 | | | | Help Our Community Learn About Voting and Elections
Back in November 2023 I attended a local event that was advertised as an election education event that would "restore trust in our elections" but turned out to be just the opposite. Too often organizations and individuals from outside our community hold events where they claim to be election experts or to "have the proof" of stolen elections and stolen votes. They frequently show snippets of interviews with "experts" or former elected representatives who claim to have proof of wrongdoing. Their claims never materialize in actual proof and they do more harm than good. Sadly, people who attend these events are very much like you and I, and are good citizens who want free and fair elections and want to ensure that every person's vote is counted. Unfortunately, many are sold misinformation and disinformation that causes them to lose trust in our elections representatives, workers, equipment and process.
I am asking each League member to share "How Voting Works" event registration information with those in your circle of influence and especially with those who are not involved in election work and may be vulnerable to misinformation. It is important that our neighbors receive information from qualified representatives who can address their questions and concerns, can explain how the process works, and how our election equipment functions. |  | If you are able to attend, please do but help us get the word out to community members who can benefit from this interaction with our Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland.
If you are not from Duval County, we encourage you to attend this event or reach out to your county Supervisor of Elections and ask them to host a similar event where the public can be educated by an election official who is responsible for our elections. We have this event posted to our social media and ask that you share it among your friends and other groups that you are members of.
Lanelle Phillmon, President
LWV/JFC | | |
 | Duval County Elections Supervisor Jerry Holland will hold a demonstration of the voting equipment that will be deployed at our local precincts and will take questions from the audience.
Hosted by: Jacksonville Today Editor Jessica Palombo
Where: WJCT Studios, 100 Festival Park Ave., Jacksonville 32202
When: 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 13 (Doors open at 5:30)
This event is free to attend but registration is required.
| | First Wednesday Lunch with the League
Join us for lunch at Seasons 52 on February 7th, for our First Wednesday Lunch with the League.
Dan Merkan, Chief Policy Officer for JASMYN, will be the speaker for our February luncheon. Dan will talk about the impact of recent legislation on LGBTQAI+ youth in the greater Jacksonville area.
Doors open at 11:20 and lunch will begin at 11:45, followed by the program. | | | For 25 years, Dan Merkan has been employed at JASMYN and is currently its Chief Policy Officer. Dan, during his time at JASMYN, has engaged around policy and practice that impacts the LGBTQAI+ community. He has been an advocate, educator, planner, evaluator, analyst and direct service provider.
Dan has particularly focused on LGBTQ related school issues: the prevention of and response to violence targeting the LGBTQ community; HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment; nondiscrimination policies: community assessments: and so much more. Dan may best be known for his work as the chair of the Jacksonville Coalition for Equality (JCE). The JCE led the effort to update Jacksonville's Human Rights Ordinance to protect people from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the areas of employment, housing, and public accommodation.
The menu includes a small Field Greens Salad, choice of entree (Chicken Caprese Sandwich, Avocado Toast, or Crab Cake Sandwich), a Mini Indulgence Dessert and beverage (Coffee, Iced Tea, or Soft Drink), at a cost per person of $35.00 for members and their guests. Non-members who purchase tickets will pay an additional $2.00 Technology Convenience fee, for a total of $37.00.
Tickets are available using the Register Now link. Members and non-members are encouraged to attend. Registration will close on February 4th, and tickets will not be available at the door. Tickets are non-refundable. You will be asked to prepay with a credit card and select a sandwich choice at registration. This is an in-person only event, it will not be available on Zoom. Seating is limited so register early! | Update from Reproductive Health and Justice Committee
Mark February 7th on your calendar for the Florida State Supreme Court’s oral arguments to determine the qualification of the abortion rights constitutional amendment for the November General Election ballot.
With over 1.4 million signatures, the proposed Amendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion faces a “routine review” of its ballot language, emphasizing no interference with abortion before viability or when necessary for the patient’s health.
The court’s focus is on ensuring clarity of language and avoiding confusion among voters. The review is not intended to address the value or politics of an amendment. The amendment is widely supported in the state. A November survey conducted by the University of North Florida Public Opinion Research Lab(PQRL), found that 62% of respondents indicated they would support the amendment if it were included on the 2024 ballot. Twenty-nine percent expressed opposition to the measure, while 9% were undecided or chose not to disclose their position. The proposed amendment faces strong opposition from several justices and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, who argues against the ambiguous use of the term “viability.”
You can sign up for A Supreme Court Oral Arguments Watch Party on Floridians Protecting Freedom website under events. This watch party is scheduled for February 7th from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM. Additionally, you can find more information on this citizen-led ballot initiative on the FFP (Floridians Protecting Freedom) website. | Lobby Days 2024
League of Women Voters of Florida hosted Lobby Days January 23-24 bringing League members from across the state of Florida to our state's capital. One Day One of Lobby Days, we received updates from State Action Chairs Jill Lewis-Spector (Education), Kathy Swerdlow (Gun Violence Prevention), Any Weintraub (Reproductive Health and Justice), and Monica Elliott (Voter Services). We also heard from many of our statewide collaborative organization leaders to include Amy Keith (Common Cause), Debbie DeLand (Florida National Organization for Women), and Katie Blankenship and Sophia Brown (PEN America). We also celebrated and recognized the work of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) for their support and legal expertise in the restoration of voting rights for returning citizens in Florida. Joining us to receive the David King Defender of Democracy Award at the Lobby Days Gala were Nellie King, Esq, Seth Chazin, Esq. and Ray De La Canada, Esq who each shared a bit of their personal experience and commitment to the people of Florida.
Day Two took us to the capitol building where we met with legislators to ask for support or opposition for bills that our lobbying firm and action chairs have been tracking over the last several weeks prior to session. While some members had attended lobby days a number of times, our newest attendees shadowed experienced members and had the opportunity to participate in legislative lobbying. If you check our social media, you'll find photos of a number of our members meeting with legislators. We were fortunate enough to be in Tallahassee at the same time as Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc. - South Atlantic Region and joined them for a session at their "AKA Day at the Capitol" where we heard from Florida Sen. Geraldine Thompson, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., who discussed a proposed bill that would be the “Florida Voting Rights Act, that would make Election Day a holiday to increase voter participation, create a clearinghouse for people to determine their eligibility to vote, and eliminate the “voter police force” established under Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Our Co-President Cecile Scoon also addressed attendees about the League's ongoing postcarding campaign to connect returning citizens to pro bono legal assistance to determine their voter registration eligibility and provide services for restoration of rights. And finally, on Day Two, there was a collaborative press conference where we heard from a number of organization leaders and elected representatives about the continued attacks on marginalized people while neglecting to address the needs of Floridians.
If you did not have the opportunity to join us for Lobby Days this year, please consider attending next year but in the meantime, contact your local house and senate representative and let them know how you feel about bills that are being pushed through committees without regard for amendments that could make the bills less harmful and about bills that could do some good if they could only be heard in committee! | Note of Thanks
Since July 2023 our League has helped get a postcard into the hands of 14,250 returning citizens. We initially held events with our own members at the local library which gave us an opportunity to connect with each other, check in on a personal level and also discuss League work. When League policy allowed us to collaborate with local community organizations, we supported events held by Harriet Tubman Freedman Fighters, Indivisible Mandarin, Pam Mirelson, National Organization for Women Jacksonville, Indivisible Jacksonville Riverside, and AAUW St Augustine. Collaborating with these local organizations allowed us the opportunity to create awareness of League programs and projects but to also learn what others are doing in our community and opportunities to collaborate in the future.
While we reached out to many local organizations, not all were able to host a postcarding event but many of them were happy to hear about our commitment to returning citizens and were provided with returning citizen business cards which they passed along to their members to continue to grow the awareness of pro bono services. Too many in our community were aware of the overshadowing of Amendment 4 by SB7066 but are not aware of the ongoing work of the League of Women Voters of Florida to provide these much-needed pro bono services to help our fellow Floridians have their voting rights restored. These postcards and business cards give us an opportunity to spread the good news of our work but also connect with others about our work and our commitment to our neighbors. | | Our efforts recently received the “Honorable Mention” Award at the Lobby Days Gala. We appreciate the contributions of our League members and our neighbors who supported this work.
Our postcarding work continues in 2024. | | | It's 2024 and we need YOU!
As we prepare for elections throughout 2024, we will need our League members to support a number of election programs and events. If you have not served as an election worker in your county in the past, we highly encourage you to contact your Supervisor of Elections to find out how to become a trained election worker. Our state League will soon be recruiting Election Protection workers who serve as volunteers that are the first line of defense against suppression tactics, confusing laws, outdated infrastructure, and other impediments. We will also need volunteers to support our Vote411.org nonpartisan online voter guide by developing race/geographic appropriate questions for candidates as well as help us contact candidates to encourage their participation in the voter guide. And, throughout the year, we need volunteers to serve on our Voter Registration Committee to help us register voters throughout Northeast Florida. | LWV/JFC Awarded Grants
In December 2023, our chapter submitted mini grant applications for three separate grants and were awarded all three. While the sums of money are small, we will be meeting with our League of Women Voters of the United States grant committee in early February to review the contracts and guidelines but we look forward to engaging young citizens, new citizens and returning citizens.
LWVUS mini grants:
2024 Youth Voter Registration project
2024 New Citizens Voter Registration project
2024 Former and Currently Incarcerated Voter Registration |  | JOIN US for Orientation
Sunday, March 24, 2024 from 2:00-3:00pm
Learn about the history of the League, how we operate, and the process of Study and Action. Meet local League Leadership, committee chairs, and other new members.
New Members are encouraged to attend. Current members as well as non-members are also invited.
A Zoom link will be emailed to you following Registration.
For questions contact:
Karen Parish
Membership Director
| | Loss of Lifetime League Member Dr. Patricia Gill
Patricia Louise "Pat" Gill, age 88, of St. Augustine, passed away on January 6, 2024 at Bailey Center for Caring in St. Augustine, FL. | | | Patricia was born on February 20, 1935 in New York City, NY to parents Samuel and Kathaleen (Dorman) Gill. She moved to St. Augustine Beach in 1944 and graduated from the Cathedral Parish Elementary School and attended St. Joseph Academy for 1 1/2 years. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree from Marymount College in Tarrytown, New York, received her Master's Degree from Columbia University in NYC and her Doctorate in Education from Nova Southeastern University in Florida. Her mother said she was part gypsy and she lived to prove her correct by teaching in Connecticut, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Indies, and Africa. She was a Dean of Instruction in Tennessee, South Carolina and Florida.
Her love of Africa and the children she taught in the schools in the United States and East Africa are what moved her the most since the beginning of her teaching career in 1956. She taught four years in Africa in the early 1960's. After retiring she went back to Africa to work with the children and teachers a number of times.
Pat is probably best known locally for her work with the League of Women Voters to educate the voting public in her community of St. Johns County, and for her work with St. Augustine Beach politics while serving on the Planning and Zoning Board, and the Code Enforcement Board and her continued involvement in commissioner candidate's campaigns.
A memorial mass will be held at 9 am on Friday, Feb. 9, 2024 at St. Anastasia Catholic Church. Interment in the Cloisters columbarium follow the service and reception will be held in the Sister Enda of Eran Formation Center at the church. Those unable to attend can view the service live streamed at https://www.youtube.com/@stanastasiacc/streams.
In lieu of flowers, Pat preferred to have donations sent to The League of Woman Voters Jacksonville/First Coast Education Fund by mailing a check payable to LWVJFC Education Fund. The mailing address isLWVJFC, P.O.Box 330353, Atlantic Beach, FL. 32233. | New Members - Welcome aboard!
Carol Brady
Louise Hallam
Laurel Herron
Pascale Johnson
Virginia McMillan
Julie and Addison Saieg
Kay Taylor
Belinda Vrielink
Interested in being part of the League? Click JOIN NOW | Donations are always appreciated!
We wish to acknowledge and thank those who have made donations this month:
Our website lwvjaxfc.org offers an easy way to make donations to LWVJFC, even if you prefer to pay by check. Click on the red "Donate" button at the top of the Homepage. | Volunteers are needed!
Quite often, our League needs volunteers to help with small tasks that are not time consuming but vital to our leadership and membership.
If you are willing to help make phone calls, be trained to send text messages, or assist in other ways, please contact us and let us help you figure out how to invest your time in our League and our democracy.
Contact Lanelle at lwvjaxfc@gmail.com to discuss topics and abilities.
For more specific volunteer tasks, click HERE.
| | | | Local
Stay up-to-date on all local upcoming events on the LWV of Jacksonville / First Coast:
• Website
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Regional
The Regional Facebook Group, LWV Florida North Region Leagues, includes Alachua, Bay, Jacksonville/First Coast, Okaloosa & Walton, Pensacola Bay Area, and Tallahassee.
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Contact Us!
Phone: 904-355-8683
Email: LWVJAXFC@gmail.com
Postal Address:
League of Women Voters of Jacksonville First Coast
PO Box 330353
Atlantic Beach, FL 32233 | | | | The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization encouraging informed and active participation in government. We influence public policy through education and advocacy. | | |
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