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We are recruiting members for the LWVIL Rapid Response Team!
We all know that this will be a challenging election season, so LWVUS has asked LWVIL to put together a Rapid Response Team to provide timely response throughout the election season to Illinois voting issues that require quick intervention.
The team will help local Leagues learn to identify just what voter intimidation is—what it looks like, what to do when we see it, and how to report it. The team will promote local League observation of voting equipment testing and poll watcher training with LWVIL's Voter Service team, and coordinate with the Misinformation and Disinformation Task Force.
Are you ready to help us defend democracy in 2024? Email info@lwvil.org to volunteer.
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Becky Simon
President
League of Women Voters of Illinois
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TONIGHT: Protecting Democracy in the Age of Social Media and Artificial Intelligence | |
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Join us Wednesday, April 17 at 7:00 pm via Zoom to discuss the effect of social media and AI on elections—how can we protect democracy from the spread of misinformation and disinformation?
Our featured speaker is Diane Chang, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Brown Institute for Media Innovation at Columbia Journalism School and the former head of Election Integrity Product Strategy at Meta.
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All League of Women Voters members are invited to join us for Lobby Day at the Illinois State Capitol during the 2024 spring legislative session.
You can make a difference! During Lobby Day, you’ll meet with your legislators and advocate for the issues you care about. Never lobbied in Springfield before? No worries, we will provide assistance and can partner you with a more experienced advocate.
We will meet up in Springfield on Wednesday, May 1 at 9:00 am. The day will wrap by 3:00 pm. Learn more on our website.
Carpoolers needed! Taking our Interest Survey may make it easier for you to attend if you...
- Want to be paired up with someone who has been to Springfield before
- Need help getting to Springfield and want to carpool
- Can take the train but need to be transported to our meeting place
- Are willing to drive and want company
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Did you miss our 2024 Issues Briefing? We covered a bunch of topics expected to come up during the spring legislative session. Catch up by watching the program recordings.
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2024 Legislative Interviews | |
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Every year, the LWVIL Issues and Advocacy Committee encourages local Leagues to solidify their relationships with their state senator(s) and representative(s) by holding Legislative Interviews.
The primary purpose of the interview is to strengthen the lines of communication with your legislators and build goodwill. The emphasis should be on a respectful exchange of views and information, setting the stage for future action in your community. (Alternatively, Lobby Days are all about taking action on specific bills that we support.)
Legislative Interviews are coordinated locally. Your local League's president or another League representative may have already sent out an interest survey or more information on how to participate. Otherwise, you may reach out directly to your president to see what plans your League has for Legislative Interviews this year. They're a great way to get involved with your League and your community!
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Applause for Local Voter Service Efforts | |
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Thank you to our local Leagues for your Voter Service work in 2024! We applaud you for:
- Registering several thousand new voters, including pre-registration of 16- and younger 17-year-olds under the new Illinois law SB2123
- Holding 17 candidate forums
- Holding 2 candidate meet and greets
- Holding 12 events for and/or updating your websites to include candidate statements
- Holding 40 educational events for your members and communities
- Attending LWVIL candidate forum training, observer training, moderator training and a post-election roundtable
- Maintaining active Observer Corps to observe your local school boards, library boards, park districts, city councils/committees, county board/committees, county health boards, forest preserves, and metropolitan water boards— and publishing reports on your League websites and in newsletters and board minutes
Now, it's on to the November 5 General Election. Let’s keep the momentum going! The Illinois Voter Guide has had tens of thousands of views in 2024. We will begin updating the guide for the November election, but please let your communities know they can use it year-round to make a plan to vote, sign up for reminder emails, and learn about becoming a poll worker.
Online voter registration is open again. Anyone who will be 18 before or on Election Day can register to vote, and younger 16- and 17-year-olds can pre-register to vote.
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Upcoming Member Trainings | |
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Mock Election Training
Saturday, April 27, 10:00 am, Virtual
Register to attend.
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A robust democracy depends on active and informed voters, and mock elections are an especially useful GOTV tool for teens.
This session will teach you how to run a mock election at your local high schools and help young voters learn the fundamentals of voting. We know that, when engaged early, young voters are much more likely to become lifelong voters.
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Observer Training
Saturday, May 4, 9:00 am, Virtual
Register to attend.
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The League's Observer Corps play a key role in community education and engagement. Trained Observers help their communities stay informed about decisions that impact them locally, while encouraging government transparency and accountability. Learn more about the Observer Corps.
Join us for this session to become a trained Observer. Additional dates can be arranged for groups of ten or more.
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Support Our Get Out the Vote Efforts in 2024 | |
Submit Your League's Photos | |
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We love to see the smiling faces of League members! Help LWVIL elevate and share the hard work of our members by submitting photos of your local League's activities.
All photo submissions will be added to our photo library. They may be used in LWVIL marketing and communications materials, including possible placement on the LWVIL website and social media platforms.
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Members power the League! Thank you for your time and donations. | | | | |
