LWVTX Action News! August 2022

By Editor | August 1, 2022 |

August 2022 Action News!

I hope y’all are staying calm and cool in all this heat! I mean that both literally and figuratively. Not only are we dealing with the summer heat, but the November 8th General Election Day is only 99 days away, and the 88th Texas Legislative session starts shortly thereafter on January 10, 2023.

Work on the 2022 General Election Voters Guide is well underway with the candidate questions being developed and translated and candidate contact information is collected. Would you like to support and sponsor the best nonpartisan Voters Guide in Texas? See the info below and go to lwvtexas.org/donate.

The League has joined Power to the Polls, a coalition of businesses and nonprofits to help recruit a new wave of election workers before the November 2022 General Election. If there are not enough poll workers, more polling locations could close. Please help your community by becoming a poll worker by going to powerthepolls.org/Vote411.

The “Assault Rifles – What Can Be Done?” webinar hosted by LWV Texas, the League of Latin American Citizens (LULAC), and the Texas NAACP was very informative and well received. Thank you to our amazing panelists Art Acevedo, Dr. Jeff Temple, Ph.D., and Dr. Sandra McKay, MD; our moderator, Dr. Gene Preuss, Ph.D., and to League leaders Aimee Mobley Turney and Grace Chimene for pulling the event together. If you were unable to join us for this important webinar you may view a recording on our YouTube channel here. While there, please be sure to subscribe to our channel here.

I am so glad you are on our team! If you are not a League member yet, please consider joining a local League near you, or if there isn’t a local League near you, start a League in your community. Or you can join the state League. Click here to learn more about joining the League. We have a lot of work ahead of us! It will take every one of us to empower voters and defend democracy in Texas.

Thank you! Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Your Texas League in Action

Election Worker and Advocate Training: Accommodating Voters with Disabilities

Join Disability Rights Texas and the League of Women Voters of Texas on Wednesday, August 17th from 12:00-1:00 p.m. CST for a webinar focused on giving election workers a deep dive into the needs of voters with disabilities and the legally required accommodations. We encourage local Leagues to invite their local election officials to attend! The webinar will be recorded and can be shared following the live webinar.

Register for the training here.

New Vote by Mail Resources

After the vote by mail problems during the 2022 Texas Primary elections, we worked with the Center for Civic Design to develop resources to help remedy some the issues we saw. We’re happy to present our new vote by mail resources for you to print and share. Feel free to customize them with your local/county information and even your own organization’s logo.

Application to Vote by Mail (easier to fill out!)
How to Apply and Vote by Mail (instruction checklist, double sided)
How to Vote by Mail Pocket Guide (fold to create a small brochure)
Vote by Mail – Book Marks
Vote by Mail – Door Hangers

Seeking Voters Guide Sponsors!

Texas voters love the Guide! For the November 2022 General Election, we will distribute more Voters Guides than ever! In addition to covering over 130 public libraries across the state in counties without a local League, LWV Texas will expand to locations including community health centers, food banks, and Veterans Administration offices and hospitals. Our ultimate goal is to reach EVERY Texas voter, and in order to accomplish this worthwhile and important goal, we need YOUR help!

To become a Voters Guide sponsor, click here.

Voters Guide order forms will be available by the end of the month, so be on the lookout!

Texas Lawmaker Ordered to Turnover Redistricting Records

For those of you who fought for a Fair and Open redistricting process with the Fair Maps Texas Coalition, we have some encouraging news. The court has ordered the State to turn over their documents related to redistricting, despite their claims of legislative and attorney-client privilege. Courthouse News Service reported that “the judge ruled they could not simply decline to release any documents referencing legal analysis, including scheduling calendars and communications with outside firms involved in redistricting. These documents are not ‘categorically privileged,’ he wrote.” Read the full article here.

For more information about the claim that has been filed, of which the League is a plaintiff, click here. And be on the lookout for upcoming events as we get closer to the court hearing in September!

Take Action!

Help Staff Your Local Polling Place

In 2020, America faced a record shortage of poll workers, and over 700,000 people stepped up. In 2022, we’re already seeing the need for more poll workers. Our democracy depends on ordinary people who make sure every election runs smoothly, and everyone’s vote is counted. You can make sure we have safe, fair, and efficient elections for all. Step up and become a poll worker in your community this year!

Click here to learn more and sign up.

Tell Your Representatives You Want Equality to be Part of the Constitution

A new resolution has been introduced in the US House affirming that the Equal Rights Amendment has met all of the requirements needed to be added to the US Constitution. The inclusion of the Equal Rights Amendment in the US Constitution is long overdue.

Contact your representative today and tell them to assert that the ERA should be the law of the land! Click here to learn more.

Support the “Well Regulated” Part of the Second Amendment

It’s time to break the trend of loosening gun regulations after tragedies in Texas. Gun safety bills, though introduced, are rarely passed, yet bills that reduce regulations are passed every session. We need your help to tell our legislators that it’s time to support the “well regulated” part of the Second Amendment!

Click here to use our Take Action tool to write letters to your legislators and letters to the editor!

Root Out Dark Money

Corporations and wealthy individuals should not have the power to make undisclosed political contributions that influence elections. Disclosure of large political spending should be the bare minimum requirement.

Contact your senators today and tell them now is the time to root out dark money by passing the DISCLOSE Act. Click here to learn more.

Local Leagues in Action

LWV Houston

Photo credit: League of Women Voters of Houston Facebook page. Nancy Kral, LWV of Houston (LWVH) Vice President of Voters Services, received the Manor Award from the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) for LWVH’s partnership with LULAC. Read more here.

LWV Amarillo

Photo credit: Amarillo League of Women Voters Facebook page. Clara Trimble (pictured) celebrated the Fourth of July at Palace Coffee Company with a Star Spangled Soda. The Amarillo League of Women Voters got $1 for each Star Spangled Soda sold in the month of July. Read more here and here.

LWV Cy-Fair

Photo credit: LWV-Cy-Fair Facebook page. LWV Cy-Fair Volunteer Deputy Voter Registrars (VDVRs) making voter registration cool at LSC-CyFair’s “Summer Heat” event. Read more here.

LWV South Central Texas

Photo credit: League of Women Voters of South Central Texas Facebook page. Young voters participated in LWV South Central Texas’ Texas Animal Election at the BRIDGE Meet & Greet in Schulenburg. The winner was Deer, with the Longhorn a close second! Read more here and here.

Your Texas League in the News

Another threat to 2022 elections: A lack of paper
Aaron Mendelson, The Center for Public Integrity | Published on 7/18/2022

This year, a sweeping change to Texas voter laws meant that entirely new voter registration applications had to be printed, and due to supply-chain issues that slowed that print job, Texas had to to ration applications.

Read the full article here.

Announcements

Join the League of Women Voters!

The League of Women Voters is a political grassroots network and membership organization that believes the freedom to vote is a nonpartisan issue. For more than a century, we’ve worked to empower voters and defend democracy. As a women-led organization, we encourage everyone to take part in our democracy. To learn more about the League, click here.

Click here to find a local League near you, start a League in your community, or join the state League!