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.

The calendar is full of holidays, major and minor, secular and religious. While we would have a hard time scheduling any events if we had to work around every single one of them, here are some simple suggestions to ensure our members and the public can participate in our programs.

• First, ask! It's okay to ask folks what holidays they celebrate and look at how you can adapt your programming around them. We do this for many Christian and secular holidays without thinking about it—for example, there is often a lull in activities between Christmas Eve and New Year's.
• Second, make sure that attendance is truly optional if you do need to hold an event on a holiday. While it may not be the most ideal to hold an informational forum or volunteer event during Rosh Hashanah, it's much better than holding a board meeting then, because attendance at the latter is necessary.
• Third, let technology assist! You can add holidays to your calendar automatically with many email tools. Recording your forums and events also gives folks unable to attend for any reason a way to catch up later.

By Shelley Jones, LWVWA Nominating Committee Chair

Do you have a passion for our democracy and defending it during these difficult times?

Have you thought about your role in leading LWVWA into the future?

Apply to the LWVWA Board!

The Nominating Committee is currently seeking nominations for BOTH the slate at Convention (includes: President, 2nd Vice President, Secretary, 3 Board of Director positions) and two vacant Board of Directors’ seats that are appointed to serve until to Convention 2023.

If you're like me, the past couple years have been tough—January 6 insurrection, the overturning of Roe v. Wade, etc. But I hope you are also like me and turning that discouragement into motivation to do everything possible to defend our democracy from a very real threat.

More information can be found here about how you can contribute your time and talent by serving on the LWVWA Board.

We are looking for individuals who are:

• Dedicated to our mission “Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy.”
• Committed to LWVWA’s Strategic Plan; our Non-Partisan Policy; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Advocacy; Voter Services; Civic Education; and Communications. The position serves on both the LWV of Washington Education Fund (c3) and LWV of Washington (c4) Boards.

We encourage individuals with varying work and volunteer experiences to apply. Whatever your background, we would like to talk to you. We seek individuals who are creative and hard working.

Service on the state board offers an opportunity to work collaboratively towards the goals of LWVWA, sharing your League successes with other members, continuing to build your leadership skills, helping set the future for LWVWA, and expanding your commitment to the League.

If this sounds like you, apply to the LWVWA Board.

We welcome your recommendations for candidates to the LWVWA Board.

The Nominating Committee will also be asking to give a short presentation at Local League Board and Unit Meetings and we will be hosting two Meet & Greets this Fall.

If you would like to know more contact the Nominating Committee at nomcom@lwvwa.org, or check out our website!

By Roslyn Ann Duffy, Fundraising and Development Director, LWVWA Board

On a recent visit to the Lummi Nation lands in the Pacific Northwest, I saw a hand-lettered sign on a telephone post that read “Kindness Matters.” Simple words, but an important message.

Kindness builds us up, connects us, and makes us feel heard. And yet in too many places in our world, kindness is in short supply. We are rushed, stressed, and often feel overwhelmed. Many of us have been tumbled into hopelessness by the magnitude of crises that crash down daily, both personally and in our world.

Working for an organization such as the League is a wonderful antidote to hopelessness. To engage in acts that make a difference and improve lives is hopeful. That said, there can be a tendency, driven by the urgency of our tasks, to forget to apply kindness to one another.

I heard one person comment that she was astonished at how harshly League members sometimes treat one another. Is this true? Why would we be unkind to one another? What purpose is achieved by adding more harshness to our world? Whether in our work within the League or in society in general, don’t we owe each other encouragement, respect, and appreciation?

As we engage with newly formed boards, work on committees, or build projects together, it is essential that we prioritize kindness—because kindness does matter.

When a person volunteers and puts their heart and time into a task, the first response they need is encouragement. Of course, no one wakes up looking for ways to be unkind. We are in the League because we want to make the world a better place. Yes, there will be questions and concerns, and plans will emerge as less than perfect. But the important questions to ask ourselves before we find flaws or troubleshoot details are these:

• Is what I am about to say encouraging?
• What will the other person hear?
• Will kindness be communicated?

The key to the difference between kind and unkind is simple. It can be summed up like this: “The meaning of the message is the response you get.” This is an important distinction. Saying, “I was only trying to be helpful,” expresses intent. A response of silence or lessened participation demonstrates that the message heard was very different, no matter the intention.

“A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees.” – Amelia Earhart

Let’s be sure we are growing trees, not chopping them down.

Do you think a project is not well enough thought through? That is an honest opinion and needs to be conveyed. But how to do that? Gleefully slash away, finding fault that this idea is not yet perfect enough? Or identifying what is working and offering help to make it better?

Do you feel this person’s work encroaches on your territory? Why? How could this become an alliance, something many hands will make easier and more effective?

Do you worry that this isn’t the “way things are done” or that there are League procedures that need to be followed? Okay, but first begin with appreciating what has been done. Then what else needs to be done or done differently? What resources can ensure a successful way forward?

We all make mistakes. Their value is what and if we learn from them. The other side of kindness is a willingness to apologize. If what we have said or done has caused a noticeable chill in the atmosphere, take a deep breath. Be kind to yourself by accepting the lesson this mistake brought with it and be kind to the other person by saying you are sorry.

“Don’t be the reason someone feels insecure. Be the reason someone feels seen, heard, and supported.” – Cleo Wade

It is never a waste of time to be kind. There is so much work and often too few workers. Each of us is a precious asset and communicating that needs to be our foremost task. I like the Positive Discipline parenting motto: “People do better when they feel better.” It makes a good maxim to remember as we work with one another, in the League—or anywhere elsewhere.

Want to be kind today? Great! Because kindness matters.

The LWV of Washington is seeking volunteers for the following roles. This is a great opportunity to play an important part in your state League!

VOTE411 Volunteers

The Vote411 Committee is seeking a new member or two to take over responsibility for candidate questions. This entails soliciting questions on current issues from local Leagues well in advance of the primary election each year; reviewing and, if necessary, editing the questions according to League standards; and maintaining our file of generic questions for races for which we do not have local questions. Work begins in April each year, with the bulk of it taking place in May and early June. This job is essential to the committee’s efforts to reach out to both candidates and voters. If you have the interest and can spare the time, please consider taking it on. We provide training. Please contact Beatrice Crane, VOTE411 Project Manager, at vote411@lwvwa.org for more information.

Office 365 Support

Do you know how to use SharePoint and/or Microsoft Teams? Have you ever set up some Power Automate actions? We need someone to help take the LWVWA to the next level in our technology usage. An expert would be great, but a tech-savvy person who is really interested in figuring out how to use these technologies to make the League more efficient and connected (and has the time and energy to do so) would be a big help, too! This work could include experimenting with the technology, providing tech support to members, administering guest access, exploring how to make this technology available to local Leagues, and any other ideas that we come up with. Contact Amy at apeloff@lwvwa.org.

MELD Pod Facilitator

The LWVWA is seeking Membership Engagement Leadership and Development (MELD) program pod facilitators, a position that involves about five hours a month. This includes a monthly 60-minute Zoom meeting with your assigned pod and writing a short report. The facilitators also meet once a month for an hour. The MELD program is a way for all League levels—local, state, and national—to communicate, share their successes and challenges, and receive information about programs and resources. This leadership position requires good listening and communication skills and the ability to facilitate a group discussion. If you’re interested in being a pod facilitator, contact Miriam Kerzner for more information.

Women’s Equality Day?

Today, Friday, August 26, has been celebrated annually as Women's Equality Day to honor the certification of the 19th Amendment. Yet with our voting and reproductive rights under attack, women are still not equal in our democracy. This year, the League is observing Women's Inequality Day, a campaign that will consist of a video and open letter in the Washington Post signed by women leaders from national organizations demanding that our reproductive rights be restored and protected, that our representatives pass voting rights legislation, and that the Equal Rights Amendment be added to the Constitution.

Join the LWVUS in taking a stand by sharing #WomensInequalityDay across your social networks. The League has created a toolkit for Leagues to use that includes talking points, social media graphics, and captions. While Leagues may already have content or campaigns planned for Women's Equality Day, please note that this toolkit is available for Leagues interested in participating. We are not requiring Leagues to align with the LWVUS’s messaging on Women’s Equality Day.

LWVUS Draft Policies

The LWVUS board has developed two draft policies that provide clarity on organization-wide expectations for the LWVUS and state and local League members in the form of a League Rights and Responsibilities Policy and a Member Rights and Responsibilities Policy. These policies were formulated from existing bylaws, politics, and legal or nonprofit best practices.

As the LWVUS board and staff prepare to finalize and implement these policies, they are seeking additional input from the field. They are asking state and local League boards to review the proposed policies and submit comments. Your feedback is critical to ensuring the policies are the most useful they can be, and that all perspectives have been considered.

To give boards time to meet and discuss the policies, the comment period has been reopened and extended to Oct. 11, 2022. Individuals and Leagues can submit their comments on the forms posted at the bottom of each page. Comments may be submitted collaboratively or individually. The LWVUS is currently reviewing each comment and pulling out themes and questions from the original comment period. Additionally, LWVUS staff will be developing an FAQ later this month.

Recruit Your Community for Poll Worker Recruitment Day!

On Tuesday, August 16, Power the Polls relaunched Poll Worker Recruitment Day. With the midterm elections fast approaching, the need to recruit and engage poll workers is increasingly urgent and essential to our democracy. In 2020, Power the Polls and its partners recruited over 700,000 potential poll workers. This year, Power the Polls is activating partners to make a concerted push to recruit new potential poll workers ahead of November. Join us in ensuring safe, free, and fair elections for all voters! Learn more and take action with this partner toolkit.

Sign Up for National Voter Registration Day 2022

National Voter Registration Day 2022 is coming up on September 20, and 280 Leagues have already signed up. Take part by signing on as an official partner and hosting a virtual or in-person registration event. Grant funding available—check out the grant application. You can promote the day via a community registration drive, spread the word on social media, text voters to remind them about registration deadlines, or work with partners to spread the word. The message is simple: now is the time to register or update your registration to ensure you can vote in the upcoming midterm elections.

Updated Social Media Guide

With midterm elections just around the corner, the League has produced an updated social media guide for state and local Leagues. This guide includes goals and best practices for each platform, frequently asked questions, and resources on how to promote the LWV’s mission work while amplifying the critical work your League is doing.

2022 Election Observation Toolkit

The LWVUS now has an updated Election Observation Toolkit. Election observer programs provide a unique opportunity to learn about your community's election process firsthand, ensure that all eligible voters can exercise their right to vote, and empower Leagues to gather information about how to improve the process.

Spanish VOTE411 Logos

The League has expanded its VOTE411 logos package to include print and web logos in Spanish.

Congress Has Money on Its Mind

The Senate Rules Committee held a hearing on the DISCLOSE Act, which would increase transparency in campaign finances. The League’s CEO, Virginia Kase Solomón, spoke in favor of the legislation, stating, “Voters have the right to know who is making large campaign contributions to influence elections.” Tell your senators to support the DISCLOSE Act.

Responses to January 6

U.S. Senators announced a bipartisan deal to reform the Electoral Count Act and Presidential Transition Act. The bill’s reforms would clarify the roles of elected officials and the vice president in the election process, protecting the nation from future attacks like the January 6 insurrection. The announcement comes on the heels of the bipartisan House Select Committee hearings on the January 6 attack, which ended on July 21. The League looks forward to the committee's findings, which are expected to be shared this fall.

The League’s Redistricting Impact

Three years after its creation, the League’s People Powered Fair Maps program has released its impact report highlighting the importance of everyday involvement in redistricting. The program, which launched in the wake of the landmark case Rucho v. LWV of North Carolina, aimed to increase awareness of and participation in the decennial community districting process. The report found that through the Fair Maps program over 1.4 million people were engaged in local districting, five states implemented community-drawn maps, and six states increased their process’s transparency.

AUGUST

Friday, August 26—Women’s (In)Equality Day, celebrating the certification of the 19th Amendment and demanding more from our lawmakers.

Tuesday, August 30—LWVUS August Community Call, 2 p.m. PT. A space for state Leagues to share and learn about organizing efforts. This month, we will hear from state Leagues about the critical role of partnerships and coalitions in their work.

SEPTEMBER

Monday, September 12—LWVWA and LWVWA Education Fund Board Meetings. Information available on the LWVWA website.

Thursday, September 15—From Study-to-Consensus Process meeting, 6:30 p.m. Zoom link to come.

Tuesday, September 20—National Voter Registration Day. Sign up to promote the day.

Tuesday, September 20—LWV of Mason County Candidate Forum, noon PT, Shelton Civic Center, Shelton, WA.

OCTOBER

Thursday, October 6—LWVWA Candidate Debate. More info to come.

Monday, October 10— LWVWA and LWVWA Education Fund Board Meetings. Information available on the LWVWA website.

Tuesday, October 11—Deadline to submit feedback on LWVUS proposed policies (League Rights and Responsibilities Policy and a Member Rights and Responsibilities Policy).

Thursday, October 13—LWVWA Candidate Debate. More info to come.

Thursday, October 13—LWV of Mason County “Speed Dating with the Candidates,” 6:30 p.m., Shelton Civic Center, Shelton, WA. More information.

The LWV of Washington is planning at least two statewide candidate debates this fall—for the offices of the U.S. Senate and the Washington Secretary of State. The tentative dates are Thursday, October 6 and Thursday, October 13.

The LWVWA previously held a successful candidate forum on July 14 for the Secretary of State primary race, which can be viewed on the TVW website. We also had some good press coverage in the local media in the Olympian and Tacoma’s News Tribune. Thanks to all the local Leagues who helped promote this forum.

By Mary Coltrane, Program Chair, LWVWA

One of the most interesting things about the League is the way we arrive at our positions. As you likely know, the League of Women Voters—at all levels—will only take action on positions that we have on the books. This year is the first time in many years that the state League will be adding new positions to its accumulated positions—some going back as far as the 1950s, such as Redistricting and Reapportionment (1955).

How does this happen? Local Leagues submit program ideas to the state Board, typically in January, in odd-numbered years. The state board compiles a list of recommended—and not recommended—items for consideration at the state convention. If an item is approved, a study committee is formed to produce the study. When they have completed their work, the fun part begins: finding consensus and writing a new position.

At the 2019 and 2021 conventions, delegates approved two studies: the Shorelines Study Report 2022 (now available) and a Washington state local and regional news study (you can read all about the forthcoming study in this TMIL). The committees charged with producing these reports are now ready to send them to local Leagues for review and consensus-making. Each local League participating in this process will return consensus statements to the state League and new positions will be drafted—keeping in mind that there may not be consensus on the issues the studies illuminate. That’s what we’ll find out.

The League is proud to have many new members; many may not be familiar with this process. The end game is a position that’s based on member understanding. That’s what makes a League stance so powerful. Your local League will be holding meetings to discuss and review the study findings and answer the consensus questions, so be on the lookout for the opportunity to participate.

Playing a part in one of these discussions will remind you that civil discourse is possible even when exchanging a wide variety of views on an important topic. The state Board knows that not everyone can participate, but we want to make it as easy and fun as possible so it will work for you. Whether you are a new or a longtime member, please join the state Board program team at a general meeting where we will go over the study-to-consensus-to-position process in detail. Mark your calendar for Thursday, September 15 at 6:30 p.m. and watch for the Zoom link in a regular Tuesday update from the state League.

Images from Random House Children’s Books

By Beth Pellicciotti, Civic Education Portfolio Director, LWVWA

Laura Milner, chair of Voter Services for the LWV of Kittitas County, created a unique partnership involving the Kittitas League, a local bookstore, the Ellensburg Morning Rotary, and their Little Free Libraries. Through this partnership, copies of One Vote, Two Votes, I Vote, You Vote are being distributed to neighborhood children across Ellensburg.

The book, part of the Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library Book series, is written in simple rhyme and introduces children to the idea of voting—it now includes 16 bonus pages of kid-friendly voting activities.

Jerrol's, an Ellensburg bookstore, subsidized the purchase of 30 copies of this election book for kids with funding from the Kittitas League. Milner, a member of both the League and the Rotary, proposed to the Rotary Literacy Committee that they distribute this book through their own Little Free Library (take a book, share a book) and the public mobile library. Both organizations reach out with children’s books to underserved neighborhoods.

This is a great example of civic education for children made possible through League support and partnerships with community-based organizations. This project was also featured in an article in the Ellensburg Daily Record. Thank you, Laura Milner! For more information on this partnership, contact Laura Milner, LWV of Kittitas County.

By Dee Anne Finken, LWV of Clark County, and Delores Irwin, LWV of Kittitas County, Local News Study Co-chairs

The state study The Decline of Local News and Its Impact on Democracy is nearly complete and goes to the LWVWA Board of Directors for consideration at its September meeting. Meanwhile, study committee members are preparing a presentation to share highlights of the report with local Leagues. The study focuses on the impact that the closure of local newspapers—whether print, online, or a hybrid version—has had on life in Washington state.

While the United States has lost more than a quarter of its local newspapers since 2004, Washington state has lost about 20%, with the closure of more than two dozen weeklies and three dailies. The loss of newspaper jobs in Washington state is greater than the national average—the Evergreen State has lost 67% of its newsroom employees compared with 50% nationwide.

The report also talks about the effect of reduced coverage by existing papers. Coverage by remaining local news publications, both nationally and statewide, has decreased dramatically, with hundreds of papers publishing far fewer pages—in some cases as much as 50% fewer.

The LWVWA study looks at whether the state has experienced the same results that national studies have identified: less oversight of local government, higher financing costs for public construction projects, reduced voter participation, less community engagement, and other developments.

In a nutshell, the findings about the impact of the decline for both Washington state and the nation can be summarized in this observation by a Washington State University communications professor: “It’s not a journalism problem. It’s a democracy problem.”

An early overview of the study is available now. Committee members Joanne Lisosky and Carol Rikerd, both of the Tacoma-Pierce County League, have produced a three-minute video of the report. Meanwhile the 10-member study committee is preparing an hour-long program of the study’s highlights for local Leagues (available after Oct. 2), which will be helpful for those Leagues seeking details in advance of considering the report’s consensus questions and a potential policy position vote at the LWVWA convention in May 2023.

If your local League would like the committee to present the program via Zoom, contact co-chairs Dee Anne Finken or Delores Irwin.