| An update for League friends and subscribers. | | | | Come to the Fall League Gathering | You're invited to the fall League gathering on Tuesday, September 17, at the Bryan Park Henderson Shelter, 1001 S Henderson St., Bloomington, from 6:00-7:30 pm. This is an opportunity for both members and friends to meet, socialize, and learn about activities coming up. Not a member? No problem! Anyone interested in the League is welcome. Refreshments will be served. We look forward to seeing you. Questions? Contact membership@lwv-bmc.org. No need to register for this event...just be there! - Nancy Riggert
| | | | League Will Hold Two Candidate Forums | Monroe County Council At Large candidates will meet Monday, September 23, 7:30-9:00 pm. Joe Davis (write-in), Trent Deckard (D), David Henry (D), and Cheryl Munson (D) have agreed to participate. Beverly Calender-Anderson will moderate. The forum will convene in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 401 N. Morton St. in Bloomington. No registration is required.
Co-sponsors of the event are Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. - Kappa Tau Omega Chapter, the Big Ten Voting Challenge, IU PACE, League of Women Voters Bloomington-Monroe County, Monroe County NOW, Monroe County Branch NAACP, South Central Indiana Citizens’ Climate Lobby.
The U.S. House Indiana District 9 forum will be held online on Saturday, September 28, from 9:30 to 11:00 am. Russell Brooksbank (L) and Tim Peck (D) have accepted the invitation. Erin Houchin (R) declined to participate. Sonia Leerkamp, vice president of the League of Women Voters of Brown County, will moderate. Preregistration is required: https://bit.ly/4cqzPut
Co-sponsors of the event are Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. - Kappa Tau Omega Chapter, the Big Ten Voting Challenge, Citizens' Climate Lobby - New Albany, IU PACE, League of Women Voters of Bloomington-Monroe County, League of Women Voters of Brown County, League of Women Voters of Southern Indiana, Monroe County NOW, Monroe County Branch NAACP, and South Central Indiana Citizens’ Climate Lobby.
Community Access Television Services (CATS) through the Monroe County Public Library has been invited to record both forums. - Ralf Shaw (voterservice@lwv-bmc.org) | | Podcast Focuses on Big Ten Voting Challenge | | The most recent Civic Conversations podcast features the Big Ten Voting Challenge with Mark Fraley, the associate director of PACE, the Political and Civic Engagement Program in the College of Arts and Sciences, IU Bloomington, and Pearl Vinard, an IU PACE student.
The Big Ten Voting Challenge is a competition among the fourteen universities in the Big Ten Conference. Universities compete to win two titles: “Greatest Overall Turnout” and “Greatest Increase in Voting Rates.”
| | | | According to Fraley, the challenge has impacted student voting even though students typically vote in smaller numbers. “One reason that younger people do not vote,” says Vinard, “is that they often feel their voices do not matter.” With the Big Ten Voting Challenge, students can help their universities increase voting numbers through this unique competition. Go to Civic Conversations to listen to the podcast. - Becky Hill and Jim Allison | | LWVUS Responds to Project 2025 | LWVUS President Dianna Wynn issued the following statement on July 12, 2024, as an official counter to Project 2025:
“For more than a century, the League of Women Voters has stood as a trusted, nonpartisan source of election information for voters across this nation. Since our founding, our organization has been dedicated to preparing voters to cast their ballot in each election and to exercise their right to participate in democracy.” Go here to read the rest of this press release. | | Sibling Cities Plan Town Hall on Voter Access and Turnout | The cities of Bloomington, Indiana, and Palo Alto, California, are the first "Sibling Cities" in a national project that opens meaningful dialog between communities in different parts of the country. Calls for national unity are increasing in response to today’s national divides and Americans yearn to move past the polarization afflicting our country. In response to this project the Bloomington-Monroe County League has been collaborating with the Palo Alto League.
Sibling Cities USA is excited to announce an upcoming conversation deeply relevant to the November Election: “Voter Access and Turnout.” Included in the event will be short background presentations from representatives in both cities and open dialog between the two groups. Residents are invited to attend in-person meetings in both communities, with simultaneous video connections between them.
As we anticipate the upcoming national elections, partners in this vital discussion are the League of Women Voters, Braver Angels, the Indiana University Office of Political and Civic Engagement (PACE), and Stanford’s Intercollegiate Civil Disagreement program.
Democracy: Voter Access and Turnout | Sunday, September 29
Bloomington: 4-6 pm ET: Monroe County Public Library, Room 1B/C, 303 E Kirkwood
Palo Alto: 1-3 pm PT: Mitchell Park Community Center, El Palo Alto room, 3700 Middlefield
Click here to register.
| | Big Ten Voting Challenge Tackling Student Voting | | The Big Ten Voting Challenge (BTVC) has many activities planned for fall, working to both register voters and to get out the vote. Voter registration has already been active on the campus with College Expo, Culture Fest, Intensive Freshman Seminars, and at the Hamilton Lugar School. Over 100 students had already registered through TURBO vote. IU Student Government is sponsoring a “ROAD to 100,” which is working to get 100% student participation in the election. There are dozens of participating organizations representing a diverse group of students. Each is required to host at least one registration event. The BTVC will also participate in National Voter Registration Day, September 17, with fun outdoor activities and vote center representatives present to get input from the student population. An event called “Friday Finish” every Friday from 11 am to 4 pm will provide voter registration and information regarding voting at the Wells Library. This is just a sampling of the voter registration and education activities planned by the BTVC. Any League member interested in registering student voters should speak to our Leadership Team student representative, Pearl Vinard, or contact Monica Clemons at voterservice@lwv-bmc.org. – Annamaria Mecca | | Celebrate Lake Monroe Day with "Friends" | | Friends of Lake Monroe is pleased to announce the third annual Lake Monroe Day Celebration on Sunday September 15th from 5:00 to 8:00 at the Fields Clubhouse. Enjoy live music from Busman's Holiday and support the group that is working to protect water quality in Lake Monroe. Other activities that week include drinking water treatment plant tours, a pontoon boat ride, and a hike in Hoosier National Forest. These events are part of a larger celebration of the 60th anniversary of the lake's creation. Visit the website for more information. - Maggie Sullivan, Friends of Lake Monroe | | | | Vote Center Committee Holds Public Meeting | The Vote Center Study Committee will hold a public meeting to hear from the public about the potential for vote centers in Monroe County. - Ralf Shaw
Wednesday September 11, 6:00-7:00
Unionville Elementary School
8144 E State Road 45
Unionville, IN 47468 | | Come to NAACP Freedom Fund Awards Dinner | You are invited to join the Monroe County NAACP on Saturday, September 14, 2024, for their 43rd Freedom Funds Awards Dinner. The funds raised from the dinner financially support the branch’s activities such as the Scholarship Program for local high school seniors, public forums on significant civil rights issues, and community programs that advance the mission of the NAACP. This year’s theme is ALL IN. Go to their website to find out about sponsorships and individual tickets. - James E. Sims, Monroe County NAACP Branch #3062 | |
Graphics: Becky Hill
Proofreader: Kristina Lindborg
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