By Joanne M. Lisosky, Election Credibility Committee

As the school years ends, so will this year’s LWVWA Student Video Contest, which deadlines June 15. This contest was a pilot project hosted by the LWVWA Election Credibility Committee (ECC). The ECC works to combat the rise in election misinformation and mistrust of the election process by developing educational materials used by both the League and our voter education partners.

The ECC began its work on this project several years ago. The Student Video Contest was then given the go ahead to run the pilot project this year… one year before the general election. The project offers high school students the opportunity to create short videos that focus on the three pillars of the Committee’s work: Right to Vote & Voter Registration; Security of Ballots in Washington; and Washington’s Mail-in Ballot System. The best videos will be viewed on social media, various voting websites and perhaps even television. And the winning student producers will receive prize money.

The Committee received seven applications. “We were told not to expect too much the first year,” Linnea Hirst, ECC Committee Chair, said. “We only promoted this fully in three counties so we are pleased with the turnout.”

The judging of the student videos will take place over the summer with winners announced in September. Judges will be asked to review the videos for content and technical excellence. Judges include: Dee Anne Finken, co-chair of the League’s Local Journalism study; Derek Nunn, Tacoma-area film and video producer; and Christopher Schwalm, Youth Media Producer for PBS NewsHour. A special guest judge is being recruited, but that’s a secret for now.

We will announce the winners in September—stay tuned!

The LWVWA Research Committee, in collaboration with Washington State University, is completing a multi-year assessment of how well LWVWA is meeting its strategic goals. This assessment is based upon the views of its members and its external groups. This is the first of several articles that will summarize these findings and pose questions about the implications to League operations.

The findings are grouped into five categories: Recruitment, Retention and Participation, Community Impacts, Awareness of League and its Activities, and Legislative and Regulatory Impact. These articles are written to stimulate discussion at the local and state League level about using these results to strengthen League goals regarding impact, membership and capacity. They are not intended to be prescriptive nor directive—only thought-provoking.

Recruitment

Membership profile:

• 92% of members have a Bachelor’s or higher degree
• 77% members joined the League between the ages of 41-80 (18% joined between 26-40 years old)
• 2% of members are under 26 years of age
• 2% of members are male
• 74% of members were not born in Washington.

Being a welcoming, diverse organization is a goal of the League. There are almost 30 types of diversity identified in the League's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policy. What does diversity mean in your League and what are ways to address implementing the DEI policy? What is the effect of the current demographics on the League’s effectiveness in accomplishing its democracy mission? (Note: “Valuing diversity means recognizing differences among people, acknowledging that these differences are a valued asset, and striving for diverse representation as a critical step toward equity” from the Conscious Style Guide .)

Reasons to join the League:

Members joined to

• carry out a civic responsibility
• to be part of work empowering voters and defending democracy.
• because they value democratic principles, protecting voting rights, educating voters and conducting activities in a non-partisan way.

How can the League build on these values to attract more members who share them? What guardrails need to be reinforced to maintain the non-partisanship reputation of the League? What activities does the League need to be particularly vigilant about to maintain its non-partisanship values? Do the League adequately communicate the League values to attract new members?

Timing of joining League:

Members joined

• due to an invitation from a friend or through a League event
• because of a general interest in politics or a particular issue
• because of a specific political issue or election
• because of a life changing event, such as retirement when they were looking to meet new members and engage in meaningful work after moving into the state.

How can Leagues expand the one-to-one connection that attracts new members to events? Where are there opportunities to connect with new residents, particularly those who have recently retired? How do we channel new members’ enthusiasm with issue-specific interests without exceeding League capabilities nor diverting or diluting the League’s focus?

The League of Women Voters of Washington’s new position of support for conditions under which local journalism can survive and thrive will be part of the discussion at two Puget Sound-area events this summer.

Additionally, the 133-page study, “The Decline of Local News and Its Impact on Democracy,” is now available for sale as a paperback from Amazon  for $9.52, as well as a free download from the LWVWA website.

Delores Irwin, who co-chaired the LWVWA’s two-year local news study, will discuss the report as well as moderate a “Saving Journalism, Saving Our Democracy” panel at Town Hall Seattle on Wednesday, June 21. On Wednesday, Aug. 23, Dee Anne Finken, the study’s other co-chair, will present at the Gig Harbor Now Leadership Circle Event, a “friend-raiser” for the nonprofit local newspaper.

The June event, hosted by Town Hall Seattle and The South Seattle Emerald, will feature Seattle Times publisher Frank Blethen, KNKX news director Florangela Davila and Michael McPhearson, executive director of The Emerald. The panelists will discuss various funding proposals for assisting local newspapers, including the Democracy Policy Network’s “Local News Dollars” voucher program. Blethen, from the Seattle Times, has long been a proponent of legislation to ease the challenges facing news operations.

The in-person event will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Wyncote NW Forum, 1119 Eighth Ave., Seattle. Tickets are $5-$20. 

The LWVWA study reported that Washington has experienced negative effects similar to those that have been identified throughout the country as a result of the local newspaper decline.

The loss of 20 weekly newspapers and three dailies, along with significant staffing and coverage reductions, have contributed to reduced voter participation, fewer candidates for local public office, challenges to public health campaigns, increased political partisanship, less community involvement, and increased costs in government, according to the study.

Among the efforts the study considers to combat the challenges is the rise of nonprofit news operations, like Gig Harbor Now. That publication was launched in the wake of the 2018 Gannett Co.-owned Gig Harbor Life closure and reductions in coverage by the Peninsula Gateway, purchased by a hedge fund.

Also speaking at the Gig Harbor event, which will be at the Russell Family Foundation office, will be Sen. Karen Keiser (D-33rd legislative district), who was instrumental in securing $2.4 million in state funding to establish a public-interest journalism fellowship at Washington State University.

The state League position, which membership confirmed at the May convention, reflected an understanding that a viable free press is critical to democracy. The position states: “The League of Women Voters of Washington believes it is the responsibility of the government to provide support for conditions under which credible local journalism can survive and thrive.”

The position also notes League’s support for efforts to ensure voters have access to information to cast an informed ballot and that credible local news sources are integral to this pursuit.

Participate in the New LWVWA Study of Caregiving in Washington State: What exists and what is needed to support seniors and other vulnerable adults and their caregivers? 

This newly approved study responds to recent media headlines and the experiences of League members who have faced nearly insurmountable challenges caring for elderly parents and other family members. With an aging population, an increased proportion of Washingtonians need long-term care. This care falls disproportionately on family caregivers who provide the bulk of care for vulnerable adults. When care outside the home becomes necessary, it relies on low-paid women caregivers (often women of color) and is limited, of variable quality, and extremely costly. 

We are looking for League members from across the state who are concerned about this issue and want to study it in an accurate, balanced, and credited manner, hopefully leading to consensus and positions that support League advocacy efforts. This summer, study committee members will refine the scope of the study and establish a work plan and timeline for state Board review and approval. Please contact Karen Tvedt at tvedtkl@msn.com if you are interested in serving on the study committee or have questions about the study. 

Calling for Volunteers: Education Project
What Are Multi-Member Districts and How Do They Work?

Voters and legislators across the country are changing voting methods, and the subject of multi-member districts is perhaps least understood of the options.

Previously, the Washington State League has produced the following study and review of election methods:

• An Evaluation of Major Election Methods, 2000 
• A Review of Major Elections Methods, 2020

Now we’re ready to educate League members across the state about current implementation of multi-member districts, such as the uses in the Albany, CA, town council; the Cambridge, MA, town council; the Portland, OR, city council (in progress); and the Washington State House of Representatives.

In 1967, during the Civil Rights Era, Congress passed a law forbidding multi-member districts because they could be used to deny representation to minorities. Recently, jurisdictions have adopted multi-member districts to expressly give representation to minorities.  How does this work? What has changed? We’ll use League guidelines to plan an accurate, balanced, and credited project.

If this interests you, please contact Kit Muehlman, kit.travis@yahoo.com. We are looking for volunteers to contribute to the education project, as well as volunteers who are willing to be liaisons to their local Leagues.

The Study on Immigration and Immigrant Integration in WA addresses an important aspect of immigration policy—that is, what happens to immigrants after they come to the United States. More than 1.1 million people, accounting for 15 percent of Washington State residents, are immigrants while another 14 percent is a native-born U.S. citizen with at least one immigrant parent. Most immigrants in the state have legal status in this country but a significant minority (about 25%) are without authorization to reside or work in this country. Almost half of immigrants in Washington are naturalized citizens. Most of the remainder are legal permanent residents, who are eligible to naturalize after 3 or 5 years, depending on the category in which they were admitted to the country. Most immigrants are the relatives of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents already in the country. A smaller number are employees sponsored by U.S. businesses and persons admitted as refugees or for other humanitarian reasons. Immigrants are a disproportionate share of both high wage and low wage employment sectors: In Washington, they represent 42 percent of agricultural workers as well as 23 percent of professional services. Net migration accounted for 86% of the state’s population growth in 2022.

The Study provides an opportunity to delve more deeply into legislative options at the state level for enhancing the lives of immigrants and the role the League could be playing in ensuring immigrants have pathways to economic, social, and civic integration into the communities in which they live. Individual Leagues already undertake actions, such as registering people at naturalization services or supporting English language classes, that can have profound effects on newcomers. The study will also allow LWVWA to assess systematically the extent to which current WA state legislation, such as the 2019 Keep Washington Working (KWW) Act, is fulfilling the legislative intent to protect immigrants living in the state.

The expected length of time needed for completion of the study is 18-24 months. Possible sources of information include: census data on immigrants in WA; analysis of state legislation and regulations pertaining directly or indirectly to immigrants/integration; interviews with stakeholders, such as NGOs that work with immigrants, public schools, healthcare facilities and others who provide services to immigrants; a survey of immigrants themselves on their needs and access to services; interviews with elected officials (e.g., state legislators, county commissioners) with particular interest in immigration issues; interviews with non-elective current and former state and county government officials. We need participation of local Leagues if the Study is to be a success. Local leagues are repositories of information about the needs of immigrants, existing integration programs, as well as gaps in services.

Our first step is to form a Study Committee. We seek interested League members from throughout the state to serve on the committee. It is particularly important to get representation from both urban and rural counties with significant immigrant populations. For more information, please contact Susan Martin, President, LWV of the San Juans, at martinsf@georgetown.edu for more information.

The Benton-Franklin League was an admirable host to the 2023 LWVWA convention in Pasco. About 100 Leaguers and guests discovered the Tri-Cities trails, wine, science, LIGO (black holes), birds, local judges, and excellent hotel hospitality. The opening began with a welcome from Pasco Mayor Blanche Barajas, followed by the young girl Mastersingers performing and leading a sing-along for us, setting the tone for a challenging, crucial, and collegial convention.

Below are some highlights from this combination business meeting-education-networking event.

The League has been in the process of changing to increase its impact at the local and state level, to increase the network of local Leagues and the state board and connections between volunteers throughout the state, and to increase LWVWA’s capacity to support and serve local Leagues in the pursuit of democracy. The goals of impact, network, and capacity have been supported by the strategies identified in the 2017-2023 strategic plan.

The business of the League was done in an atmosphere of competing issues in the context of sincerity and friendship. There was a current of “we can’t do it all” running through the convention. Many workshops and informal gatherings allowed members to work on important issues, as well as develop rapport that will provide resources and support for years to come. Moving from business—with the inevitable tug of multiple opinions—to information sessions, to enjoyment of the landscape made this a demanding and gratifying convention.

The convention built on LWVWA accomplishments, some of which included:

• Shorelines and Decline of Local News studies and positions. 
• Public Hospital District education program.
• Adoption and sponsorship of software for state and local meetings and programs.
• Clear nonpartisanship rules for state officers with LWVUS guidance.
• Research project engaging and assessing members, voters, and key influencers opinions.
• Retention of board members and staff.
• Analysis and consolidation of technology and data to eliminate waste.
• Expansion of lobby team and integration of advocacy work with the state board of directors; well-attended action workshops and lobby week.
• Increased local League networks through the president’s calls and Membership Engagement and Leader Development (MELD) portfolio.
• Adoption of applications to open positions to all and make participation transparent.
• Development of state-wide affinity and interest groups.
• Publication of civics education texts for students from elementary through high school in English and Spanish.
• Adoption of the second strategic plan with considerable member and research input to help prioritize strategies for action.
• Engaged in important meetings with the Lieutenant Governor, the Secretary of State, and many coalitions.
• Co-hosted state-wide debates.
• Joined the Washington Coalition for Open Government and participated in decision making advocacy related to transparency.
• Celebrated the first Evergreen Awardee with a tree planting in Olympia public park.
• Partnered and supported organizations for (LWV-identified) underrepresented people by providing civic education, co-hosting meetings and debates, programs, and advocacy.
• Awarded many local League grants for their specific needs.
• Earned 100% philanthropy score.
• Professionalized League work including having a CPA do reviews and tax forms, and professional management of the investment/education fund.
• Building a culture that is welcoming, inclusive, trusting, competent, and attuned to the needs of today’s volunteers.

A more detailed report including financial statements will be available after July 1, 2023.

Awards for Good Citizen(s) were given to Benton-Franklin’s Northwest Public Broadcasting, the City of Richland, the City of Richland, and the Columbia Basin Badger Club. Particularly noteworthy is that there is increasing recognition that it isn’t just one person who makes things happen, but groups of people with a shared vision. Benton Franklin showed how important these collaborations are in presenting candidate forums.

Awards for Local Leagues

Sam Dilday represented committee members Maren Halvorsen and Helle Andersen in awarding the Local League Awards to Benton-Franklin for Making Democracy Work through a number of community activities. Pullman received the Strengthening Democracy award for the “What Does Democracy Look Like?” Art project. The Spokane Area League was given the Community Connections award for the Civics Bowl Project with local high schools and public television. Clark County received the Community Connections Award for their monthly radio program, Citizen 411: Your Information Directory for Democracy. These are collaborative projects, each creative in demonstrating the convergence of member interests and ability and League mission.

Recognition of members included more than 20 people who were held up as Bridge Builders. They are recognized for their ability to welcome new members, create a positive climate where all members feel valued and useful. They work actively to keep their local League together, helping to resolve conflicts and build connections.

Remembrance of members who passed away during the biennium.

Evergreen Awards were given to Susan Fleming (Fir, for being a pillar of strength and truth) and Jean Snider (Cedar, for generosity, strength, support, connection, and prosperity) for their outstanding service for advocacy and research for LWVWA.

Convention Business

The business of the convention resulted in the adoption of the 2023-25 budget. Cindy Piennett did her usual admirable job of making it come together and members will have to work to bring it to reality. It is responsive to what members have advocated: more staff, more programs to share, and no per member payment (PMP) increase. It requires an increase in local membership so local, state, and national will benefit from having more members. Increase in income depends on growth, not rate increases, meaning each member needs to invite people to join. The budget also requires grant writing and sponsorships. This is a stretch for all members.

The slate of Board of Directors and Officers was approved. Mary Coltrane, Beth Pellicciotti, Martin Gibbins, Sherry Appleton, Susan Baird-Joshi, Dee Anne Finken, and Cynthia Stewart. Continuing members will be Dee Ann Kline, Susan Daniel, Miriam Kerzner, and Shelley Kneip. The Nominating Committee will be Jean Alliman, Chair and Linda Benson and Julie Sarkissian. Mike Martin was recommended for the Education Fund (501c3) Board of Directors Treasurer.

Directors and officers moving off the board include Jean Snider, Myra Howrey, Lunell Haught, Liz Bander, Susan Fleming, Roslyn Duffy, Karen Crowley. Each has focused on their own portfolio, creating new and important ways of doing League work. They have also spent hours reading, understanding, and lending guidance in the many decisions that are made for the two corporations (501(c)3, 501(c)4) valued at more than a million dollars. It is no small job, and we are grateful for their service.

The program of work was approved along with LWVWA positions. This included the newest positions on shorelines and local news. The positions will be reviewed for relevancy in the coming year(s).

New programs included two studies: Immigration and Immigrant Integration and Caregiving in Washington State:  What exists and what is needed to support seniors and other vulnerable adults and their caregivers?

A civic education program: Multi-Member Districts was also approved.

Studies and education projects are open to all League members, and don’t require any expertise in the topic. Please volunteer if you are interested.

Two Resolutions were supported by the convention delegates: Protection of Mature Forests in Washington and Washington Deserves Better for 2031 Redistricting.

LWVUS

Kimberly Hamlin, the LWVUS board liaison to Washington was a wonderful addition to convention. Her presentation on suffragists and the complex history of the ratification of the 19^th amendment was enlightening and thought-provoking. She heightened our awareness that Leagues have become targets for nefarious actors, and members and leaders must be increasingly vigilant for those who would undermine League credibility and work. LWVUS and LWVWA are a source of wisdom and recommendations for difficult situations and local Leagues are encouraged to contact either with thorny issues. This past year some of the thorny issues have been copycat organizations, misinformation, and member behavior. The Rights and Responsibilities of members is available on the LWVUS website, with a link going out soon to all members for their understanding and use.

LWV International

Two moving emails were read, giving an insight into the stifled and threatened lives of two US State Department sponsored fellows. In autumn 2019 they were with the LWV Spokane Area League and visited many state offices, schools, and an election to learn about democracy in an attempt to return to their homes and share the information. Their government capitulated in a 2021 coup and their emails reminded us of how vulnerable democracy is.

Check the Convention site for links to more detail and workshop materials. Council (next year) will have delegates also (there will be an election for half the board of directors) and lots of workshops. If you missed Convention, begin to prepare yourself for Council. Local Leagues should have fundraisers so that delegates’ expenses are covered by the League they are representing.

By Miriam Kerzner, Membership Portfolio Director

It was reinvigorating to connect in person with others who are deeply committed to League goals. Looking around the room, everyone present was confronted with ways in which we have yet to meet our goals to increase membership diversity, ensuring that we hear and engage with multiple perspectives on the issues that we fight for all year. And yet, it was also heartening that everyone at Convention wanted to know how we could make our organization more equitable and inclusive, more welcoming to those who historically have not joined the League of Women Voters.

Conversations around DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusiveness) addressed both the need to improve how we relate to each other on an individual basis and how the organization itself needs to change. The former relates more to membership questions, so I will summarize those discussions in a later piece.

If we are to succeed in moving forward, we must acknowledge that we have limited resources and time. When approaching a change this fundamental, we should also remember that people are motivated more by success and recognition than criticism and chastisement.

An important first step for Local Leagues and the state board is to examine our current projects to evaluate which are helping us achieve our DEI goals and how. Which demographics are we reaching? In what way are we helping create a state and a county in which all voices are heard equally in our public forums? How are we creating space for historically marginalized groups to lead? And then we need to ask how we can do better still. Since all our volunteers are already overstretched, incremental improvements to programs we already have in place demonstrates respect for those who already devote their limited time to our shared cause.

Limited time and resources should spur us to identify and support partner organizations that do similar work. Visibly supporting other groups as representatives of the League reduces the planning Local Leagues need to do and avoids duplicating work that is more effectively done by those who have historically been marginalized. By working with them, we learn about our own blinders and past errors, avoid cultural appropriation, and establish sustainable relationships.

Finally, we should examine the ways in which we, as member organizations of the League of Women Voters, communicate with each other and with non-members. Do we use technology and platforms that facilitate participation by those who are hard of hearing or visually impaired, do we hold meetings in places that are fully accessible and inviting to broad swaths of the American public? Do we ensure the comfort of those with allergies to scents or foods? Do we make as many events as possible child- and family-friendly? Do we fundraise so that those without private means can participate fully in League activities? It would be a shame if potential leaders we desperately need were sidelined because they could not afford the training on offer.

We have already accomplished a lot. We can do better still. And it needn’t take more time or energy. It merely takes a willingness to ask how we can take that next step. If you would like to join this conversation about DEI and organizational change, please contact mkerzner@lwvwa.org. If there is enough interest, we will launch an affinity group where members can share successes and failures specific to DEI goals. In the meantime, please check out the DEI resources we have available on our website.

Photo: MELD workshop at 2023 LWVWA Convention.

By Lunell Haught, LWVWA President

Diplomacy: The method of influencing the decisions and behavior of others through dialogue and negotiation and other measures short of war or violence.

Increasingly League members need diplomacy skills to navigate social spaces, whether dealing with rudeness at a tabling event (it happens) or on social media. The National Museum of American Diplomacy’s Nine Skills of Effective Diplomacy is a good list to keep handy for thinking about qualities we can embody.

1. Analysis (critical thinking)
2. Awareness (social, emotional, cultural intelligence)
3. Communication (from listening effectively to articulating with clarity)
4. Leadership (the ability to make tough decisions to move situations forward)
5. Collaboration (ability to create engagement and involvement)
6. Composure (self-management)
7. Management (bring ideas to life with and through others)
8. Innovation (generate creative alternatives)
9. Advocacy (represent constituents)

My goal is to be effective in working with others, particularly those who don’t necessarily agree with me, and this list helps. I worked with a negotiator who taught me to only get angry (and show it) on purpose, and I also learned that ‘time out’ can be called if I stray from that idea and need #6.

The additional benefit of this list is that it is useful for being a more welcoming organization, because we can also use diplomacy skills to effectively work together with our colleagues.

By Mary Coltrane, LWVWA Program Chair

The LWVWA Board is pleased to announce that the Shoreline Study is now with local Leagues to review, discuss and find consensus that can be used to write new positions for LWVWA and local League action. Please watch your local Voter for information on when consensus meetings for your League will take place.

With many new League members, and several years without state studies, the member consensus process can be a bit of a mystery. Local League Boards have been wading through the process so that all of our members can be part of this process. A key figure in this process is the discussion leader. To assist those who are discussion leaders and who are planning your local League’s consensus meeting, the state Board is holding a meeting/discussion leader training. We will talk about the meeting plans and the discussion leader job.

If you are involved in organizing your League’s consensus meeting, are a discussion leader for your League, or thinking of it, please use one of the links below to attend the training. All are welcome. There were two trainings in September and two more will take place in early October. Here are the times:

• Monday, 10/3 @ 10:00 a.m. Register now.
• Tuesday, 10/4 @ 6:30 p.m. Register now.

If you have any questions about this training, please contact mary.coltrane@lwvwa.org.