Do Elections Still Work?
Is Your Vote Safe? Is Everyone’s Vote Safe?
We must be aware of the threats to our democratic elections if we are to resist them. Can our voting systems be hacked? Will everyone who wants to vote be able to? Do we really need paper ballots? Many areas have experienced trouble with names being absent from the voting rolls, polling places closed or moved, or ballots incorrectly tallied. Voter suppression and the security of our voting systems are ongoing concerns.
League members have spent countless hours helping citizens register to vote. We have gone to high schools, train stations, and community meetings with registration information and applications in hand. How do we persuade all these voters to get out to the polls or mail in their ballots? We need to overcome both apathy and the fear of insecure election systems.
Changes are coming to Los Angeles County voting beginning with the March primary elections. How will all this affect us and our vote for president in 2020? If you have wondered whether your vote will be safe in the upcoming elections and how our new local systems will work, this League Day is for you!
Jon Fuhrman
Our speaker, Mr. Jon Fuhrman, has been active in local and state politics for over forty-five years. He has focused particularly on campaign finance and is currently serving as treasurer for Assemblymember Chris Holden and Councilmember Andy Wilson. He has also worked as treasurer to other California representatives at the local and national levels. For many years, Fuhrman has been a member of and held leadership roles in ACT, a progressive organization that deals with local, state, and national candidates and elections, as well as promoting voter engagement. He has worked extensively with the Los Angeles County Information Systems Commission and the L.A. County Registrar’s office in training deputy registrars, precinct board workers, and election night staff. With his background in politics and experience with the voting process, we will have an informative and interesting start to what promises to be a most interesting election year.
League member and Voter Services Committee Chair Martha Zavala will also be sharing information about the new L.A. County election process.
We must keep our democracy strong! Please join us as we begin this year of celebrating one hundred years of the League of Women Voters and taking action to prepare for the 2020 elections.
—Jean Buennagel
