League of Women Voters ^®
of Alachua County

Dear Members,
Happy New Year to each of you! I hope you enjoyed a joyous holiday season with those you love.
We’ve entered 2023 and exited The Year of the Huge Elections. As such, your hard-working Board has already pivoted our attention to important local issues and preparing voters for the 2024 elections. This month the Board will have an in-person (yipppeee!) planning session.

By Cecile M. Scoon, Esq., League of Women Voters of Florida President

Since the 2020 election, Florida’s state Legislature has enacted numerous measures that impact how Floridians vote and how their voices are heard. One of the ways that Florida citizens’ voices are either elevated or muted is by the process of redistricting.

Do you, or someone you know, need health insurance but cannot afford it? If so, now is the time to act! The Federal Government is using your tax dollars to offer health insurance at new low prices! The Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) has a program that offers low-cost health insurance through private insurance plans. Open enrollment runs until January 15, 2023.

Health Insurance is complicated, and most people need assistance to understand their choices. Florida has a program that offers consumers help from specialists called Navigators who will explain eligibility, options, and how to enroll. Navigators provide free, unbiased help so you can understand your choices and how much each will cost. Navigators are not associated with anyone who sells insurance and their services are available to everyone in Florida.

Dear Members,

Democracy prevailed. This morning after the nation-wide elections, although many of the results won’t be known for days, headlines are full of results. Absent are substantial reports of interference at precincts, as some had feared. Voters turned out. Election workers steadfastly did the work of making voting accessible and counting ballot choices. Here in Alachua County, Voter Services co-chair, Gwen Wagner, participated in monitoring the canvassing board, and left impressed with the diligence of those who are responsible for scrutinizing ballots and reassured that every ballot in our county was counted per the wishes of the voter. Democracy remained intact.