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MEMBERS MATTER NEWSLETTER
MARCH 2023
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Hats off and a heartfelt round of applause to the dedicated MP team who poured their efforts into orchestrating the venue, crafting the program, executing flawless setup on the day of the event, and delivering exceptional League support to all attendees! | |
We had a great turnout for our brunch meeting, themed “League Passport to Election Engagement”. Sixty-six attendees enjoyed networking, informative presentations and a four-part educational program. Highlights include presentations by:
Yassamin Ansari, Phoenix City Councilwoman
John Giles, Mayor, City of Mesa
Mary Jo Pitzi, Senior Reporter, Arizona Republic
“State of the League” recorded speech by the late Dr. Turner, President of LWVUS.
League members and guests learned more about the volunteer opportunities in our league and collected passport stamps after every presentation. | Milestones for Women in Congress |
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March is Women's History Month dedicated to commemorating the contributions and accomplishments of women throughout history. It offers a platform to pay tribute to the trailblazers who have facilitated progress in diverse domains like science, politics, art, literature, and more. Women's History Month also prompts reflection on the hurdles women have surmounted and the ongoing efforts toward gender parity. It presents an opportunity to amplify the narratives of extraordinary women whose influence may have been sidelined in conventional historical accounts. How do you intend to mark Women's History Month?
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League of Women Voters Member Jeannette Rankin holds the distinction of being the first woman elected to the United States Congress. She was born in 1880 in Montana and became a prominent figure in the suffrage movement. Rankin's historic election to the House of Representatives in 1916 preceded the passage of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote nationwide. Her legacy as a trailblazer for women in politics continues to inspire generations.
League of Women Voters Member Shirley Chisholm was a groundbreaking figure in American politics, known for being the first African American woman elected to the United States Congress. Born in 1924 in Brooklyn, New York, Chisholm rose to prominence as a community organizer and educator before entering politics. In 1968, she made history by winning a seat in the House of Representatives, representing New York's 12th congressional district. Throughout her career, Shirley Chisholm broke barriers and fought tirelessly for equality and justice. Her legacy continues to inspire generations of Americans, particularly women and people of color, to pursue leadership roles in politics and beyond.
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On March 8 International Women's Day, the League, along with fellow activists of all genders, convened to participate in Vice President Kamala Harris's Fight for Reproductive Freedoms tour in Arizona. The tour aimed to unite thousands of individuals in advocating for fundamental rights, including every woman's autonomy over her own body. Attendance was by invitation only, with LWVUS coordinating the League's presence and swiftly mobilizing to furnish a guest list for the Vice President's office. Notably, LWVMP board members and former MP presidents received invitations. Simultaneously, the AAA campaign dispatched an email urging all volunteers to apply for attendance.
International Women's Day, marked globally on March 8th annually, stands as a pivotal occasion. It's a day dedicated to acknowledging and honoring women's achievements across diverse domains, while also reflecting on the advancements made toward gender parity. Moreover, it serves as a platform to raise awareness about the persistent challenges women confront worldwide. Whether advocating for equitable rights or championing gender inclusivity, International Women's Day underscores the continuous endeavor towards fostering a fair and inclusive society for all genders. How did you commemorate this significant day this year? |
Vacancy on the board: Beth Ballman, our secretary, has resigned to pursue other activities during this important election cycle. We were very fortunate to have benefited from her energy, attention to detail, organization skills, and enthusiasm this past year. Beth was elected to a two-year term in 2023. The board is soliciting applications for any member interested in serving out the second year of Beth’s term and hopefully will stay on and run for a full two year term in 2025. We encourage members with strong technology skills who enjoy organizing information and managing schedules and timelines to apply. This is a great opportunity to learn about the league and volunteer. We urge any interested members to read the Job description for LWVMP Secretary and email the President and President-Elect at infolwvmp@gmail.com immediately.
In League Service,
Pinny Sheoran, President
LWV Metro Phoenix
480.540.4934
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SAVE THE DATE!
March
Monday, March 18, 5:30pm: AZ VOTES 2024. Special PBS broadcast previewing the 2024 election cycle, sponsored by LWVAZ. To attend the filming in person, scan the QR Code in the poster below.
Sat-Sun, Mar 23-24, 10 am-6 pm: Voter Outreach at Phoenix Rainbow Festival (Heritage Square Park) RainbowFestivalVolunteerLink
Tue, Mar 26, 4:30-5:30 pm: Voter Services meeting. Voter Services Mar 26 MTG registration link
Fri, Mar 31: Naturalization Ceremony NaturalizationCeremonyVolunteerLink
April
Sat, Apr 13, 9 am-2 pm: Voter Outreach at Celebrate Mesa Spring 2024 Festival (Pioneer Park, 526 E. Main St. Mesa)CelebrateMesaVolunteerLink
Tue, Apr 16: Voter riders to present at Voter Services meeting. Voter Services Apr 16 MTG registration link
Sun April 28, 1:00-4:00 pm: LWVMP Annual Meeting Register here: Zoom Meeting
May and June
Fri-Sat, May 19-20: 2024 LWVAZ Council. Hosted by LWVAZ, the meeting will be sponsored by LWV Greater Tucson at the Pima Community College Desert View campus. Further information regarding registration for the State Council will be provided by the end of March.
Thu-Sun, Jun 27-30: LWVUS Biennial Convention in Washington DC. Registration is now open for observers and delegates
Learn more about the 2024 State Council and LWVUS National Convention in this newsletter. Make sure to submit your application to serve as a delegate. |  | |
Growing our membership and League power
Please join us in welcoming our 14 New League Members who joined in the month of February:
Carolyne Berry, Stefannie De La Mora, Bonnie Hill-Dowdy, Susan Mahalov, Peggy McMahon, Keisha Mohan, Lynne Randall, Joanne Tolkoff, Carolyn Trefren, Elaine "Kiki" Whissen, Danny White, Karen White, Mona White, and Robert White.
And, thank you to all our nine Renewing Members:
Peggy Deming, Alan Hill, Dr. Margaret Hill, Susan Lyons, Katherine Martin, Polly McMullen, Beth Trachy, Ronald Trachy, and Kathleen Sankey
Engagement Highlights
Looking for ways to get involved? The Membership Committee is always looking for help growing our League power! Join us in getting out the word and/or helping with our work meeting and greeting new members via email and phone calls.
Contact the Membership Committee at infolwvmp@gmail.com to jump on board! | |
How to use Member Login on the LWVMP Website
As a MP member, an account has been created for you on the LWVMP website. Some of our opportunities to volunteer and events are for members only. To access the members only portion of the website, please follow these steps.
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Go to www.LWVMetroPhoenix.org <<Note that it is .org and not .com
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Click on Member Login in the upper right corner of the home page and enter your Username and Password. If you forgot/lost either one, then click “Forgot My Username/Password Button”
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Follow the instructions and watch for an email with instructions. Please check your spam folder.
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After you login in, please update or complete your Member Profile by clicking on Profile in the drop-down under Member Name in the upper right corner. You can also click on the Tutorial for help in completing your profile.
This website provides a wealth of information about the League. You can find the list of current officers, current committees, voting and outreach information, public policy positions, and volunteer opportunities. You can also access previous newsletters from Metro Phoenix, Arizona, and LWVUS. Check the website often for announcements and new events! | |
Greetings to all! It was great to meet members in person at the All Member Meeting and we look forward to seeing some of you at the Rainbow Festival and Celebrate Mesa events. This month we have done voter outreach at two new locations: A farmers market and The Buffalo Music Festival …plus Willo Home Tour and Martin Luther King Festival! Please help us continue to reach out to the community by volunteering for the events listed below.
Voter Outreach at Phoenix Rainbow Festival (Heritage Square Park) Saturday/Sunday, Mar 23/24, 10 am - 6 pm. We need a closing Captain for Saturday, and one opening Captain for Sunday, plus we need more volunteers for Saturday and Sunday morning and afternoon shifts. RainbowFestivalVolunteerLink This is also a great FREE family event, with lots of opportunities for community interaction.
Voter Outreach at Celebrate Mesa Spring 2024 Festival (Pioneer Park, 526 E. Main St. Mesa) on Saturday, Apr 13, 9 am - 2 pm. We need one more Co-Captain for mid-day, plus a couple more volunteers Please click here to volunteer: CelebrateMesaVolunteerLink Another FREE family event, with lots of music and fun activities for all ages!
Join the Voter Services meeting on Tuesday, Mar 26, 4:30-5:30 pm. We will have some representatives from the League criminal justice team to provide information and answer questions on the felony restoration process and there will be a review on voter registration basics. All are welcome, please register: Voter Services Mar 26 MTG registration link
At our April 16 Voter Services meeting, a representative from VOTERIDERS will be there to provide information on what their organization does and how it can assist voters and future voters who need assistance with their identification in Arizona, as well as ways we can maximize their assistance. Link to register for meeting: Voter Services Apr 16 MTG registration link
If you are a trained Maricopa County Deputy Registrar we also have a dedicated League member day to support voter registration for the Friday May 31 Naturalization Ceremony at the Sandra Day O’Connor CourtHouse (401 W. Washington St, Phoenix). We still have two positions for the morning ceremony and four in the afternoon. NaturalizationCeremonyVolunteerLink | |
LWVAZ Launches Text-A-Thons
Arizona’s Presidential Preference Election is approaching on March 19. The League is partnering with the Leadership Conference, Public Citizen, and Declaration for American Democracy (DFAD) for a national text-a-thon to encourage Arizona voters to make their voices heard at the ballot box. Your Voice, Your Vote!
We are connecting with women voters ages 18-45 from both parties participating in this election. To join our text banking, go to the Google or Apple store and download the League in Action app to your phone by following the steps in these slides. Download and use League in Action Instructions.
If you used Outreach Circle in the past, you can log in with your existing credentials. It is easy to set up an account if you do not have one.
If you have joined our text banks before, you know how easy and fun it is. Our goal? Text at least 20,000 voters every day until March 19th.
Sign up here to volunteer for our Text-a-Thon. If you have texted before you can start as soon as a list becomes available for you to take action. Each day, we can send out 20,000 texts. The goal is to send out at least 150,000 texts during the text-a-thon.
If you're new to this effort, you may wish to join the special event on Thursday, March 14, at 6 pm ET. RSVP here. You will have support from other league members who will help you get started. This is just the beginning! We’ve got more text-a-thons lined up through the 2024 elections. Join the team, and let’s Get Out The Vote together.
GET THOSE PETITIONS SIGNED - Signature Slam Text-A-Thon.
We are connecting with women ages 18-45 to mobilize their support to sign the Arizona for Abortion Access petitions.
To join our text banking, go to the Google or Apple store and download the League in Action app to your phone by following the steps in these slides. Download and use League in Action Instructions.
If you used Outreach Circle in the past, you can log in with your existing credentials. It is easy to set up an account if you do not have one.
If you have joined our text banks before, you know how easy and fun it is. Our goal? To reach at least 250,000 women, we will need volunteers for each day of texting. Each month we will be hosting dates for texting.
TEXTING BEGINS MARCH 18TH. Sign up here to volunteer . You will receive instructions once you register. | |
Protect Women’s Rights to Reproductive Choices
Let's rally together and ensure that the “Arizona Abortion Access Act” initiative makes it onto the November 2024 ballot. We need everyone's support to make it happen!
The “Arizona Abortion Access Act” would enshrine the fundamental right to abortion in Arizona’s constitution. If passed, this measure would ensure freedom for a person to make their own decision on abortion. This is a deeply personal decision that most Arizonans believe should be made without interference from the government.
Arizona for Abortion Access Website
Petition I-05-2024 Arizona Abortion Access Act
Please sign the petition and consider becoming a signature gatherer for the “Arizona for Abortion Access” (AAA) campaign to help get reproductive rights on the ballot next November. We have petitions, clipboards, instructions, and training to get anyone ready to help us reach our first League goal of 10,000 signatures. With your help, we can help the campaign reach its 350,000+ signature threshold and get closer to enshrining abortion access in Arizona’s constitution.
If you haven't already, please sign up to collect signatures or volunteer to be a HUB or a Depot (descriptions are within the form). If you are already collecting signatures for the League but have not previously signed up, please do so now so we can keep you updated.
Find out where to sign a petition: Petitions near me - mobilize site, Volunteer Opportunities, Events,
Volunteer for our texting campaign to reach 250,000 women voters ages 18-45 to sign the petition. TEXTING BEGINS MARCH 18TH. Sign up here to volunteer. You will receive instructions once you register. |
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League of Women Voters of Arizona is a member and partner with Election Protection Arizona Coalition. Please join Election Protection Arizona for the 2024 Election Season! Election Protection Arizona (EPAZ) helps at all stages of voting, from registration to voting at the polls on election day. Join us in helping voters overcome any barrier from getting the right voter ID to voting from jail! Sign up to be an EPAZ volunteer at Election Protection! We need volunteers for the March 19th Presidential Preference Election. About Election Protection (EP): Election Protection (EP) is a national non-partisan coalition with 300+ local, state, and national organizations. More information about EP can be found here. |
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Democracy Truth Podcast
Democracy Truth: A Podcast Journey with the League of Women Voters of Arizona
Launched by the League of Women Voters of Arizona (LWVAZ) with support from a grant from the League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS), the "Democracy Truth" initiative aims to dispel mis- and disinformation about Arizona's election processes. The project utilizes podcasts to reach a broader and more diverse audience by providing accurate information about the election system. This endeavor has been both a learning and collaborative experience.
The initiative, led by Janet Kerby and Cindy Walsh, began with a call for volunteers within the LWVAZ community. Jan Felton, Suzanne Miller, April Lewis, and Gitelle Seer signed up. We welcome additional volunteers from all local leagues to join us in this important (and fun) project. Our fantastic team includes Gautam Sheoran, who plays a crucial role behind the scenes, turning recorded audio into engaging podcasts, Emra Muslim, advocacy intern, and former intern Brigid Fitzgerald. Our interns bring new perspectives and vitality to the team. Emra tackles various tasks necessary for podcast production, including research, voice talent, scriptwriting, editing, and rehearsing.
Developing a unique voice for the podcast required patience, trial and error, and a readiness to adapt. The team created templates and refined their methods to make the content informative and accessible. The success of this approach owes much to the team members who possess exceptional speaking abilities and bring the scripts to life with their vocal talents.
So far, "Democracy Truth" has released three episodes: "Decoding Arizona's Voter Registration Process", "Casting a Vote My Way: Tips for Arizona Independents on Voting Procedures,” and "Skip the Line: Your Guide to Early Voting," The team is currently working on additional podcasts to dispel myths and misinformation about the voting and election processes.
The project's journey is ongoing, with the primary challenge being to reach listeners statewide. This initiative is more than just about producing podcasts; it reflects the collective effort, the significance of civic education, and a steadfast commitment to democracy's principles. Our podcasts are available on YouTube and Spotify https://linktr.ee/lwvazpodcasts. We invite everyone to spread the word, one listener at a time. | |
2024 State Council and LWVUS National Convention Registration
As a grassroots organization, the League ensures its members have a voice in decision-making at all levels. Members participate in electing board members and officers, shaping policy positions, approving budgets and bylaws, and providing direction for future plans. Delegates play a crucial role in representing LWVMP at state and national conventions and councils. Each local league is allocated delegate slots based on its membership count as of January 31st each year. Delegates wield voting power on budgets, officer elections, bylaw amendments, and policy directions of LWVAZ and LWVUS.
2024 State Council - May 17-18. Tucson, Arizona. More details to follow. Registration for the Council opens at the end of March. Please watch for notices on the LWVMP website. LWV of Metro Phoenix is allocated 16 delegates to attend the 2024 state council.
The 2024 National Convention will take place June 27 through June 30 in Washington DC and online. LWV of Metro Phoenix can send 8 delegates to the National Convention. Registration is now open for observers and delegates. Delegates must be approved by the MP Board. Click here to read more about League Conventions and Councils.
The LWVMP Board will select the delegates to send to the council and convention.
Please Complete the application to attend as a delegate. The application submission deadline is April 1, 2024. | |
Vote411 - Join the Team!
Do you want to help frame the conversation with candidates running in the 2024 elections? Are you frustrated by the lack of understandable, unbiased descriptions of arguments for and against ballot measures? Are you concerned about the attempts to turn school boards into ideological battlegrounds?
The LWVAZ needs your help to ensure that Vote411, the League’s digital voter education guide, covers all the information Arizona voters need to make informed decisions about voting in 2024, including the critical but often overlooked down-ballot races.
There are various ways to contribute depending on your interests and time availability. Please complete this short FORM to join the team.
Team members needed to:
Write questions for candidates in state and local races to determine their positions on important issues
Research and write descriptions of the elected offices and how they impact Arizonans
Write ballot measure descriptions and the arguments for and against
Translate the questions and other content into Spanish
Timeline:
Intro to the project, training, and guidelines - ongoing
July 30 Primaries - April 30 deadline for candidate questions
November 5 General Election - TBA deadlines for ballot measure content and additional candidate questions
Your assistance in writing content for Vote411 is critical to the League's ability to provide timely, accurate, and nonpartisan election information. If you have any questions, please contact lwvazadvocacy@gmail.com. Thank you, and we look forward to working with you this coming year. | |
2024 Legislative Week and Lobby Day
Leading up to the annual Lobby Day at the Arizona Capitol, we had four virtual “Lunch and Learn” programs featuring topics revolving around ‘Protecting Elections and Saving Democracy.” If you missed any of these informative sessions, you can still view the recordings:
Initiatives, Referendums, Propositions: how do they get on your ballot? View recording
Will the Electoral Count Reform Act Shake up Arizona Election Certification? View Recording
Can Legislation Prevent the Impact of AI Deep Fakes on Elections? View Recording
What’s Going on Inside the Legislature? View Recording
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February 23 - Legislative Lobby day at the Capitol
Members from all five local leagues met at the State Capitol to hear guest speakers and to attend proceedings at the House and Senate Chambers. Presenters during the morning program were:
Adrian Fontes, Secretary of State
Jessica Jones Capparell, Director of Government Affairs, LWVUS
Senator Mitzi Epstein, Minority Leader
The legislature is not in session on Fridays, so our members were not able to sit in on hearings or floor debates. LWV volunteers distributed folders of League information, including our 2024 legislative priorities, to all open legislative offices; the remainder were mailed | LWV METRO PHOENIX BOARD OF DIRECTORS | LWV Metro Phoenix Board of Directors
Officers
President and LWVAZ State Board President Elect: Pinny Sheoran
President Elect: Marcia Barry
Secretary: Vacant
Treasurer, Finance and Development Committee Chair: Barbara Cricket Mitchell
Board of Directors
Advocacy Committee Chair: Leslie Hanson
Budget Committee Chair: Marcia Barry
Bylaws Committee Co-chairs: Jean Conway and Gitelle Seer
Communications Committee Chair: Connie Cornelius
Forums Committee Chair: Cindy Walsh
League Representative to State Board: Gitelle Seer
Membership Committee Chair: Alexis Lane
Nominations Committee Chair: Jean Conway
Voter Services Chair: Gretchen Bolerjack
Contact us at InfoLWVMP@gmail.com | I hope you have enjoyed reading this issue of Members Matter! As always, please feel free to reach out to me personally to share your feedback and League experiences. You can email me at infolwvmp@gmail.com or call 480.540.4934.
In League Service,
Pinny Sheoran, LWVMP President | | | |
LWV Metro Phoenix, 3219 E Camelback Road, #187, Phoenix, AZ 86018 | 858.220.0655
Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved | |