LWV-Wake Update 9/30/2024 | Welcome back to your exclusive, bi-monthly newsletter of the League of Women Voters of Wake County. If someone forwarded this to you and you'd like to become a member, just click here.
In this week's edition: |  | Dear ~~first_name~~,
This president's message was to be about volunteerism - the importance of volunteers and how LWV-Wake depends on volunteers. The catastrophic impact of Hurricane Helene on North Carolina and closer to home as a tornado in Rocky Mount, NC, has changed the emphasis of my message.
The September 27, 2024, tornado in Rocky Mount is being called a catastrophic event. According to WTVD, the EF-3 tornado that injured 15 people was 100 yards wide with 140 mph winds and traveled for a quarter mile. Well, LWV-Wake had a team of volunteers ready to go to Rocky Mount on Saturday, September 28, for a tabling event. We would register voters and share our knowledge about voting and VOTE411.org. The dangerous weather forced us to cancel the event. We are very sad about the situation in Rocky Mount and all the areas affected by Hurricane Helene.
The point of this message is that LWV-Wake volunteers are answering the call for all requests for outreach to voters, whether in Wake County or surrounding counties. And LWV-Wake is getting requests from other counties, including Durham, Nash, Edgecombe and Franklin. The requests to LWV-Wake for help in Empowering Voters continue each day and LWV-Wake's need for all our volunteers to be ready to answer these calls will continue between now and Election Day (and beyond).
LWV-Wake is all volunteer. We are volunteers, and we know how to volunteer. Thank you, volunteers, for all you do.
Helen
| Timely Topic: The Importance of Judicial Elections
Join us at Meredith College for Timely Topics Wednesday, October 16 at 5:30pm. Our guest panelists include N.C. Court of Appeals Judge Donna Stroud, former N.C. Court of Appeals Judge Lucy Inman and Melissa Price Kromm. The discussion will be moderated by Meredith Associate Professor of Political Science Dr. Whitney Ross Manzo and Meredith student (and LWV-Wake member) Lily Barnett.
This event will feature a panel discussion about the importance of a fair and impartial judiciary, and how judicial candidates navigate the elections process in North Carolina.
| | LWV-Wake Publishes the 2023-2024 Annual Report
The new LWV-Wake 2023-2024 Annual Report was released last week.
You'll discover that our League received $26,700 in total donations, 21% more than the year prior; registered 781 voters; 87 new members joined, and more!
You'll also be happy to see that the League made headway with younger voters through consistent use of social media.
The report is located here. | | | Membership Committee Hosts First Potluck October 7
The Membership Committee is hosting the first potluck of this League year in Cary on Monday, October 7, from 6 - 8 p.m. Take advantage of this chance to get acquainted in a member's home, with stimulating conversation and good food. Any member may attend. It's a great way to connect and learn what has drawn others to join, especially if you're new.
We keep these events small - just the number that fit around the host's table – so there aren't a lot of seats. If you want one, sign up ASAP.
Here's how it works: The host provides an entrée; those attending bring an item to share. After you sign up, you'll receive an email with the host's name and address, the entree they're providing, and suggestions for what you might bring.
To sign up: email Karen Ferguson at ferguson.karen@gmail.com. She'll let you know right away if you have a seat or are on the wait list.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
More hosts are needed to hold future potlucks around the county.
If you’d like to open your home to guests, all we ask of you is to set your table and prepare an entrée to feed them. Your house, your choice: a date that works for you; brunch, lunch, or dinner; meat or vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, etc. We’ll promote it, register guests, coordinate their potluck contributions, and provide a facilitator.
Interested? Contact Karen Ferguson ferguson.karen@gmail.com at with your name, how many can sit around your dining table, and what part of Wake County you live in. Thanks in advance! You’ll enjoy it. | LWVUS Launches ChapterSpot, the New Platform for Memberships & Dues
In early 2025 LWVUS will begin the process of changing the structure for League membership and collection of dues.
Existing members will be asked to create a profile on a new platform called ChapterSpot that will only be used for collecting membership dues. Individuals joining the League will still join on our website, but will be redirected to ChapterSpot to complete their membership and pay their dues. Dues will be collected by LWVUS and transferred to state and local Leagues.
To learn how this new membership system will work and what future actions members will be asked to take, click here. |  | League 101: Introduction to LWV-Wake is Back
We are excited to bring back our seminar just for newcomers - League 101: Introduction to LWV-Wake.
Come learn about League structure, our history and how you can get the most from your membership.
This is a great opportunity for new and new-ish members to learn more about the League, make new friends and explore opportunities to get involved.
|  | | LWVNC Launches VOTE411.org for the 2024 Election
The League of Women Voters of North Carolina recently announced that its non-partisan voter guide, VOTE411.org, is now ready to be used by North Carolinians as they prepare to cast their ballots in the November 5 general election.
Click here to check out the updated VOTE411.org website.
Click here to read the press release. |  | LWVNC Releases Statement Regarding Citizenship Ballot Question
In a new statement titled, "A Solution Without a Problem: LWVNC Opposes Unnecessary Efforts to Address Unfounded Claims of Non-Citizen Voting."
LWVNC said that it "does not support proof of citizenship as part of the voter registration and voting processes.
Click here to read the entire statement. | | |
LWV-Wake Hosts Three National Voter Registration Day Events
LWV hosted three National Voter Registration Day (NVRD) events on September 17.
First, LWV-Wake's past president and LWVUS current president Dianna Wynn, along with five volunteers, hosted a table at North Carolina State University's Electoral Wellness Fair. The fair was an all-day event that featured several get-out-the-vote groups and many were registering voters. LWV-Wake explained to students the various changes in NC rules about voting and voter IDs. To see the WTVD coverage, click here.
For the second, our past president Cheryl Tung presented to approximately 300 students at Athens Magnet High School the importance of voting and the power of the youth vote in the upcoming election. LWV-Wake's crowd-pleasing Spin-to-Win game was played, and students learned how to complete voter registration forms, as well as registered or pre-registered during the presentation.
The third event was held at Wake Tech North, where Cheryl Tung and Lauren Clossey registered voters and played the famous Spin-to-Win game with students. They also played a promotional video on the large auditorium screen about LWV-Wake and the power of the youth vote. Check out the video here. | Announcement About Candidate Forums
The Candidate Forums Sub-Committee of Voter Services has completed all of the pre-recorded Candidate Forums. These include all of the Wake County Board of Education contested elections; the Raleigh Mayor and all contested Raleigh City Council elections.
Any cancellations were due to unsuccessful contact with specific candidates.
The recordings are being processed and will be available as soon as possible.
Thank you so much for the hard work that went into the planning and accomplishment of this project.
| LWVNC Hosts First in Series of Webinars
The LWVNC Board is offering an important series of webinars to inform the public about current issues facing North Carolina. The webinar is scheduled for Tuesday, October 8 at 7:00 p.m.
The guest speaker is Alexandra Forter Sirota, Director of the NC Budget & Tax Center.
This event will feature an insightful discussion on the critical role public education plays in shaping North Carolina's economy. They'll explore how investments in our public schools directly influence state and local economic growth, workforce development and community well being. The speaker will delve into the long-term economic benefits of a strong public education system and the challenges it faces. LWVNC is honored to welcome Ms. Sirota, who will share her expert insights into the financial impact and future implications of education funding on North Carolina's economy.
For more information and to register for this Zoom event, click here.
| Looking for information from a past newsletter? Previous League Updates can now be viewed on our website's home page. Look for the "League Updates" blue tab on the top menu.
Thank you for continuing to support the League of Women Voters of Wake County.
Sincerely,
Helen Zimmerman
President | | The League of Women Voters of Wake County is a designated 501(c)3 nonprofit charitable organization by the IRS. Donations and membership dues are fully tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. | |