Track your contacts with your legislators here. The General Assembly session is just around the corner and it's time to start talking to your legislators. Last year The League of Women Voters of South Hampton Roads won first place in the 2018 Advocacy Tracking Contest and we'd love to do it again. As Leaguers, we're always contacting our legislators anyway. The only extra step is to record those contacts on the web form so that we can demonstrate how much work we do to advocate for the issues that are important to us. Below is a message from LWV-VA Action Coordinator, Deb Wake explaining the contest and why it's important.
Beginning Monday, October 15, Local Leagues can begin tracking Advocacy using the web form.
Why track Advocacy?
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LWVUS depends upon data when applying for grants.
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Members and donors can see what the league is doing–and it attracts more members and donors.
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We can see which forms of advocacy seem to be most effective and we can apply the most effort where we get the best response.
As an extra incentive, there are prizes (Local League results will be adjusted for size of membership):
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1st: $650
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2nd: $200
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3rd: $150
We would love to have all local leagues participate this year. Please contact me if you need help or have questions: actioncoordinator [at] lwv-va.org ()
In answer to some of your questions:
Q: Is this only for legislators or do county board members count?
A: Sorry, since it’s a state-league challenge, only state officials count. However, all politics are local so we absolutely encourage you to reach out to your local officials, we just cannot count those contacts in the challenge.
Q: We have done postcard events where we have sent 15 to 20 postcards to the same delegate. Do I need to enter each postcard sent?
A: No. This is one event. You should, however, make an entry for each league member who participated.
Q: Several members will be asking folks to sign the OneVirginia2021 petition forms for a Constitutional amendment at polling places. Does this event count?
A: Yes. Staffing redistricting tables at polls count. Redistricting is one of the state-league’s legislative priorities.
Q: Why doesn’t attendance at General Assembly committee meetings count? This requires effort by the attendees.
A: As important as it is to attend committee meetings, you’re not advocating while there—unless you’re testifying. You’re learning so that you can be a better advocate but you’re not performing the act of advocating.
Q: If we go as a group, is each person in the group eligible to fill this form out?
A: Yes. You’ll want to fill out for each person that participated so that you get credit for each.
Thanks to all of you for advancing our LWV positions!
Deb Wake, Action Coordinator