The League of Women Voters on Thursday, September 12,  launched a "multi-million-dollar, multi-year" effort to end discriminatory gerrymandering, the practice of drawing electoral maps for political gain. The group announced plans to spend $500,000 this year alone.

A letter from our leadership team concerning this issue can be read here.

Additional information on this topic can be found at:

• People Powered Fair Maps Campaign
• People Powered Fair Maps Campaign FAQ
• What is Gerrymandering

 

The LWVDE biennial convention, held at Barcley Farms Clubhouse in Camden on June 1, featured a program on How Our Advocacy Corps (AC) Works. The format consisted of a special meeting of the Advocacy Committee (AC) where all attendees were invited to participate in considering whether to support, oppose or monitor some key bills. Considerable discussion ensued. Those present gained a better understanding of the role of the AC and enjoyed learning how details of bills challenge members in deciding on which ones to advocate.

 

Kent County hosts provided a yummy breakfast of home-made and catered goodies and a delicious assortment of sandwiches, salads and desserts catered by Panera.

An efficient business meeting chaired by then President Joann Hasse featured election of state board members and officers for 2019-21, adoption of a state budget, new and continuing policy positions, an amendment to the bylaws, and local presidents presentations on their respective highlights of the year.

The outstanding program featured:

• Elections Commissioner Elaine Manlove on voting bills and the new voting machines that will be used for school board elections in May;
• Drew Wilson, Delaware's representative from the national organization promoting the National Public Vote Interstate Compact;
• John Sykes on how the state's current Regional Portfolio Standards need to be updated to improve our ability to achieve inroads into climate change;
• and Representative Valerie Longhurst on the need and considerations going into her plans for a bill to address water infrastructure needs throughout the state.

Special arrangements were made for several meetings with legislators in the afternoon at Legislative Hall and a large number of League members met with them.

In addition, attendees were invited to the signing ceremony for the National Public Vote Interstate Compact where Julie Price, LWVDE's advocate on this legislation, spoke right before Governor Carney signed the bill.

A Coalition representing the League, Common Cause, the Delaware Alliance for Community Advancement, and the American Civil Liberties Union held a press conference in Legislative Hall on August 10, 2017. Both the News Journal and the Delaware State News covered the event where speakers called for new voting machines with a voter-verified paper audit trail. Delaware is one of only five states nationwide without a paper trail.

 

League Advocacy Chair Sandy Spence told the press that our 22-year old machines need to be replaced as soon as possible with the "best [machines] that money can buy in order to protect the security and integrity of our voting system."

The press event preceded a meeting of a Task Force charged with reviewing what machines are available. The meeting focused on defining criteria to be included in a Request of Proposals. Sandy Spence called for criteria to include:

• employ a voter-verifiable paper ballot or other paper record, said paper being the official record of the voter's intent;
• enable the voter to verify that the paper ballot/record accurately reflects his or her intent, either by eye or with the aid of suitable devices for those who have impaired vision;
• allow verification to take place while the voter is still in the process of voting;
• use the paper ballot/record for audits and recounts;
• facilitate verification of vote totals by an independent hand count of the paper ballot/record; and
• support routine audits of the paper ballot/record in randomly selected precincts in every election, with the results published by the jurisdiction.

A copy of her statement can be seen  here.