Dear ~~first_name~~ ~~last_name~~,

August gives us an opportunity to reflect on two historic milestones in the ongoing fight for voting rights: the 61st anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the 106th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment.

These anniversaries are worth celebrating—but they are also reminders that voting rights have never been something that we can take for granted.

The Voting Rights Act was one of the most important pieces of civil rights legislation in our nation’s history. Yet in recent years, the Supreme Court has significantly weakened the protections of the Act, including decisions that gutted key provisions designed to prevent discriminatory voting practices before they take effect. Those decisions have emboldened efforts across the country to make voting more difficult and have made the work of protecting access to the ballot even more important.

And that is exactly why the League of Women Voters must remain strong.

Our founders understood that democracy requires citizens who are willing to stand up, speak out, educate their communities, and—when necessary—fight to protect the right to vote. More than a century later, that responsibility is still ours.

This month, as we honor the women and generations of Americans who fought for voting rights, let's remember that rights secured can be rights threatened—and democracy protected is democracy practiced.

One of the most immediate ways we can strengthen our democracy is by serving as poll workers. Elections depend on trained, dedicated citizens who help ensure that every eligible voter can cast their ballot safely, fairly, and with confidence. If you have served as a poll worker before, consider doing it again. If you haven't, this may be the year to step forward.

There is also a role for every League member beyond Election Day. We can register and educate voters, engage our communities, advocate for fair voting policies, recruit others to join us, and make sure that the League's voice remains strong when voting rights are challenged.

The history we celebrate this month was not created by people who waited for someone else to protect democracy. It was created by people who showed up.

So let's show up.

Let's honor the legacy of the 19th Amendment and the Voting Rights Act by doing the work they made possible—and by continuing the work they did not finish.

The challenges to voting rights are real. So is the power of an engaged, determined League.

Thank you for standing with me, and with the League of Women Voters Metro Phoenix, as we continue to defend democracy, empower voters, and fight for a future in which every eligible voter can participate fully in our democracy.

With gratitude and determination,

Kara Pelletier
President (Interim)
League of Women Voters Metro Phoenix

Save the Date

Click on the Event Calendar to view upcoming events

Event Calendar
Note that some of the events are for members only, requiring login.

Your Voice, Your Action, Your Democracy

The League of Women Voters of Metro Phoenix has a busy fall ahead! From community festivals and youth events to speaking opportunities, there are many ways for members to represent the League, connect with our community, and help promote the importance of civic engagement and voting.

Volunteer Opportunities! 

Mark your calendars and watch for more information about how you can volunteer!

August 29 — Sounds of Suffrage

Heritage & Science Park | Downtown Phoenix
Tabling Event

Join us as we commemorate the history of the women’s suffrage movement and celebrate the ongoing work to ensure every eligible voter can participate in our democracy. League members will be on hand to share information and connect with the community.

September 22–23 — Tolleson Union High School District Commitment Day

State Farm Stadium | Glendale
Tabling Event

The Tolleson Union High School District is hosting its 3rd Annual Commitment Day at State Farm Stadium. This exciting event brings together high school students as they celebrate their plans for life after graduation. The League will be there to engage with young people and encourage civic participation and voter engagement.

October 11 — Pride Festival

Arizona Center | Downtown Phoenix
Tabling Event

Celebrate community, connection, and civic engagement with the League at the Pride Festival. Stop by our table, meet fellow League members, and help us connect with members of the community about the importance of voting and participating in our democracy.

October 13–14 — PXU Future Fair

9:00 AM–3:00 PM each day
College Depot at Burton Barr Library
Phoenix Union High School District | Tabling Event

The PXU Future Fair is an excellent opportunity to connect with high school students as they explore their futures. League members will be there to talk with young people about civic participation, voting, and the role they can play in their communities.

October 24 — Día de los Muertos Festival

Arizona Center | Downtown Phoenix
Tabling Event

Join the League at this vibrant community celebration. Our table will provide an opportunity to meet festival attendees, share information about the League, and encourage civic engagement and participation.

November 18 — Kids Voting Arizona Leadership Council

10:45–11:15 AM | Zoom Presentation

LWV Metro Phoenix has been invited to speak with students about why voting matters to 18-year-olds. The 30-minute virtual presentation will include time for students to ask questions.

This is another great opportunity for newer League members to get involved in the community, particularly those interested in youth outreach and voter education.

There’s a Place for Everyone!

Send your interest email now to infolwvmp@gmail.com so we can start organizing members for these upcoming events.

Volunteer sign-up links will also be available soon on the LWV Metro Phoenix website: Home - League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Phoenix  (you must sign in to see and register for any League events)

Keep these dates on your calendar, watch for additional details, and join us in bringing the League’s message of civic engagement and voter participation into our community!

We need your help - Defend Democracy: Be the Eyes and Ears of Your Community!

The MP Observer Corps needs you - all members are encouraged to join the Observer Corps. Join our vital team of volunteers who attend local government meetings. By acting as our eyes and ears, you'll help ensure transparency and accountability, reporting on decisions that shape our community. These nonpartisan reports empower everyone to make informed voting decisions.
Just a few hours a month can make a huge difference. No experience is needed; we provide training, and it's a fantastic way to learn about issues directly affecting you.
Ready to get involved? Email AdvocacyLWVMP@gmail.com to learn more and chat with an Observer Corps Team member!

Thank You for Making Democracy Work

We want to say thank you for your continued support of the League of Women Voters of Metro Phoenix. Your membership helps make democracy work at a time when protecting voting rights is more critical than ever.

Your dues directly support voter education, advocacy, and nonpartisan election protection efforts in our community. Because of you, the League remains a trusted voice fighting for fair elections and an inclusive democracy.

Help Us Grow the Movement

Local action is where real change happens, and we invite you to help us grow our impact by encouraging your networks, family, and friends to join LWVMP. Membership starts at just $20 per year, making it easy for anyone who believes in voting rights and civic engagement to get involved.

To learn more about the League and help spread the word, you can share this resource:
👉 Learn more about the League here

Get Involved: Membership Committee

Want to be part of this critical work? The Membership Committee plays a vital role in retaining and expanding our membership. Without our members, our work simply could not happen. If you’re interested in helping build the League’s future or want to learn more, please email membershiplwvmp@gmail.com.

Thank you for standing with us and helping strengthen democracy — together, we make change happen.

Ambassador Corps

Youth Ambassador Corps Launching in September
LWV Metro Phoenix is thrilled to announce that applications are now open for the Ambassador Corps!
This new program gives young people a real voice in shaping their communities and democracy—while building leadership skills, gaining hands-on experience, and making real change.
If you know someone 16–29 who’s interested in government, political science, or passionate about issues like college costs, health care, criminal justice, the environment, or voting rights - connect them to us. The Ambassador Corps at LWVMP will channel their energy into an effective program with tangible results.
We’ll provide the structure, mentorship, community service opportunities, and leadership training. They’ll bring the passion. Together, we’ll prepare the next generation to lead—and protect our democracy.

Arizona State Ballot Propositions: Help Voters Understand the Real Impact 

All members are encouraged to join the ongoing effort to analyze ballot propositions for voter education through channels such as VOTE411, printed collateral, and community presentations.  Members work in teams and build on the work already done. We need researchers, writers, fact-checkers, and proofreaders. Anyone interested in crafting explanations accessible to all voters is encouraged to join. Guidelines, examples, and practical tips will be shared with everyone who signs up.  The final content will be reviewed by the LWVAZ Advocacy leads to ensure that the coverage is consistent, neutral, and uses nonpartisan language. 

Please complete this form by August 22. 

LWVAZ Ballot Proposition Volunteer Form 2026

The Voting Rights Act at 61: Why It Still Matters Today

On August 6, Americans mark the anniversary of one of the most significant civil rights laws in our nation's history—the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

The Act transformed voting in America by prohibiting racial discrimination in elections, eliminating literacy tests, expanding language assistance for voters, and strengthening federal enforcement of voting rights. For Arizona, the law has been especially important because of its protections for Native American and Latino communities.

While the Voting Rights Act remains in effect today, several Supreme Court decisions have changed how some of its protections operate, making it more important than ever for voters to understand both the law's history and its continuing role in protecting access to the ballot.

To learn more, read the attached LWVAZ educational handout, "The Voting Rights Act of 1965: Then and Now," which explains the history of the Act, its impact in Arizona, and how its protections have evolved over time.

Download an easy to read summary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965: Then and Now  

Voices from Arizona: Listening, Learning, and Elevating
Community Voices

On August 8, the League of Women Voters of Arizona (LWVAZ) brought together League members, community leaders, organizers, and members of Arizona’s Latino and Native communities for Voices from Arizona Listening Circles, a statewide event commemorating the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and elevating the lived experiences of voters in communities that continue to encounter barriers to full civic participation.

More than 70 people gathered at the Phoenix Anchor Site at the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center. The League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Phoenix served as the local host League for the Anchor Site, helping welcome participants and support the event. Serving as Mistress of Ceremonies was Betsy Boggia, President Emerita of the League of Women Voters of Southern Arizona. Betsy guided participants through the day’s program, introducing the Listening Circles, facilitators, and speakers and helping connect the different elements of the statewide event. Kara Pelletier, President of LWV of Metropolitan Phoenix, opened the gathering with a warm welcome to the storytellers, facilitators, community partners, League members, and guests who had come together for the day.

To extend the conversation beyond Phoenix, two additional LWVAZ local Leagues organized satellite gatherings. The League of Women Voters of Northwest Maricopa County hosted a satellite site in Surprise, and the League of Women Voters of Southern Arizona hosted a satellite site in Tucson. More than 40 people participated through the two satellite gatherings, while hundreds more connected through the statewide YouTube livestream.

A Different Kind of Conversation

Voices from Arizona was intentionally designed not as a conference or traditional panel discussion, but as a series of community Listening Circles.

The Phoenix Anchor Site hosted two distinct conversations during the day—Latino Voices and Native Voices. Each was built around a Central Circle of invited storytellers, including community members, organizers, advocates, and leaders who could speak from their own lived experiences and from their work within their communities.

Surrounding the Central Circle were community members who came not simply as an audience, but as community listeners. Their role was to hear the stories and experiences being shared, reflect on what they were hearing, and then become part of the conversation themselves.

Facilitators guided the Central Circle through conversations about:

• How barriers to voting and civic participation have changed across generations

• Voter registration, identification, and documentation

• Access to the ballot and the practical experience of casting a vote

• Transportation, geography, language, trusted election information, and other barriers

• Community-driven solutions for strengthening voting rights and civic participation

Following the Central Circle discussions, the conversation expanded to include the community listeners. Through the statewide production, attendees gathered at the satellite sites in Surprise and Tucson could also contribute questions, comments, and experiences during the audience participation portions of the program. The goal was to connect communities across Arizona into a broader statewide conversation rather than limit the discussion to those able to travel to Phoenix.

Hearing What We May Not Otherwise Hear

The Listening Circle format allowed the conversation to go beyond policies and statistics and focus on what voting barriers actually look like in people's lives.

Attendees reflected on how valuable it was to hear firsthand about the very different voting experiences and barriers faced by Latino and Native communities.

For many, the Native Voices conversation provided a deeper understanding of the complexities Tribal voters can encounter, including navigating parallel state and Tribal elections with different rules, timelines, and locations; challenges involving physical and nontraditional addresses; transportation and distance; and other barriers to registering and casting a ballot.

Participants also observed that while Latino and Native communities experience distinct challenges related to documentation, access, trusted information, and the voting process itself, both conversations pointed to a common need: communities most directly affected by voting policies need greater representation and a stronger voice in shaping those policies.

One particularly thought-provoking question raised during the Native Voices conversation was: Why did it take until the last election cycle for an Arizona governor to visit all 22 Tribes?

The question underscored a larger theme that emerged from the day: Tribal communities should not be an afterthought during election season. Their voices, experiences, and leadership need to be part of Arizona’s ongoing conversations about voting, civic participation, and the policies that affect their communities.

Attendees also came away encouraged by the energy and commitment of storytellers in both Listening Circles to strengthen civic engagement within their communities.

From Barriers to Solutions

Importantly, the Listening Circles did not end with a discussion of barriers. Each conversation concluded by asking participants to look forward: What is already working within their communities? What needs to change? What resources and investments would make a difference? And who needs to be at the table when solutions are developed?

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes also joined the gathering and spoke about the successes and continuing challenges of election administration in Arizona.

The conversations reinforced something fundamental to the League's work: we cannot fully understand barriers to voting solely through legislation, data, reports, or policy discussions. We also have to be in community and listen to the people experiencing those barriers.

That means building relationships, creating spaces where people can tell their own stories in their own voices, and then carrying what we learn into our voter education, civic engagement, and advocacy.

Every League Member Can Listen

The conversations did not end on August 8. The edited Latino Voices and Native Voices Listening Circle recordings are now available, giving every League member an opportunity to hear directly from the storytellers and experience these remarkable conversations for themselves. The August 8 conversations were not an endpoint. They give LWVAZ and our local Leagues a stronger foundation for continuing to protect voting rights, improve access to the ballot, strengthen civic participation, and elevate voices that too often have been left out of decisions affecting their communities.
 Latino Voices Listening Circle

Facilitated by Maritza L. Félix, award-winning journalist and founder and director of Conecta Arizona, a Spanish-language news service connecting communities in Arizona and Sonora; and Elvia Díaz, longtime Arizona journalist, former editorial page editor of The Arizona Republic, and founder of NOTAS, where she provides independent analysis of Arizona and Southwest issues.
Watch Latino Voices: https://youtu.be/rqP9H6tla0c
 Native Voices Listening Circle

Facilitated by Natalia Sells (Diné), Arizona Senior Campaign Manager with All Voting is Local, where her work focuses on Native voter access and county-level advocacy; and Shenise Arthur of the Phoenix Indian Center, who brings experience in community engagement, communications, and work supporting Indigenous communities. 

Watch Native Voices: https://youtu.be/9fHz-RwLL7c

We encourage every League member to watch one or both conversations. Listen to the storytellers themselves—the experiences they chose to share, the barriers they described, and the solutions they believe their communities need.

Then help us amplify these voices. Share the recordings with friends, family, community organizations, and your own networks. Being present in community means more than inviting people into League spaces. It means listening, building relationships, elevating the voices of the communities we serve, and allowing what we hear to inform what we do next.

Being in community begins with listening.
What we do with what we hear is the next step.

Invest in Democracy: Support the League

At the League of Women Voters, we know democracy doesn’t defend itself—it takes people, passion, and resources. Every voter registration table, candidate forum, youth program, and advocacy effort is powered by members and supporters like you.
This year, LWV Metro Phoenix is expanding our reach like never before. We’re mentoring the next generation through the new Ambassador Corps, engaging thousands of students at community events, and showing up in force for National Voter Registration Day and National Voter Education Week. These efforts matter—and they depend on your support.
When you give to the League, you’re making a direct investment in protecting voting rights, empowering young leaders, and ensuring every voice is heard at the ballot box.
Here’s how you can help today:
Make a one-time or monthly donation online.
Ask your employer about matching gifts.
Honor a friend or loved one with a gift in their name.
Together, we can keep democracy strong in Metro Phoenix and beyond. Thank you for standing with us.