As of the Annual Meeting held on the evening of May 2nd, I became your new President of LWVBC. My predecessor, Shari Frank, has served for a number of years with strength and tenacity and her shoes will be impossible to fill. I am grateful to her for all that I have been able to learn under her leadership and heartened to have her continue in her commitment to leadership in the most important part of our mission – Voter Services.

Today I would like to remind you of a few of the principles that are the foundation of the League of Women Voters and that I hope to keep at the forefront of our activities as we move forward.

First of all, we are a non-partisan organization, but that does not mean that we do not take positions. “Non-partisan” means not aligned with or supporting a particular political party. A non-partisan person, group or activity tries to remain neutral and independent rather than favoring Democrats, Republicans or any other political party. But individuals who may disagree with a position the League takes may try to label us as partisan to deter individuals from joining the conversations the League tries to promote. Even if your personal positions on a topic do not align totally with a position the League has taken, the important part is the engagement in the conversation. Please join us to make sure a variety of opinions may be included.

Secondly, please remember that our primary goal is to promote American constitutional democracy. There are 10 fundamental ideas that define American democracy:
1. Government derives its power from the people
2. Limited government
3. Separation of powers
4. Checks and balances
5. Federalism
6. Protection of individual rights
7. Rule of law
8. Representative democracy rather than direct democracy
9. Amendment and adaptability
10. Majority rule with minority rights
 
I hope I am not insulting your intelligence by listing these fundamental ideas. I do it because I need reminding of these principles on a regular basis because we are in a time and place where we NEED to be reminded, lest those fundamental rights get lost in the political fray.

I look to many different sources of information in an effort to get the broadest perspective possible on what is going on around me and how I can work effectively to promote democracy for now and for my children and granddaughter’s future. I encourage all of you reading this newsletter to do the same and share articles or ideas that you believe reinforce your commitment to preserving democracy at the local, state and federal level. Staying informed and involved is the secret to preserving democracy. Thank you for all you are doing to be involved in that effort.

We're looking for volunteers to help staff our table during the county fair. This is a wonderful opportunity to increase the League’s visibility, connect with community members, and share information about our mission in a welcoming and fun environment.

One of the best parts of volunteering at the fair is interacting with families and kids — conversations are often lively, meaningful, and full of community spirit. Whether someone stops by to ask questions, learn more about voting and civic engagement, or simply say hello, every interaction helps strengthen our presence and impact in the community.

Volunteer responsibilities are minimal and easy to manage, primarily helping greet visitors and keeping track of any donations received at the table. No special experience is needed — just a friendly face and enthusiasm for community engagement! We've cancelled our June 8th board meeting to ensure maximum participation from our members and hope to see many of you there.

Join us for this fun and rewarding opportunity to represent the League at one of the community’s favorite summer events. Click this link to sign up for a two-hour shift during Fair Week, June 9th - 12th.

When I started writing this, I really had no intention of going on this long. But I hadn’t talked much about DEI lately and did not want this important initiative to fade into the place of things we don’t think about or talk about. Find your own ways to polish up your DEI lens and please share your experiences with the rest of us.

Congress continues to introduce bills that would require voters to present documentary proof of citizenship (DPOC) to register and/or vote, including the SAVE America Act, the Safeguard Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE Act), and the Make Elections Great Again Act (MEGA).

The SAVE Act would create one more barrier to the voting process, as many eligible voters do not have easy access to the necessary documents. 

Tell Congress to reject anti-voter policies