Join the Summer Fun at a Library Event!
I need volunteers to help me from 11 am – 1 pm on June 6th at the Dougherty Station Library and June 11th at the Walnut Creek Library. If you would like to be a part of this summer fun, please let me know. I will send you all the information you need to know about burrowing owls and the process for how the day will go with the children. Please contact Shawn [at] lwvdv.org.
Record Number of Registered Voters for Contra Costa County
The Contra Costa County Elections Office does a lot of work to ensure that elections are fair and safe for us all. At the March 12th Contra Costa Elections Community Engagement meeting, attended by several LWVDV members, we learned that in the November 2024 election Contra Costa County had the largest number ever of people registered to vote. Over 74% turned out to vote. Unfortunately, this is 10% less than was estimated by the county. Estimations are an important part of the preparation process for elections. Reading through the notes from this meeting offers good insights into the work that takes place to get ready for elections.
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Podcasts about Law and the Constitution
Every day it seems as though another Executive Order is signed challenging the rights of Americans and the very foundations of our democracy. I do a lot of talking to myself to keep from becoming overwhelmed. Perhaps you experience a similar angst. My way of managing these feelings is to seek out reputable individuals who are experts in their field to read or listen to. In this instance, it's those who know law and the U.S. Constitution.
- Amicus with Dahlia Lithwick (Slate): Amicus is a legal podcast about the law and the nine Supreme Court justices who interpret it for the rest of America. Recently I listened to a discussion with Wendy Wiser of the Brennan Center for Justice about the Executive Order (EO) called Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections. While the title sounds like it is a good thing, it actually is deliberately designed to suppress people’s vote. The SAVE Act, recently passed in the House of Representatives, is also designed to do the same thing…keep people from voting.
- Amarica's Constitution: In Amarica's Constitution, Yale University professor Akhil Reed Amar offers insightful analysis on the U.S. Constitution as it relates to elections, voting, and other guardrails designed to protect democracy.
You and I, as voters and activists, are one of the major guardrails protecting our democracy. Elections matter!
Shawn Gilbert, LWVDV Voter Services Co-Chair
