 |  | Dear ~~first_name~~,
May is always abuzz with activity, with occasions like Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, graduations, and this year, not one but two elections! We've successfully navigated through the first of these, the local election held on May 4th. Now, we set our sights on the upcoming May 28th Primary Runoff election.
Early voting for the May 28th Primary Runoff election spans just five days, from Monday, May 20th to Friday, May 24th! As this is a primary runoff, here's what you need to know: 1) If you participated in either the Republican's or the Democrat's March 5th Primary Race, you'll cast your vote in the same party's runoff race, and 2) If you didn't vote in the original primary races, you have your choice of which party's runoff race you'd like to participate in.
Mark your calendars now for the General Election on Tuesday, November 5th with early voting from October 21st through November 1st.
Last month marked a significant milestone as LWV Texas celebrated its 40th Biennial Convention in Dallas. I'm honored and thrilled to announce my continued presidency for the next two years. As we transition, let's express our heartfelt gratitude to the dedicated individuals who are stepping down from the board, though their commitment to the League remains steadfast: Pamiel Gaskin, Mary Jane Mudd, and Stephanie Swanson.
Simultaneously, let's extend a warm welcome to the incoming members (see below), whose energy and expertise will undoubtedly enrich our organization.
You can read more about the convention here.
As we move forward, let us remain committed to our shared values and vision, working tirelessly to uphold democracy and advocate for a better tomorrow for all. Thank you for your continued support and dedication.
Warm Regards, |  | The League of Women Voters of Texas is working tirelessly to advocate for all Texans this election season and beyond. Donate today to support our mission of empowering voters and defending democracy!
Donate Today!
| | Your Texas League in Action |
Primary Runoff Election
VOTE411.org is live for the May 28th Primary Runoff election! On VOTE411.org, you can find information on any runoff races and candidates for State Board of Education, Texas Court of Appeals, Texas State Senate, and Texas State House.
Electronic and PDF versions of the Voters Guide covering the two State Board of Education races and other voter information will be available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Chinese. These will be posted at LWVTexas.org at least a week before early voting.
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Making Democracy Work® Dinner
We had a fantastic night at our annual "Making Democracy Work® Dinner," coming together with members, supporters, and advocates to celebrate the work of the League and community partners working toward the same goals of empowering voters and defending democracy.
Our dynamic keynote speaker, Molly Duane, Senior Staff Attorney with the Center for Reproductive Rights, gave a captivating speech about abortion and reproductive rights, what's going on in Texas, and steps we can take to support reproductive rights for all women. LWV Texas honored the Center for Reproductive Rights and LWVTX President, Joyce LeBombard, recognized their important work, stating, "By honoring the Center for Reproductive Rights, we uphold the principle that every person deserves the right to control their reproductive destiny and live with dignity, respect, and autonomy."
LWV Texas also honored the Texas Library Association, and LeBombard lauded their efforts, stating, "We honor the Texas Library Association's work to protect Texans' right to read, academic freedom, and First Amendment rights in school, public, and academic libraries."
If you were unable to attend but would still like to support the League, you can make a donation here.
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LWVTX 2024 Biennial Convention
Our 2024 Biennial Convention was held April 19-21 in Dallas, Texas. We would like to thank LWV of Dallas for being the hosting League this year and Janet Imhoff and Elaine Wiant for being the Convention Co-Chairs!
During the convention, we held 25 workshops, adopted our 2024-2026 budget, elected a new slate of board members for 2024-2026 (see below), and all LWVTX program positions were readopted. Additionally, LWVUS Board member, Dianna Wynn, updated attendees on "Framing the Future," the present phase of the LWVUS Transformation Journey, and on Saturday evening, LWV of South Central Texas presented "Press On My Sisters: The ERA Then & Now," an original Reader's Theater production that was both inspiring and entertaining.
Lastly, delegates adopted the Campaign for Making Democracy Work® as the program for 2024-2026, which includes:
- Inform and Protect Voters
- Get-Out-The-Vote
- Improve election administration and access to voting
- Advance LWVUS moonshot goals of eliminating the Electoral College and adding the ERA to the Constitution
- Redistricting
It was an amazing weekend of sharing, learning, socializing, and getting down to business! Thank you to all of our delegates, attendees, presenters, staff, and volunteers for making this such a fantastic and memorable event!
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Congratulations to the 2024-2026 LWVTX Board of Directors!
We are excited to announce the new LWVTX Board of Directors for 2024-2026! They were voted in by delegates at our Biennial Convention and will begin serving in June 2024.
| Returning members include:
- Joyce LeBombard, President
- Elisabeth MacNamara, Vice President
- Emily Gupton, Vice President
- Dorothy Marchand, Vice President
- Charlotte McKenzie, Vice President
- Janis Richardson, Secretary
- Elaine Wiant, Treasurer
| New members include:
- Teresa Carbajal Ravet, Director
- Denita Jones, Director
- Michelle Levi McDaniel, Director
- Marilyn Minnaar, Director
- Ian Seamans, Director
- Roxanne Werner, Director
| | | Click here to read their bios.
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County Election Websites Review Results
Voters across Texas rely on their counties to provide useful, accurate, and up-to-date information about how, when, and where to vote. Under the direction of Sandy Swan, the League’s team of volunteers has completed its review of all 254 county election websites in Texas! This review is important to ensure voters have ready access to the information they need to vote. Based on a set of criteria, we award points based on the information provided on each county’s website.
We would like to heartily congratulate the 35 counties that achieved “Outstanding” results and the 51 counties that received a “Very Good” rating!
Click here to see the full results and how your county's election website fared!
Special thanks to the following volunteers who worked tirelessly to complete the reviews: Jackie Alfred, Grace Chimene, Mark Coomes, Carla Higgins, Joyce LeBombard, Dorothy Marchand, Carol Martin, Ida Miller, Mary Venn, Cinde Weatherby, and Claudia Yanez.
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Become a Texas Poll Monitor!
Election Protection volunteers are needed for the May 28th Primary Runoff Election. While, in general, voter participation may be low, there are certain highly competitive races that will generate a lot of attention and scrutiny. Here is the link to sign up!
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Superstar League Awards
At every LWVTX convention, the state board and Service to Local Leagues committee recognizes local Leagues for their recent successes. Below are a few of the Leagues who won awards:
- LWV Williamson County- most unique community involvement. On National Talk
Like A Pirate Day, LWV Williamson County VDRs were at seven sites or in pirate
speak at seven seas throughout the county where they registered voters and
provided mail in applications.
- LWV Amarillo- presented a Civics 101 training at a local library.
- LWV Fort Bend- set up a voter registration booth at the Access Health Back-to-School Health Fair in Richmond.
- LWV Comal Area- hosted a mock election and also organized a "Texas Critter Election" for kids 18 and under who cast votes at several events.
- LWV Richardson- registered voters at Richardson ISD’s New Hire Fair, and those persons too young to register were encouraged to make a “pinky promise” to vote when they are 18.
- LWV El Paso- recognized two high school principals as their schools were among the top schools in student voter registrations.
To view the full awards, click here.
| | Your Texas League in the News |
Celebrating Champions of Rights: League of Women Voters of Texas Honors Advocacy Heroes at Making Democracy Work® Dinner
Francis Page Jr., Houston Style Magazine | Published on 4/3/24
"In a year that has witnessed profound challenges to democratic institutions, the League of Women Voters of Texas shines a spotlight on those at the vanguard of protecting civil liberties and fostering civic engagement. Special accolades will be extended to the Center for Reproductive Rights and the Texas Library Association for their extraordinary contributions in their respective fields. The Center for Reproductive Rights has been at the forefront, legally and socially, defending reproductive rights as inherent human rights. This organization's dedication to maintaining bodily autonomy and gender equality, as well as ensuring access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare, will be aptly celebrated."
Click here to read the full article.
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"The State of Texas Water" Webinar Recording
If you were unable to attend the LWV Texas Rural Caucus webinar on "The State of Texas Water," you can view the recording here.
Speakers were Sarah Schlessinger, CEO of the Texas Water Foundation, and Texas Representative Tracy King, Chairman of the Texas House of Representatives' Natural Resources Committee.
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League of Women Voters of Texas
1212 Guadalupe St. #107
Austin Texas, 78701
(512) 472-1100
lwvtexas@lwvtexas.org
lwvtexas.org
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