We are truly a grassroots organization...
The League of Women Voters takes action on an issue or advocates for a cause when there is an existing League position that supports the issue or speaks to the cause.
Positions result from a process of study. Any given study, whether it be National, State, or Local, is thorough in its pursuit of facts and details. As the study progresses, a continuing discussion of pros and cons of each situation occurs. Prior to the results of the study being presented to the general membership, study committee members fashion consensus questions that are then addressed by the membership.
Additional discussion, pro and con, takes place as members (not part of the study committee) learn the scope of the study. After the mbers reach consensus, the board forms positions based on that consensus.
It is the consensus statement -- the statement resulting from the consensus questions -- that becomes a position. Firm action or advocacy can then be taken on the particular issue addressed by the position. Without a position, action/advocacy cannot be taken
National Volunteer Appreciation Week is April 16 to 22. It’s a perfect time to celebrate all our volunteers have accomplished in the seven years since we started. We impacted the 2021 redistricting process, pushed for better rules and have encouraged thousands of Pennsylvanians to become more actively engaged in local and state politics. Our recent web update highlights the launch of Fair Districts PA in 2016 and some of the important work we’ve done since then.
Here’s a graphic we shared on social media this week. The total petition number includes 104,032 petition signers supporting an independent citizens redistricting commission and 10,613 supporting the Fix Harrisburg campaign. Feel free to share both petitions with everyone you know.
FDPA is a volunteer-led, volunteer-staffed grassroots movement. Volunteers design graphics, write emails and reports, manage our Fair Districts PA and Fix Harrisburg websites, and organize and speak at our events. As our fiscal sponsor, the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania provides some part-time administrative support, but outreach, research, writing, planning, organizing and more are all done by volunteers. We’ve just completed a months-long sustainability planning process to identify ways to build an even stronger volunteer organization, so watch for new volunteer opportunities soon.
Our top volunteer priority is Polling Place Outreach on May 16th.
We have over 100 volunteers so far but would like many more. If you’re not already working as a poll worker, election official, or helping a local candidate, consider signing up for a 3-4 hour shift at a polling place near you, or sign up to take a road trip to a polling place in an area where we want to expand our reach. Training and materials are provided.
Sign up for a shift as a Polling Place Outreach volunteer
Redistricting Zoom Forum: May 31
The next redistricting cycle is just a few legislative sessions away, so work needs to begin soon on redistricting reform efforts. As a step toward that, Fair Districts PA, PA Voice, the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania, Committee of Seventy, Draw the Lines and Common Cause PA are convening a panel discussion to celebrate the successes of the past cycle, consider what’s been learned about independent citizen redistricting commission best practices and highlight questions of importance for future reforms. We’ll announce panelists sometime soon. In the meantime, you can rsvp here:
Sign up to attend PA Redistricting: Lessons Learned and Next Steps for Reform
We’ve come a long way since our start in 2016, but we still have much to do to ensure a fair redistricting process for decades to come and a legislature able to represent us all well.
Thank you for being part of this important story.
Carol Kuniholm
Fair Districts PA Chair
PS: Our next Volunteer Update Zoom meeting will take place on Monday, May 1 at 7 pm. These meetings are a chance to learn more about current FDPA next steps and for conversation with FDPA leaders about ways to become more involved as volunteers. Register here.
NATIONAL POPULAR VOTE
LEARN MORE...
· One-page description of National Popular Vote
· Introductory video (8 minutes)
· Watch Jesse Wegman, author of Let the People Pick the President
· Watch Prof. George Edwards III, author of Why the Electoral College Is Bad for America
· Podcast with Jason Harrow, Executive Director of Equal Citizens and National Popular Vote Chair Dr. John Koza
· Legal Eagle (Devin James Stone) video explaining Electoral College
· Listen to Open Mind podcast in which Alexander Heffner interviews National Popular Vote Chair Dr. John Koza. Spotify
· Watch Michael Steele, former Chair of the Republican National Committee
· Watch Rick Tyler, author of Still Right, and Saul Anuzis present the conservative case for electing the President by National Popular Vote
· Watch debate at R Street between National Popular Vote's Eileen Reavey and Patrick Rosenstiel and NPV's opponents Tara Ross and Trent England
· Watch Dr. John Hudak, author of Presidential Pork: White House Influence over the Distribution of Federal Grants
LWVUS Response to Police Killing of George Floyd
"As an organization whose mission is to empower voters and defend democracy, we stand in solidarity with all Black communities. The League shall do so not only by speaking out against racism in all forms, but by doing the work required of us to be anti-racist. We are committed to listening to and amplifying Black voices, and educating ourselves and our children on the historic and ongoing systemic racism that plagues this country."
