With Election Day just over a month away, the LWVC is energized and fully focused (ok and maybe a little tired!) But rest can wait, because we’re committed to making sure every Californian feels empowered and ready to vote. Ballots start mailing in just three days (October 7), and we’re excited to see our resources—like the Easy Voter Guide, Pros and Cons, and VOTE411—making their way into communities. Between this and the end of the legislative session, it’s been an action-packed month! And – it’s time to think about leadership with the LWVC. Are you ready to lead? Learn about joining the LWVC Board!

 Join the League of Women Voters of California and co-sponsors ABC7 Los Angeles and Univision for our 2024 U.S. Senate Candidate Forum

Hear directly from California’s U.S. Senate Candidates Steve Garvey and Adam Schiff as they explain their positions on critical issues facing California and our country.

The Candidate Forum will be moderated by ABC7 Eyewitness News Anchor, Marc Brown. Candidates will be questioned by a panel of journalists including ABC7 San Francisco News Anchor, Kristen Sze; ABC30 Fresno Action News Live Anchor, Warren Armstrong; and Univision Los Angeles Anchor, Gabriela Teissier.

Live Broadcast
Date: October 8
Time: 5 PM

Spanish Re-Broadcast
Date: October 9
Time: Noon
(Univision KMEX-TV)

Watch live on ABC7/KABC-TV Los Angeles, ABC7/KGO-TV San Francisco, ABC30/KFSN-TV Fresno, streaming on ABC Live, univision34.com, and the LWVC Education website.

Voter Education

The LWVC Education Fund is getting resources out across the state, far and wide. Easy Voter Guides have arrived in mailboxes and are being widely shared. Highlights include: LWV Santa Barbara distributing 9,000 guides with local food banks and libraries, LWV San Diego distributing 5,000 to libraries, community groups, and jails, and AltaMed providing 30,000 guides in English and Spanish at their clinics. Multiple county election offices, and adult literacy programs in 103 libraries across the state are also distributing the EVG. Meanwhile, 120 volunteers have reached out to encourage 4,800 candidates to participate on VOTE411 and have also entered information on 600 local measures. Pros & Cons are also available in English and now Spanish. Our focus is on empowering voters by helping everyone understand the ballot!

Advocacy Update

The dust is settling after a busy legislative session in Sacramento. We’ll provide a full update in our Democracy Works Newsletter, but we want to highlight the enactment of a couple bills that demonstrate our commitment to coalition work and election protection.

• AB 2642 (Berman and Gipson) – The Peace Act makes it illegal to threaten voters or election workers and assumes that guns near polling places are intimidating. It also gives voters and election workers the right to take legal action if they’re threatened.
• AB 2655 (Berman) – Defending Democracy from Deepfake Deception Act of 2024 would require large online platforms to block or label false or altered election-related content before and after an election. It also would require these platforms to provide ways for users to report fake or misleading content during these times. This bill is currently being challenged in court, but we remain supportive of the legislation to protect voters. 

Our support for these critical bills exemplifies the broad range of issues we address in Sacramento to safeguard voters and elections from all angles.

New Research! Voter Education Funding Coalition

Since 2022, the LWVC has led a coalition to push for state funding for voter outreach, focusing on communities with historically low turnout. These communities often face underinvestment in voter engagement. We are excited to announce a new study – just released – by the Data for Social Good, that outlines strategies for creating more equitable voter engagement by using an equity-focused funding model. You can read their report here.

Call for Board Nominations and Applications Now Open!