October 2022 Action News! |  | Dear ~~first_name~~,
As you will see throughout this newsletter, we are well into the election cycle for November 8th. But, in case you missed it, here are the important election dates to know:
Our trusted nonpartisan Voters Guide will be available soon! Today or tomorrow, you’ll be able to use it on VOTE411.org or find it at lwvtexas.org/voters-guide. Printed copies will be shipped to public libraries before early voting begins.
We encourage those who can vote by mail to be sure to get their applications and ballot in on time. We have complete vote by mail information on our website here, including:
- who’s eligible to vote by mail,
- an easy-to-understand and fill-out Application for Ballot by Mail,
- a step-by-step checklist to complete and return your application and your ballot, and
- an instructional video for completing and returning your ballot
Every Texan should know and be confident that our elections are safe and secure. However, misinformation and disinformation continues to spread contrary to these facts. I encourage you to attend our webinar on Wednesday, October 6th at 12 p.m. CST, about recognizing mis and disinformation and what to do when you come across it. See below for more information and to register.
Over the coming weeks, we will share information on our website and social media platforms about our safe and secure elections and tips for combating mis and disinformation, including the Texas Secretary of State’s SOS 101 Voting Systems in Texas videos (see below) and our Did You Know postings. We hope you, ~~first_name~~, will follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and will share this information with your connections!
I also want to take a moment to personally thank our generous donors and sponsors for supporting our Voters Guide and all of the hard work that goes into producing it and sharing it throughout the state. We wouldn’t be able to continue Empowering Voters and Defending Democracy without you. Thank You!
Respectfully, |  | | Your Texas League in Action |
VOTE411.org is Live!
Your trusted, sought-after election resource, VOTE411.org, is scheduled to go live today! Just enter your address and view the statewide races and candidates, along with responses to unbiased questions posed by the League. Compare candidates, print out your choices, and bring your list to the voting booth with you.
The printed versions of the Guide are scheduled to be shipped within two weeks to Leagues, voting advocates, public libraries, and food banks across the state.
Please share the VOTE411 flyer - even if you are not a member of the League, you can be a voting advocate by printing this out at home and sharing with your friends, book club, church, or neighborhood groups or posting at a local coffee shop or other place of business!
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Mis- and Disinformation Webinar
Mis- and disinformation is a widespread and pervasive problem in America right now, especially in Texas. LWVTX is working with LWVUS's Democracy Truth Project to address mis- and disinformation. We are collaborating with the News Literacy Project, a nonpartisan education nonprofit that provides programs and resources for educators and the public to teach, learn, and share the skills needed to be smart, active consumers of news and information and equal and engaged participants in a democracy.
Part of this partnership is a series of PSAs to help combat election misinformation. The News Literacy Project will begin pitching the PSAs to stations in Texas in both English and Spanish. The PSAs will also be available on the LWVUS YouTube channel shortly, which you can share online and at your events.
LWVTX is providing a free webinar about mis- and disinformation on Thursday, Oct. 6th from 12-1pm CST over Zoom. During this webinar, you will learn how to combat mis- and disinformation, and we will be recruiting volunteers to join the Civic Listening Corps volunteer misinformation monitoring program.
Register for the Webinar Here
Feel free to use the mis- and disinformation graphics from LWVUS on your website and social media, or share them with your friends and networks. Click here to learn more about mis- and disinformation.
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"Why I Vote" Videos
LWV Texas is spearheading a "Why I Vote" campaign, featuring videos of our members and others sharing why they vote. Click here to see an example video of one of our interns, Ellis, sharing why she votes.
When making your video, here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Your background should be pleasing and/or simple. You want a background that won't distract from your message and isn't too cluttered.
- Choose good lighting. Natural lighting is best if possible.
- Speak loudly and clearly. Make sure there isn't a lot of background noise in your video.
- Film your video in portrait/vertical orientation.
- Don't stand too far away from the camera.
- Be sure there aren't any partisan signs or messages in your video!
Please email your videos to Joleen Smith, and contact her with any questions you have about the project or making your video.
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Election Protection Training
Election Protection helps voters when they encounter problems at the polls and operates a hotline to empower voters with information about how to vote. Every election year, they recruit, train, and deploy thousands of volunteers across the nation. These trained, nonpartisan volunteers serve as voters’ first line of defense against confusing voting rules, outdated infrastructure, rampant misinformation, and needless obstacles to the ballot box.
There are multiple Election Protection trainings available throughout October and even into November. Click here to learn more and sign up for a training.
|  | | LWV Bay Area
Photo credit: Twitter account of BAHA Delta Sigma Theta. The League of Women Voters of the Bay Area partnered with the Bay Area Houston Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority to hold a voter registration event for students at the University of Houston-Clear Lake on National Voter Registration Day. Read more here.
|  | LWV Collin County
Photo credit: League of Women Voters of Collin County Facebook page. LWV Collin County's VDRs (Volunteer Deputy Voter Registrars) have been busy helping people get registered to vote at various locations across Collin County, including the North Texas Food Bank. Read more here.
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LWV Dallas
Photo credit: League of Women Voters of Dallas Facebook page. LWV Dallas had a #CampusTakeover at Dallas College campuses in order to educate voters and get students and staff registered to vote in the upcoming election. More here and here.
|  | LWV San Antonio
Photo credit: League of Women Voters of the San Antonio Area Facebook page. LWV San Antonio hosted their Youth Initiatives Committee at the Bazan Branch Library. Read more here and here. To learn more about their Youth Leadership Training Program, visit their website.
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| Your Texas League in the News |
Important dates to remember about voter registration
Will DuPree, KXAN | Published on 9/15/2022
Voting advocates are alerting Texans to important dates they should remember in order to cast a ballot in the upcoming November election. For instance, the window is quickly closing for people to register to vote or change the address listed on their registration in time. The last day to do either of those things is Oct. 11, according to the League of Women Voters of Texas.
Read the full article here.
Watch the on-air interview with Joyce LeBombard, President of LWVTX here.
| Why does Texas have so many elections, and why do few people vote in them?
Emma Williams, The Texas Tribune | Published on 9/15/2022
Texas has some of the country’s strictest restrictions on voting, including a law passed in 2021 that limited what voting initiatives local counties could undertake. “It impacts older voters, it impacts disabled voters and it impacts rural voters,” said Joyce LeBombard, president of the League of Women Voters Texas. “It just has consequences that I don’t think everybody realizes.”
Read the full article here.
| Citizens encouraged to register to vote with election day coming up
Alicia Naspretto, KXXV | Published on 9/20/2022
Advocates across the state are encouraging everyone to vote in every election this year, including local ones that don't usually see a high turnout. "That's where your county commissioners get elected," League of Women Voters President Joyce Lebombard said. "That's where the judges get elected, where the school board gets elected. So it really has more impact on people's individual lives."
Read the full article here.
| Get Informed for the Mid-Term Elections
Emily Baucum, Focus on South Texas, FOX29 | Published on 9/24/2022
The League of Women Voters of Texas empowers and educates voters on state and national issues that affect their lives. This nonpartisan nonprofit provides information on how to vote by mail, how to check if you are registered, and more. Joyce LeBombard tells viewers about the changes to voting in Texas and about the Vote 411 website for the upcoming elections.
View the video here.
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Voting Systems in Texas & Election Security
Are our elections safe and secure? The answer is yes! Texas Secretary of State John Scott is using a series of videos to educate voters about election administration in Texas and walking them through how our elections are kept secure.
In the latest video, Secretary Scott says, "Here are a couple of key facts that you, as a Texas voter, should know when it comes to the security of our voting systems: (1) voting machines in Texas are never connected to the internet; (2) only the software that our office certifies can be loaded on voting equipment; and (3) all voting machines in Texas are tested for logic and accuracy three times - twice before the election, and once immediately after the election."
Joyce LeBombard, LWVTX President, adds, "Our elections in Texas are safe and secure. The Elections Administrators are doing an excellent job with election integrity, working hard to make sure every vote counts."
Learn more here.
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National Voter Education Week
The League of Women Voters of Texas is joining partners across the country for National Voter Education Week (NVEW) this October 3rd-7th! NVEW is a digital week of action and celebration of voting that brings joy to the democratic process while helping communities make their voices heard by equipping them with the tools, information, and confidence they need to cast their ballots. Learn more here.
- Monday, Oct. 3rd - Register to vote or check your registration status. #VOTEREADY
- Tuesday, Oct. 4th - Request your mail-in ballot. #MAILREADY
- Wednesday, Oct. 5th - Make a plan to vote. #VOTEPLANREADY
- Thursday, Oct. 6th - Learn what's on your ballot. #BALLOTREADY
- Friday, Oct. 7th - Level up your voting engagement. #ELECTIONREADY
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Vote Early Day
This year, Vote Early Day is on Oct. 28th, 2022. Vote Early Day is a nonpartisan movement of media companies, businesses, nonprofits, election administrators, and creatives working to ensure all Americans have the tools to vote early. The goal of Vote Early Day is to help all eligible voters learn about their voting options and celebrate the act of voting early. Learn more here.
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Thank You to Our November 2022 Voters Guide Sponsors & Donors!
The League of Women Voters of Texas would like to thank our sponsors and donors of the November 2022 Voters Guide. We are grateful for your support! Because of generous and passionate advocates like you, we are able to provide both printed and online versions of our nonpartisan Voters Guides in multiple languages to individuals and organizations across the state!
| | Gold Sponsor
Crossroads Cattle
Silver Sponsors
Texas Association of School Boards
Texas Nurses Association
Bronze Sponsors
Dorothy Marchand
Elaine Wiant
Irene Temple
Julie and Michael Lowenberg
Major Donors
Deb Treece
Deborah and John Kochevar
Diedre Doyle
Elisabeth MacNamara
| | Major Donors (cont.)
Elizabeth Branch
Grace Chimene
Joyce LeBombard
Ken Caldiera
Kevin Rowe
Lance & Erin Ramsey
Meg Scott Johnson
Methodist Healthcare Ministries
Mr & Mrs Charles Parrish
Paul and Marian Cones
Relia Ma Scheib
Ruth Davis
Ruthann Geer
T. Michael O'Connor
Wild Thyme Fund
William and Wen Devanney Family Fund
Wintemute Family Foundation
| | | If you would like to make a donation to help support the important work of the League of Women Voters of Texas in defending democracy and empowering voters, click here.
Make a Donation!
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League of Women Voters of Texas
1212 Guadalupe St. #107
Austin Texas, 78701
(512) 472-1100
lwvtexas@lwvtexas.org
lwvtexas.org
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