By Janice Garry
Dear Communications Chair,
I love being the bearer of good news. And there’s plenty to share. For starters, on May 23, we had an energizing and fun in-person Annual Meeting. Then, on June 5, we had an informative, dynamic presentation and conversation about county elections and the question of at-large or single-member districts.
A sterling ad hoc committee is weighing the information to decide how the League will communicate the choices to the public if the matter is approved for the November ballot. If you would like to hear their report, attend the June 25 board meeting at 6 p.m. on Zoom. Just send me an email and I’ll add you to the notification list. There’s been good news on the public utility (GRU) referendum, too.
City commissioners voted unanimously to put an ordinance on the November ballot to allow voters to decide whether a governor-appointed board or local elected officials should govern our utility. After a technical glitch, the ordinance must go through the process again, but another unanimous vote has put us a step closer. The final vote comes on June 18. Per Commissioner Bryan Eastman, the commission received “tons” of emails supporting the referendum. This is what democracy looks like.
Finally, I am thrilled to tell you that we have a new chair for our Voter Services Committee: Dillon Boatner. Dillon takes the position with several years of League experience and deep knowledge of voting processes. I can't imagine a better person to guide us through this election season. Congratulations to Dillon! Scroll down for details.
Please set your calendars to check the Action Alert page on the League website each Tuesday. We will be posting brief bits of information and actions to take on important issues through the election season. Additionally, scroll down for what the League is doing and how you can help.
Please also note, the Board of Directors will take the customary summer break. There will be no board meeting in July.
In League,
Janice
janice.garry@gmail.com
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Primary Candidate Forum: June 23 @ UF | |
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Want to learn more about the candidates running in the August Primary? Join us for a live Primary Election Candidate Forum in Pugh Hall. Can’t attend in person? Watch online via our live stream. Don’t miss this opportunity to make an informed decision on issues that are critical to our community.
This forum is sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Alachua County and its affiliate student chapter at the University of Florida, and by the Bob Graham Center for Public Service.
Learn more
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Our League's partnership with the Matheson History Museum is a unique opportunity to reach the broad public during the "Voices and Votes: Democracy in America" exhibits.
A traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian Museum takes a broad look at the nearly 250-year-old American experience with a government "by and for the people." It will cover the origins of our democracy, battles for the right to vote and keep it, suffrage and civil rights. It opens Saturday, July 20.
A more local history exhibit opens June 26 and that's where the LWVAC comes in. The exhibit will cover Alachua County's history of elections, suffrage, civil rights and more.
If you would like to help with planning or would be at all available from June 19 through October to help support the League's presence at the exhibit, contact Janice. This will be a lot of fun and can help motivate people to vote this election season.
The next and last committee meeting before the event opens is June 24 at 6:00 p.m. at Janice's house. It will be a combined meeting with the GOTV Action Team. Any interested members are encouraged and welcome to attend. Please RSVP to Janice.
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Meet & Mobilize Collaborative Initiative meeting
June 27 @ 6:00 p.m.
Greater Bethel AME Church
701 SE 43rd St, Gainesville
This meeting will continue our efforts to educate, engage, and empower the electorate in our community. The purpose of this meeting is to break into the three committees for meaningful discussion and to support a plan of action to support the Meet & Mobilize Collaborative Initiative.
The committees are:
- Policy/Issues — research and prioritize issues that affect our community,
- Strategies/Programs — create programs and strategies to educate and empower local voters, and
- Voter Engagement — information exchange with potential voters.
Please RSVP your attendance to Yvette Carter and Gwendolyn Saffo by June 25
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EcoEcho, Compelling Concerts for Climate Action
June 20 @ 7:30 p.m.
Heartwood Soundstage
619 S Main St, Gainesville
The United Church of Gainesville Creation Justice Committee is hosting EcoEcho, Compelling Concerts for Climate Action live-streamed from San Francisco. This is a unique concert of original music based on climate change data. The program will also include an introduction and audience Q&A with climate scientist Dr. Andy Jones. The event is free and open to the public. Learn more.
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Annual meeting kicks off summer | |
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By Diane Dimperio
On May 23, LWVAC hosted our first in-person Annual Meeting since the Covid pandemic. Over 50 members and guests gathered at Trinity United Methodist Church in North Gainesville to enjoy camaraderie and a delicious meal. LWVAC President Janice Garry called the business meeting to order and welcomed members and guests. There was a moment of gratitude and then members voted on:
- Updated LWVAC Bylaws to accommodate LWVUS changes including a new fiscal year and dues collection method starting 2025.
- Local Programs which included a discussion of potential Study and Action regarding the anticipated local ballot initiative regarding election of Alachua County Commissioners.
- The 2024-2025 Budget was approved. It is unclear how the new LWVUS dues collection method will impact our budget since donations to the local League will have to be collected separately and not as part of the annual dues payment.
- New Board members were elected, and outgoing board members and committee chairs were recognized for their service. Current standing and ad hoc/administrative committee chairs were also recognized.
The meeting ended with an invigorating cheer and encouragement to get involved. So we all walked away with a smile and the determination to work toward a successful election season.
Read the full article here.
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Four elected to LWVAC board | |
At May's annual meeting, League members in attendance approved the nomination of four people to the LWVAC's board of directors. By way of introduction, here are short bios for each: | |
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Diane Dimperio, Secretary
I am a retired public health administrator. My focus was health care access and services for low-income and uninsured populations. I have been a League member for about 10 years and am a member of the Voter Services and Health Care committees. I am also working on the Matheson Museum Voices and Votes project and will participate in the League GOTV activities this fall.
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Mickie Anderson, Elected Director
I'm a longtime journalist and I now work in health communications at UF. As a reporter, I always appreciated the League of Women Voters' candidate forums and their careful take on public issues. I figured someday I might join the organization and, well, someday came. Our democracy is being tested in so many unexpected ways, I get some peace seeing so many folks working hard to protect free elections and voters’ rights.
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Diana Boxer, Elected Director
I joined LWVAC in 2022 and recently completed a two-year term as co-chair of Voter Services. I am a Professor Emerita of linguistics. My 2014 book focused on Discourse, Politics, and Women as Global Leaders. Having taught a course on Political Discourse for many years at UF, I am very interested in all voter issues. I also serve on the board of The Friends of the Susan B. Anthony Society and the Retired Professors of UF, and I am a member of the Gainesville Commission on the Status of Women.
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Dillon Boatner, Chair of Voter Services
I first got involved with the League of Women Voters in 2017 as a UF student concerned about local issues. In 2018, I joined with the state League as a co-plaintiff on a lawsuit which successfully brought early voting to college campuses around Florida. I have organized campus voter registration drives, served as a poll worker, and since 2022, have traveled throughout Alachua County helping to facilitate voting as an employee of our Supervisor of Elections office. I look forward to supporting and protecting our local democracy in 2024 and beyond.
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Complete the EV Survey
The LWVAC Natural Resources Committee wants to improve our efforts to promote the adoption of electric vehicles, or EVs. Please help us by completing this short, two-question survey. The survey will close at the end of June.
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LWVAC is gearing up for an important and busy election year in 2024. We have created an Action Team focusing on Get Out The Vote (GOTV) efforts. Please contact Janice if you would like to be involved.
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Meet & Mobilize Collaborative Initiative
This initiative was formed from the Meet & Mobilize event in January. The collaborative is made up of nonpartisan community organizations to create meaningful partnerships as we enter the 2024 election season through education, engagement and empowerment. Learn more here and if you would like more information or to join our mailing list, please send your email address to Yvette Carter and Gwendolyn Saffo.
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League at the Library needs helpers
League at the Library, a Get Out the Vote (GOTV) initiative, is tabling once a month for two hours at 10 Alachua County library branches. This program is increasing League visibility throughout the county while allowing us to engage with current and future voters in a relaxed atmosphere at their neighborhood library. More volunteers are needed to continue this outreach until the election in November. Can you spare two hours to table at a League at the Library event? Contact Voter Services.
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Restrictions on reproductive freedom affect everyone, regardless of who they are or what they believe about abortion.
The citizen-led ballot initiative, designated on the 2024 ballot as Amendment 4 and titled the “Amendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion,” seeks to create a constitutional amendment that would protect Floridians’ freedom to access abortion, stating:
No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider. This amendment does not change the Legislature’s constitutional authority to require notification to a parent or guardian before a minor has an abortion.
Join Yes on 4! and LWV as we work to educate voters and end government interference with abortion! Learn more.
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Civics challenge met and conquered | |
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Lincoln Middle School Crowned 2024 Civics Challenge winner
By Sue Hatch
On April 17, Lincoln Middle School claimed the title to the 2024 Civics Challenge competition, prevailing over five other middle school teams from the Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) system. To win, Lincoln students took a written exam and competed in a “Family Feud” style competition, racing to answer questions on the rights and obligations of U.S. citizens ranging from the origins of the American government to foreign policy. A total of 49 seventh grade students and their teachers from Fort Clarke, High Springs, Kanapaha, Lincoln, Mebane and Westwood competed in the Alachua County offices in downtown Gainesville. Students, coaches and supporters enjoyed an all-day event, beginning with opening remarks from Janice Garry, President of the League of Women Voters and County Commissioner, Marihelen Wheeler. During lunch, everyone enjoyed a picnic on the Bo Diddley Plaza and the day ended with t-shirts and medals for all participants, and trophies for the winning teams awarded out by Jon Rehm, ACPS Social Studies Curriculum Specialist and Diyonne McGraw, Chair of the Alachua County School Board.
This year marks the seventh Civics Challenge competition, an event organized and co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters and the Alachua County Public Schools. Read the full article here.
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Speakers are just a call away
The Speakers Bureau is ready and eager to speak to interested groups. Contact Candy Birch if you know of a group that needs our speakers. Nonpartisan, educational talks range from voter empowerment and voting in Alachua County to
National Popular Vote, "What Is the League?" and more.
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Committee goings-on. Get involved! | |
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Contact: Gwendolyn Saffo
The Gun Violence Prevention & Safety Committee will hear from guest speaker Alachua County Commissioner Anna Prizzia at its June 20 meeting. As part of the committee's Listen and Learn series, the group hears from a speaker and then discusses our own activities to augment those efforts.
Also, note that the committee will not hold meetings in July or August, but will resume regular scheduled meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 17. Past meetings and minutes are available on our website.
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Contact: Jay Rosenbek
NR Committee co-chair Roberta Gastmeyer has become more actively involved in a couple of local organizations that, while not overtly partisan, can have that appearance. To avoid any harm to the League’s reputation, she has decided to step down from the Board. Jay Rosenbek will continue to chair the NR Committee.
The committee’s work continues. If the City Commission on June 18 gives final approval to a proposed ballot referendum giving Gainesville’s citizens the opportunity to vote on returning control of GRU to local government, the NR committee will participate in the local League’s public education about the issue. Anyone interested in helping, please contact Jay Rosenbek.
The committee is writing a series of letters supporting Gainesville's multiple grant proposals seeking funding for projects to reduce emissions, such as one to help buy several new hybrid buses.
Committee leadership continues to monitor development of the city and county’s Climate Action Plans and the soon-to-be completed Agricultural Lands Preservation Program. If enough committee members express interest in any of these efforts, we can arrange a Zoom meeting with city and/or county staff.
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Contact: Dillon Boatner
Voter Services co-chairs Diana Boxer and Gwen Wagner completed their terms in May. They have turned over the reins to the capable hands of committee member, Dillon Boatner. Diana will represent the League for the upcoming primary and general election forums on June 23 and Sept. 22. Gwen will continue to manage our section of VOTE411. Best wishes to Dillon!!
VOTE411 will have primary candidate information available mid-July. Watch for more information when it launches, but basically, you will go to VOTE411.org, type in your address and party affiliation to compare side-by-side your specific primary candidates' answers to League questions.
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LWVAC T-Shirts available
As part of our GOTV efforts, we are creating LWVAC-branded products for you to purchase and show your support of LWVAC while encouraging those around you to Get Out The Vote. The first products to launch are T-shirts. See the full selection of T-shirts here. Watch for more products in the future.
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Changes ahead for dues-paying process
Nothing is constant but change and that holds true for how LWVAC members pay their member dues too. The LWVUS will launch a new nationwide member portal in January 2025. We'll link to the new portal from the LWVAC website and you may still join or renew by mail, if that's your preference. Your dues expiration date won't change, but dues amounts and donation methods are expected to change. More to come!
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Re-request your Vote by Mail ballot
Please be aware that ALL Vote by Mail applications expired in December 2022. Now everyone must re-enroll in Vote by Mail every two years. The new state Vote by Mail form went into effect April 17. You can still sign up for Vote by Mail online. You can check your Registration and Vote by Mail status here.
Note: The deadline to request a vote by mail ballot for the August 20 primary election is 5 p.m. on August 8.
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Important Election Dates
Municipal Elections
Aug. 20: Gainesville
Nov. 5: High Springs
Dec. 3: Waldo
Primary Election
Election Day: Aug. 20
Deadline to register or update party affiliation: July 22
Deadline to request a vote by mail ballot: Aug. 8, 5 p.m.
Early Voting: Aug. 5-17, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
General Election
Election Day: Nov. 5
Deadline to Register: Oct. 7
Early Voting: Oct. 21-Nov. 2
Learn more at the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections website.
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LWV of Alachua County Leadership Team
President: Janice Garry
Vice-President: Gwendolyn Saffo
Secretary: Diane Dimperio
Treasurer: Anne D’Amico
A full list of LWV of Alachua County Board Members and Committee Chairs can be found here.
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To avoid missing future LWV of Alachua County email, please add our email address to your Safe Senders List or add the From address (communications@lwvac.ccsend.com) to your Address Book or Contacts. | | | | |
