As we near the November 5 presidential election, opportunities for personal involvement abound. See below for ways to get involved and support the important work of our local League.
CANDIDATE FORUMS
The general election will bring opportunities for member involvement in the League sponsored candidate forums. There will be local contests for Congressional Representatives, State Senators and Assemblymembers. All 7 cities will hold elections for mayor and city councilmembers, and school districts and special districts will have contests up for election. Nominations for these positions close in mid-August and then plans for forums will begin in earnest. Sign up now to participate and look for training opportunities for the many roles involved in making these forums happen. Shelly Higginbotham chairs this important committee and can be reached at candidateforums@lwvslo.org.
VOTER INFORMATION/VOTE411
The Voter Information committee will be busy at the close of nominations as well, contacting candidates and encouraging participation in VOTE411, a free resource to inform voters. The majority of this work can be done at home on your own time so it is ideal for those that may not have time to commit to being at an in-person event. Again, training will be offered. Members who have served on this committee will tell you that it is extremely rewarding when one of your candidates responds and includes their information in this important resource. In November 2020, 72% of our local candidates submitted information and we hope to exceed that percentage in the 2024 election cycle. Juliane McAdam leads this team and can be reached at voterinformation@lwvslo.org.
PROS AND CONS
The General Election ballot will be loaded with 11 ballots measures with topics ranging from bond measures for school facilities and safe drinking water to increasing felony charges for certain drug and theft crimes. The Pros and Cons team will be busy preparing impartial information to help voters understand the issues. Plans for November include production of video presentations that can be viewed at any time and a public outreach campaign to promote the use of this resource. Ed Cabrera is spearheading this effort on behalf of the League and can be reached at prosandcons@lwvslo.org.
HIGH SCHOOL VOTER REGISTRATION
In-person presentations to high school classes are back in full swing. The school year starts mid- August and the deadline for voter registration is October 21 so we have a small window to reach out to and register high school seniors that will be eligible to vote in November. If you are interested in serving in this important capacity, contact Julie Rodewald at voterregistration@lwvslo.org.
ADOPT A POLL
Last, but by no means least, is the opportunity for all members to be involved in the League’s Adopt a Poll efforts. In June, we staffed 4 precinct boards (2 in San Luis Obispo, 1 in Morro Bay and 1 in Pismo Beach) serving the voters of our county and earning $2,900 for the League. Each member that participated gained a new appreciation for the procedures in place to ensure all eligible voters can cast a ballot, protection against double voting and ineligible voters, and the requisite security that safeguards the ballots and voter information - from pick up of supplies to delivery after the close of polls on Election Night. Many of our Primary election workers are returning but there is always room for more participants in this important activity. If you are interested in participating in this effort, contact Patti Dale at pollworker@lwvslo.org.
The next 3 months leading up to the election will be busy and the Voter Service Committee looks forward to expanding its group of volunteers to help with these critical activities.
VOTER REGISTRATION TEAMS RETURN TO CUESTA COLLEGE
Cuesta College has several voter registration events planned and has invited the League to participate and help engage students in election related activities. League members will be on campus September 17 for National Voter Registration Day and October 9 for a Civic Engagement Resource Fair. We will also participate in Connect @ Cuesta on Tuesday, August 27 at the North County Campus and Wednesday, August 28 at the SLO Campus. You can find more information about these events on the Cuesta College calendar here. If you are interested in helping the League staff any of these events, contact Julie Rodewald at voterregistration@lwvslo.org.
PRECINCT INSPECTOR TRAINING OFFERED
If you have served as a poll worker you know that the role of precinct inspector is critical to a successful election day. The inspector is responsible for scheduling workers, picking up and conducting an inventory of supplies, setting up the polling place, answering questions and completing the closing duties at the end of the day. Yes, it is a long day for inspectors, but equally rewarding and satisfying when the job is done. What qualities does an inspector need? Patience, listening skills, attention to detail and most of all, a sense of humor! If you have served as a precinct worker and are ready to move into an inspector role or just want to learn more about the election day process, an in depth training session will be offered by League members in the early fall. The trainers, including Patti Dale and Julie Rodewald, have served as inspectors for many elections. Unlike the training offered by the Clerk-Recorder which is more focused on information specific to the coming election, this training will focus on election terms and processes- the why as well as the how and tips from former inspectors on how to make the precinct run smoothly. If you are interested in serving in this role or just attending the training, contact Patti Dale at pollworker@lwvslo.org.
VOTER SALONS INITIATIVE
Cal Poly Professors, Zamora and Winrow Hart are undertaking an effort to enhance voter education and turnout, particularly within the Latina/e/o communities of San Luis Obispo County. To assist in their efforts they reached out to the League to enlist Spanish speakers to help with their community engagement and needs assessment voter salons. They plan to conduct these workshops in July and August and then will use the information to develop educational materials to explain the voting process and the importance of civic participation. As of now, no salons have been scheduled but will most likely be conducted in the evening and on weekends to ensure access to all who want to participate. If you are interested in helping with this important endeavor, whether you or not you speak Spanish, reach out to Julie Rodewald at voterregistration@lwvslo.org.
CALLING ON YOUNG ARTISTS
The SLO County Elections Office announced that it is holding its first-ever "I Voted" Sticker contest, which is open to students in two age divisions across grades 3-12. The entry period runs through August 21, and the two winning designs will be printed and distributed countywide during the November General Election. If you know young creative students, please make sure they are aware of this opportunity to design these highly coveted stickers. For more information and contest rules, click here.
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