LWV-Wake Update 10/2/2023

Dear ~~first_name~~,

Greetings from LWV-Wake.

We are in municipal election season and LWV-Wake is BUSY! Take a quick glance at our September and October League calendar and you'll see we've been all over Wake County.

LWV-Wake celebrates National Voter Registration Day at Wake Tech

We had a great day at Wake Tech's north campus on September 19th for National Voter Registration Day, with outreach happening at three locations on campus.

THANK YOU to all our volunteers who talked to students, encouraging them to participate in upcoming municipal elections and to check out VOTE411.org for voting and election information.

The following members assisted to make this event a huge success: Elizabeth Beatty, Beth Chamblin, Johanne Christensen, Dale Cousins, Lauren Gordon, Leigh Greene, Nancy Merrick, Stephanie Mitchell, Nancy Moxley, Maggie Scroggs, Kathy Thompson, Mike and Cathy Warner, and Rosemarie Wilson.

Voter Services

Cary Door Hanger Project - VOLUNTEERS NEEDED ASAP

If you enjoy walking or need an excuse to get in your steps, help us distribute Vote411.org door hangers in Cary. This year's distribution lists include women under 40 who have not previously voted in municipal elections.

We have until election day on Tuesday, October 10th to complete this project. We still have plenty of lists available with approximately 40 addresses each. You can also request fewer than 40 addresses or multiple lists. To participate, click the link below. Please remember, you must first log into the website to see volunteer opportunities.

Door Hanger Project in Cary

NC Courage Voter Outreach October 7th Volunteer's Needed

Come have double the fun as you empower voters and socialize with other Leaguers while watching the women of NC Courage play against the San Diego Wave soccer team. We will have a voter outreach table during the pre-game FanFest, located near the field gate. Game tickets can be purchased at a discount through the link on our event page. UPDATE: As of today, there are only two tickets left. The game is sold out.

You do NOT have to purchase game tickets in order to volunteer, however, you will need to pre-purchase your parking. Parking fees will be reimbursed by LWV-Wake.

If you want to attend the game, you can volunteer before game time, then head to the game with other Leaguers. For more information and registration links, click on the link below:

League Social at NC Courage Women's Soccer Game - 10/7/2023

Wake Tech South Campus Fall Fest 2023 Volunteer Opportunity

On October 12th, we'll head to Wake Tech's south campus for their Fall Fest 2023 to register voters and provide voter education. With a lively afternoon of carnival games, haunted corn maze and contests for Wake Tech students, this should be a fun volunteer opportunity for our members.

To assist with this event, click on the event link below and then log in to see the volunteer tab. The event page includes a downloadable map with parking and event location marked.

Wake Tech Fall Festival Voter Outreach - 10/12/2023

Upcoming LWV-Wake Events

October 7th 6pm Member/Guest Social at NC Courage - Join Leaguers and help cheer on the women of NC Courage Soccer Team. This event is open to the public and we encourage you to invite family & friends. Purchase tickets to sit together on the event link and then register on our website so we know you are coming. For more details and to access the ticket and registration link, click here.

October 19th 12noon-1:30pm - Timely Topics: Article 5 and the Threat to the US Constitution - Join us IN PERSON at Highland Methodist Church as we welcome guest speaker Dennis Burns, chairman of the State Advisory Board for Common Cause NC. For more details and to register, click here.

November 14th 10am - Field Trip to NC Freedom Park - Join fellow Leaguers on a narrated tour of NC Freedom Park. Freedom Park is a historic 1-acre green space located in the heart of downtown Raleigh. Registrants can indicate their preference to join the group for lunch after the tour at The Station, 701 N Person St. To register, click here.

November 16th 12pm-1:30pm - Timely Topics Turning the Tide: HB 28 and the Fight Against Plastic Pollution - LWV-Wake’s Environment Committee, in collaboration with Toward Zero Waste, will host a discussion about plastic pollution in North Carolina and recent efforts to combat this problem. Guest speaker is Grady O'Brien, policy associate at NC Conservation Network. For more details and to register, click here.

Hosts Needed for New Member Potlucks

In past years (pre-COVID), the Wake League held periodic potluck dinners in members’ homes as a way to meet and welcome new members. After a long hiatus, and with a continually growing membership, we’d like to resume these events, opening them to all members while especially encouraging newer members to attend.

To make this happen, WE NEED HOSTS! 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: brunch, lunch, dinner; meat, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free etc. We’ll promote it, register attendees, coordinate guests’ potluck contributions, and provide a facilitator.

Interested? If so, contact Karen Ferguson with your name, how many can sit around your dining table, and what part of Wake County you live in. As the Membership committee plans for 2023-24, we’ll reach out to prospective hosts with possible dates to hold potlucks and you can indicate what might work for you.

We look forward to hearing from you, and to sitting down to get to know more of our membership. You’ll enjoy that, too. Thanks!

NCGA Legislative Update

NC $30 billion budget to become law without Governor Cooper's signature

Governor Cooper announced last week that he'll allow the budget to become law without his signature, paving the way for long-awaited Medicaid expansion. However, he'll likely challenge in court a provision that strips from him the ability to make appointments to community college boards. Read more about the good, bad and ugly budget contents here.

SB 749

Last Thursday, Governor Cooper also vetoed SB 749: No Partisan Advantage in Elections stating:

"The legislative takeover of state and local elections boards could doom our state’s elections to gridlock and severely limit early voting. It also creates a grave risk that Republican legislators or courts would be empowered to change the results of an election if they don’t like the winner. That’s a serious threat to our democracy, particularly after the nation just saw a presidential candidate try to strongarm state officials into reversing his losing election result. Courts have already ruled the ideas in this bill unconstitutional, and voters overwhelmingly said no when the legislature tried to change the constitution."

LWV-Wake provides redistricting public comment at NCGA

Board member Mary Lelik provided public comments on behalf of LWV-Wake during last week's redistricting public hearing. Comments included the need for meaningful public input and for hearings to occur before AND after maps have been released. You can read Mary's comments here.

Senate Redistricting Committee co-Chair Ralph Hise, in an interview with WUNC, stated that lawmakers could vote on a new Congressional map by mid-October, followed by state legislative maps by the end of the month. Senate leader Phil Berger told reporters he hoped votes on a congressional map would occur the week of Oct. 9th. To learn more about last week's redistricting hearing and what is expected from the NCGA, click here.

The work of LWV-Wake will continue to be very important as we work to educate voters about the new voting restrictions leading up to the 2024 election. We encourage our members to become active in the League and help us to strengthen our organization to fulfill our mission of Empowering Voters and Defending Democracy.

League Advocacy

Encouraging effective advocacy on issues that align with our mission of Empowering Voters and Defending Democracy is the heart of what we do. And while we can send emails and provide public comment, we must also advocate to our family, friends and neighbors, social groups, etc. and encourage them to contact their representatives as well.

Find your representatives here.

Find 2023-2024 NC House Leaders here.

Find 2023-2024 NC Senate Leaders 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,

Cheryl Tung

President

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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.

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LWV-Wake Update 10/2/2023