The League of Women Voters Speaks Out!

Unite and Rise 8.5: A Campaign to Defend Democracy

On April 17, LWV CEO Celina Stewart and President Dianna Wynn released the following statement: 

“It has now been 87 days since the start of the Trump administration. From the flagrant disregard for congressional authority and governmental checks and balances to defying Supreme Court orders to bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia back home, one thing is abundantly clear: our country is in a constitutional crisis.  

"We the people must fight back. That is why the League of Women Voters is launching a powerful new initiative, Unite and Rise 8.5.” 

Through Unite and Rise 8.5, we will engage and mobilize 8.5 million voters to protect and preserve our democracy. Read on to learn more about the campaign and how to get involved. 

Read the full article here.

Read other recent LWV US press releases about the current state of our democracy:

• LWV Declares United States in a "Constitutional Crisis," Announces New Initiative to Mobilize Voters - April 17, 2025
• A Dangerous Attempt to Silence American Voters: LWV Responds to President Trump's Anti-Voter Executive Order - March 26, 2025
• An Unprecedented, Breathtaking Assault on American Democracy: LWV Responds to Trump Administration's First 60 Days - March 20, 2025
• The League of Women Voters of the US Urges Congress to Act in New Letter - February 14, 2024
• LWV Condemns Trump Administration’s Weaponization of Government Against Americans - February 6, 2025

To see ALL recent LWV US press releases, click here

ACTION ALERT - Join the Economic Blackout

Join the thousands of Americans who demand transparency and ethical behavior from our government, who demand a return to the rule of law, who demand good governance and adherence to our constitutional principles.

LWV Ventura County encourages our members and extended supporters to participate in this economic blackout.  Three total blackouts for one-day,  and eight one-week blackouts targeted at specific retailers.

What not to do: Do not make any purchases, online or in-store, from these major corporations.

What you can do: Support small, local businesses.

Our Accomplishments in 2024!

Highlights of accomplishments since our last Annual Meeting:

• Ninety trained members helped approximately 3,500 high school students and senior citizens in assisted living or retirement communities to register to vote, or update their registration
• Fifteen in-person forums for local candidates were recorded, made available on our website, and watched by hundreds of people
• Thirteen in-person Pros and Cons presentations about ballot propositions
• Delivered "Food to the Polls" to show appreciation to all 50 vote centers, and lunch to the Elections Office (130 people) post-election
• Raised public awareness of the League during eight tabling events around the County
• Hosted "Lunch and Learn with the League" about the Electoral College - see recording below
• Served as independent vote counters in a homeowners association election
• Welcomed new volunteers at a "Volunteer Recruitment Picnic"

Get involved and make a difference in our community!

Your voice matters, and we offer numerous ways to participate in local democracy. Whether you're passionate about voter education, interested in candidate forums, or want to help with voter registration, we have opportunities for every skill set and schedule. By volunteering, you'll help ensure fair elections, promote civic engagement, and strengthen our democratic process. Join us to learn more about current initiatives and how you can contribute to positive change right here in our County.

Volunteer Opportunities 

Join the LWV Observer Corps

Let our city council members and County Board of Supervisors know the League is paying attention. Observers are asked to wear their blue League T-shirts and LWVVC "Observer" buttons so they'll know we're there.  Then report your observations using this easy two-page observer form.  We publish observer reports with our monthly newsletter. 

Join the observer team at info [at] lwvventuracounty.org (subject: LWVVC%20Observer%20Corps)

Ever wonder what your public officials do?  How your govenrment works?  Get to know your Ventura County community leaders and elected officials, and their jobs.

Our next Learn with the League opportunity will be on Wednesday, May 28, at 10am, to tour the Camarillo Police Department, which contracts with the Ventura Sheriff Department to provide services.  To attend please lwvvc.info [at] gmail.com (subject: Sheriff's%20Office%20Tour%20RSVP, quot, ) (RSVP) - we will need your full name and birth date as this is required by the Sheriff’s Office to attend. Details on where to meet will be emailed to those who RSVP. The session is expected to take between 1 and 1 ½ hours.

• WATCH events from 2024, including: Voter's Choice Act; Grand Jury; City Manager; Electoral College (Learn about our "One Person, One Vote" project)
  
• WATCH events from 2023, including: Water and Sanitation; Superior Court; Ventura County Education; Ventura County Community Foundation, ADL on Reporting Hate Crimes
• WATCH events from 2022, including: Assessor; Sheriff; District Attorney; Clerk-Recorder/Registrar; Treasurer-Tax Collector; Auditor-Controller; County Supervisor

Helpful Hints for Difficult Conversations: 

• LWV Orange Coast and Big Tent have prepared talking points to encourge meaningful public discourse in difficult conversations on the economy, the climate, reproductive freedom and more. Check it out at: Issues-based Talking Points Tool

• From the ADL: Guidelines for Having Difficult Conversations
• From Right To Be: Tips for How To Intervene in a Hate Incident

How is your Civics Knowledge?

Find out with a fun game about civics and news literacy, courtesy of LWV of Alameda, CA VERIFY IT!

The 19th Amendment Explained 

It took more than a century of fighting by generations of activists to achieve suffrage for all American women.  The Brennan Center for Justice explains how it all happened.

Have you thought about running for office?

On July 18th our local league collaborated with Buen Vecino and Future Leaders of America to present an educational zoom meeting to inform prospective candidates of the nuts and bolts of running for public office. This informative event is now available for viewing at   Grassroots Guide to Running for Office.

Watch VC County Election Education Series

In anticipation of the March 5, 2024 Presidential Primary Election, Michelle Ascencion, County Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters, presented a four-part Election Education Series at the Ventura County Board of Supervisors Meetings. Ascencion covered election topics that are of interest to the Ventura County voting and candidate community.  People were invited to attend in person or online.  Now that the series is finished you can WATCH them all on video.  This series was about the primary, but the general information applies to all our elections.

Topics include: Candidates and Campaigns - Voter Registration and Primary Election Voting - Vote Centers and Vote By Mail - Election Technology, Security, and Observation - Canvass/Certification, Recounts, and Fraud Prevention 

Annual Meeting 2024

The annual meeting for our general membership was held on June 1st, at the Poinsettia Pavilion in Ventura.  We discussed this year's accomplishments, elected officers and board members, and approved the budget and bylaws.

We also had an eye-opening, inspiring conversation with our keynote speaker, Professor Kathleen Bruhn, PhD, who spoke on "Democratic Backsliding and How to Fight It."  Professor Bruhn has taught at UCSB for 31 years and is Chair of the Department of Political Science. She graduated from Stanford University (PhD 1993) and her areas of specialization are Comparative Politics, Identity, and Latin American Studies.  In her speech she described how democracies everywhere are experiencing slow erosion and many are sliding toward authoritarianism.  She gave many examples of this in Latin America, explaining how Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) of Mexico used their populist platforms to acquire power over the courts, military, regulatory agencies, media, and oil and gas industries.  To combat this erosion, she suggested that citizens should engage in elections (vote, observe and work in; never boycott), engage in litigation which slows autocrats down (unless the courts have been taken over by the autocrat), and lobby (peaceful protests slow autocrats and buy time), support government institutions, and educate voters.  The slides from her presentation can be seen HERE.

Ranked Choice Voting  - Learn about it!!

Protecting Reproductive Rights

Curious about the real history of abortion in religion and the law? Read this excellent New Yorker article.

Defending Democracy!

See our January 6 Resolution here

BOOKS WE LIKE - From our Climate Change and other committees

• FEATURED - On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century - by Timothy Snyder
• No Miracles Needed: How Today's Technology Can Save Our Climate and Clean Our Air - by Mark Z. Jacobson
• Video: Drawdown Roadmap: Accelerating Climate Solutions (17 minutes)
• Video: Just Have a Think: Have we got enough minerals? (15 minutes)
• Upheaval: How Nations Cope with Crisis and Change - by Jared Diamond
• Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption - by Bryan Stevenson
• See More books - and how to access them online
  

2021 Redistricting Explained