Summer is Heating Up and That's Not Just The Temperature!
As many of our members are making plans for the summer to travel, visit with family and take advantage of the great weather we've been enjoying, please know that your League will still be engaged in the work necessary to support free and fair elections and engage the Florida voters. I'm hoping that as your summer plans allow, you will join us in some of this work.
Here's just some of the things taking place that could use the support and talent of our members:
Local Program development to determine where we will focus on time, energy, and money next year: See Annual Business Meeting announcement for dates.
Petition gathering for Right to Clean Water and Medicaid Expansion: Contact our Petition Coordinator Chase Jones at chase32003@gmail.com
Vote411Nonpartisan Voter Guide development and candidate outreach: Contact Deb Miller at debunf@gmail.com
While we do not yet have a Candidate Forum Committee established, if you are interested in identifying local races to develop a candidate forum for, let us know so we can help support the forum. The League has established guidelines that we adhere to as a nonpartisan organization and forums for the primary tend to be more productive to the voter and garner greater candidate participation.
After the June 5th Annual Business meeting, local board members will be holding our board orientation, working on Local Program, attending state council, and national convention, and also preparing our list of future speakers for the monthly luncheons. So, while there will be no luncheons scheduled for July, August or September, you can rest assured that we are still doing work throughout the summer months as a board and as a chapter to support League work and prepare for fall elections.
As young people in our community and families prepare to graduate from high school and college, I hope you will take the time to speak with them about their place in civic engagement. While we hear that voters under age 30 are highly sought out by many organizations to participate in the fall elections, personal conversations about issues that impact them specifically are often more impactful coming from someone they know and trust. Consider helping them realize the power of their vote, the need to be heard by local, state and federal government, and the opportunities that exist for them to get involved in election work and voter outreach to fellow voters (especially among their own age group). While there may be a vast amount of information available to them at their fingertips via social media, it may not be accurate or may be misinforming them. Take time to invest in those you know and care about.
I look forward to running into some of you at upcoming events and appreciate all the work you do on behalf of our ongoing commitment to create a more perfect democracy.
Lanelle Phillmon, President
LWV/JFC |