became a VDR in 1971, right after she turned 18. She had been one of the many young people across the US calling for lowering the voting age from 21 to 18. Protesters were angry that young men (and the many young women serving as nurses and support personnel) would fight and die for the US, but could not vote.

Janice was a student at Texas Tech, and went door-to-door in lower-income neighborhoods in Lubbock to register people. Fifty years later, in 2021, she attended a “Let My People Vote” rally at the state capitol. She happened to sit next to members of the newly chartered LWV WilCo group. They chatted, Janice came to a First Vote presentation at the Georgetown Library, and she and Greg became VDRs and joined our chapter.

Since then, they’ve VDRed at First Votes; tables at ACC campuses; libraries; community events such as the Pride festivals; Alamo Drafthouse; and cosmetology schools. Janice alerted First Vote chair Helen about presenting at Georgetown’s Salon Professional Academy (where Janice gets her hair done), and we now regularly voter-educate and register there!

Greg, who became a VDR because he was alarmed at the vote-limiting measures being passed in Texas and other states, also helped put together our Wilco Voters Guide. Both of them helped deliver the Guide around the county.

AND the two developed and carry out a program to assist and encourage older residents to vote. They made a list of Wilco retirement facilities, and supply them with voter registration display boxes and materials on how to correctly complete the complicated vote-by-mail process. They give presentations, and even do home visits to help frustrated voters.

The two also work for voter access with the faith-based group Texas Impact, testifying at the state legislature and lobbying lawmakers.

Both of them are retired from careers in social service in programs that help those on Medicaid, the elderly, and those with lower income. They live in Georgetown and enjoy tending a beautiful native garden.

Welcome (and Welcome Back) to our New and Renewing Members!

Our organization is PEOPLE POWERED! We can't accomplish our great deeds without your support. We thank all the new and renewing members for your ongoing support to our League as we empower voters and defend democracy!

Mary D. Baker; Nan Bulla; Deborah A. Downs; Ruth V. Fuller; Marnee Loftin; Eva Richie; Marisol Rosero; Janice L. Wallace.

T h a n k Y o u !

The League shall not support nor oppose any party or candidates. It may take positions on governmental measures and policies in the public interest after significant study and consensus

is reached. If you no longer wish to receive emails from LWVWilco, please email Communications@LWVWilco.org.

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