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It’s September 1st already (how did that happen?) and people are thinking about the last days of summer, Labor Day weekend plans, and cooler weather.
At the League of Women Voters, we are thinking about midterm elections,
nonpartisanship, candidate forums, vote by mail applications, new votingdistricts, do voters know…? We are thinking that in less than one month, early voting starts in Illinois and that Election Day is November 8th.
The election is upon us and so—it is time to make your plan to vote.
When and how will you vote?
Will you vote by mail? Vote early? Vote on election day?
Who will be on your ballot? What do those candidates stand for?
Each and every election is your opportunity to stand up for the future you want, your chance to request change, your time to speak up for your beliefs and your values.
Learn about the issues. Pay attention to what the candidates promise, represent and stand for.
In our country, you can choose your representative government, your voice can be heard, your opinion matters. It is your right and it is also your responsibility to participate.
In our state, voting is more accessible than ever. Value this opportunity. Respect this opportunity by using it.
It is not too early to make your plan to vote. Activate your family, friends and community. Start now. It’s election season!
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President
League of Women Voters of Illinois
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Every year, the League celebrates Women's Equality Day on August 26, the day the 19th Amendment was added to the Constitution. Every year we celebrate our efforts and remember the day that suffrage for some women was only the first step on a path to equality for all women.
Not this year. This year it feels as though we have stepped back in time—to find ourselves only footsteps away from the beginning of the path we started on 102 years ago.
This year many of us chose to commemorate August 26, 2022 as Women’s (In)equality Day. This year it was a day to remember and renew our commitment to what was started a century ago.
In 1920 the newly founded League of Women Voters Leaguers delivered their nonpartisan demands to both the Democratic and Republican national committees.
This year we joined voices with 35 women-run equal rights organizations to deliver our nonpartisan demands, in a full page ad in the Washington Post.
- Pass voting rights
- Add the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution
- Restore reproductive freedoms
Because today women have fewer rights than we have had in decades. And we will NOT go back.
| | Be informed: attend next week's events | | |
Wednesday, September 7, 7:00–8:00 pm
What can be done to repair the harm to Illinois school systems resulting from decades of systemic racism? LWVIL joins its partners in the Promote Equity Coalition to co-sponsor this important discussion.
Take a look at the impact of systemic racism on Illinois public school funding, curriculum and overall school culture. Learn about critical steps communities can take to improve education equity from a panel of educators and advocates:
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Beatriz Diaz-Pollack, Senior Counsel, Education Equity, Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights
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Ana Mercado, Student Organizer, H.E.A.L. Together, Race Forward
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Greg Michie, Teacher, Chicago Public Schools; Author
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Sonya Whitaker, PhD, Deputy Superintendent, Dolton Riverdale School District 148; National Education Policy Director, Rainbow PUSH Coalition
Register for Zoom or watch on Facebook Live on September 7.
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Thursday, September 8, 12:30–1:30 pm
The Pretrial Fairness Act ends money bail in Illinois on January 1, 2023. Learn about the importance of this historic act when you join LWVIL for a panel discussion with:
Explore the ways pretrial justice reform can contribute to increased community stability and safety. Find out how the state is preparing for the end of money bail and what needs to be done to ensure the Pretrial Fairness Act is successfully implemented. Panel members will be available to answer questions.
Register to attend. Registration closes 24 hours prior to the event. The event link will be sent one day in advance and one hour before the event.
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Election Day is two months away!
Midterm elections matter.
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When you don't vote, those who do vote are making choices for you.
Make your own choices. Cast your ballot.
| | Candidate Forums are coming! | | |
See your candidates in action during an LWVIL nonpartisan candidate forum or debate. Throughout the state, Leagues plan and host candidate forums at all levels of government. Forum recordings are made available in the Illinois Voter Guide and on the LWVIL website.
During the Spring primary season, LWVIL partnered with ABC7 to host the six Republican gubernatorial candidates, and local Leagues produced 33 forums, hosting a total of 95 candidates—from US Congressional, Illinois Supreme Court, State Legislative and County legislative races.
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New voting district?
Avoid suprises at the ballot box.
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Post-census redistricting resulted in major changes to legislative district maps in Illinois. Do you still vote in the same district? You may be one of the many Illinois voters who no longer vote in the district in which you have voted for the past decade.
Learn about district changes! Use the "Find Your 2022 District" button in the IllinoisVoterGuide.org. This takes you to an interactive map on the Illinois State Board of Elections website. Once there, simply click on the Illinois map and enter a home address. Find your new district number under the 2022 United States Congressman, 2022 State Senator, and 2022 State Representative tabs.
| | Help protect our democracy. | | Step up to Power the Polls! | | |
Protect democracy— sign up to work the polls this November! Our democracy depends on people like you to make sure every election runs smoothly and everyone's vote is counted. Pollworkers are crucial on Election Day—they help make sure we have safe, fair, and efficient elections for all.
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Protect democracy—Help people find the information they need to vote for what they believe in!
Download and share the 2022 election calendar and Illinois Voter Guide materials from the LWVIL website. Carry the Illinois Voter Guide QR code with you. Be a resource for anyone looking for nonpartisan voting information on how to register, find their polling place, see their sample ballot and learn about candidate stances on issues.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Share our public education events and election information with friends!
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Protect democracy—donate to LWVIL. Your contributions help us activate civic engagement year round, providing education about current issues and legislation. During election season we expand our work to protect voter access to the ballot, provide candidate information, and conduct candidate forums.
When you give to LWVIL, you support the trusted, nonpartisan resources voters turn to for information they need–so they can vote their values.
The Illinois Voter Guide is the only guide where every voter in the state can find information on their local races, no matter their zipcode. During the recent primaries that meant 2,634 candidates running for 1,322 offices!
LWVIL's nonpartisan candidate forums are organized and moderated by trained local League members. This year LWVIL has already trained more than 50 forum moderators and more than 85 forum coordinators—with more trainings to come.
Voter education fuels voter turnout. Voters protect democracy. Please choose to protect democracy this election season by supporting our nonpartisan education efforts.
| | Celebrate the Civic Holidays! | | |
National Voter Registration Day: September 20
National Voter Education Week: October 3–7
Election Hero Day: November 7
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LWVIL works to protect the environment
LWVIL works throughout the year with a number of coalitions. Examples from two of these coalitions show that together we are making a difference for the Illinois environment.
The Coalition for Plastic Reduction is helping write a bill making manufacturers more responsible for reducing our dependence on plastic.
The Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition is helping create plans to implement the historic Climate Equity and Jobs Act (CEJA). When CEJA became a law nearly a year ago, Illinois became the first state in the nation to pass sweeping climate job reforms, ahead of this year’s federal BiPartisan Inflation Reduction Act.
The Downstate Caucus of the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition is now working to increase the tree canopy in southern Illinois and to halt construction of carbon dioxide pipelines until safety protocols are established. New pipelines are planned for Central and Southern Illinois as the result of $12 billion in funding for carbon capture and storage projects in the federal BiPartisan Infrastructure Act.
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Ask questions of candidates before you vote.
What are their priorities...
...for funding Illinois early childcare and education?High-quality early learning and care is proven to dramatically improve a child’s future. In addition, access to child care can be instrumental for parental job stability and overall economic security. Accessible high quality child care has significant short- and long-term effects on state and national economies.
And yet, child care is inaccessible for many Illinois families. In our state, the annual cost of child care is more than $11,000 per child, and 58% of families live in a child care desert. More than 900,000 children under the age of six live in Illinois. Of those, nearly 600,000 have all available parents working, and nearly 155,000 (17.22%) live in poverty.
Despite the demonstrable impact of early care and education on the country’s future, early childhood workers remain among the most underpaid employees, according to the First Five Years Fund.
Illinois has made progress-- 4,500 additional young children will receive services thanks to a $54 million increase in funding for the Early Childhood Block Grant in the FY2023 Illinois state budget. However, additional support is needed to meet the recommendations from the Governor's Commission on Equitable Early Childhood Education and Care Funding.
On a federal level, promising aspects of the Build Back Better Act would have improved access to affordable child care and education for nearly 90% of working families. Most of these were stripped from the final version, renamed the Inflation Reduction Act, leaving this critical need unmet.
| | Thank you for supporting our work to defend democracy and empower voters. | | | | |
