SMART leader Donna Jaffe (left) and LWV-PA Voter Services Director Martha Zavala

On February 3, the LWV-PA partnered with a community group from Sierra Madre, Sierra Madre Activists Rebuilding Together (SMART). This group of concerned residents of Sierra Madre, Pasadena, and Arcadia work together on a range of topics, such as climate change and voter registration, to rebuild trust and dialogue and to effect positive changes by engaging proactively in our immediate communities and beyond.

SMART made arrangements at three of Sierra Madre’s coffeehouses to have League and SMART members help customers understand how, where, and when they will be voting in 2020. As people exited the coffeehouses, they were asked if they were familiar with the new voting process making use of vote centers. Almost all responses were No. Printed materials were distributed and engaging discussions were appreciated by those who stopped. And one person registered to vote.

A SMART-sponsored presentation of the new voting process was conducted by LWV-PA member Dorothy Keane on February 12 at the Sierra Madre City Hall.

This is one example of the power of partnering with dynamic groups that are committed to the same principles as those the League of Women Voters works to advance.

—Donna Jaffe, SMART, and Dorothy L. Keane, LWV-PA