Democracy is Not a Spectator Sport – Get Involved!

At our recent members' meeting I spoke about LWVWP’s plans for the upcoming election season.

This year our efforts are framed by an awareness that to truly fulfill our mission to promote an informed and engaged electorate and make democracy work for all, there must be a concerted effort to broaden our work to serve all segments of the White Plains community.

This not something we have been very good at in the past. There have been a few efforts in recent election seasons. But we must do more. The need to get the word out to all of White Plains is something that must inform all we do. And what we do is Voter Service (election calendars, voter registration, get out the vote (GOTV)), disseminating election and candidates information (VOTE411.ORG and the Voter’s Guides), and hosting Candidates Forums.

These are not tasks that can be accomplished solely by the LWVWP Board of Directors. It needs all of you to be involved. If you care about ensuring that White Plains residents have the information they need to be informed about elections and the candidates running for office, then you should be actively involved in the work of YOUR League.

No matter what your skills or how much time you wish to devote, we want you to get involved. On the front lines or behind the scenes.

The fact that voting rights are not under attack here in New York State does not lessen the urgency of our mission. If you aren’t involved and working to involve others, then interest in elections will fade and our leaders will be chosen by an ever-shrinking number of people. This past Spring, White Plains had its first contested School Board election in a very long time. Fewer than 1,000 people voted.

This year’s elections are as consequential as those of last year; perhaps more so. This year we will elect the city and county officials that influence quality of life. How well or poorly they perform affects us all every day. Although we are part of a national organization, our focus is local. Our mission is to serve the White Plains community and broaden awareness of local elections and their importance to us all.

On another level, at stake now is the long-term viability of the League of Women Voters of White Plains. We encourage you to get involved to ensure LWVWP can continue its work.

Our Board of Directors is composed of people who have been doing their jobs for many, many years. They are dedicated and giving of their time because they believe in the League’s mission.

We strive to involve the youth of White Plains by sponsoring students for the state League’s Students Inside Albany program, the Running and Winning program, and a memorial civic engagement scholarship presented to a White Plains high school senior. And we work with area high schools through our Vote 18 program to help students register to vote.

Our information programs strive to give White Plains residents some insight into city matters that are relevant to them.

Voter Service helps residents know when and where to vote, and our Candidates Forums help them decide who to vote for. Our participation in National Voter Registration Day is very important. In past years we have registered hundreds of voters (no joke).

Email, social media, and our website are all vehicles for getting the word out. We strive to grow our membership and our treasurer monitors our finances.

I have been LWVWP president for five years during which time the League has been an important influence in our community, and we hope that this will continue.

We encourage you to come out and work with us; get involved and help ensure LWVWP’s viability. 

The League of Women Voters is more than one hundred years old. Its mission has evolved from helping women become informed and engaged voters to doing that for everyone. And it is every bit as essential to our democracy today as it was when the League was founded.

Lastly, if you are a member of a community organization that you believe could benefit from the work we do, we want to hear from you. We want to partner with your organization. To meet with you and learn about the work you do, and who you serve. We will explain what the League does and hopefully we can identify how your group can leverage our resources and expertise to benefit your constituents.

Our work is ongoing, and I look forward to working with you.

In League,

- stephen

Stephen Cohen

lwvwp.president [at] gmail.com