help_outline Skip to main content
HomeEmailingsNewsletters/Emails
Date: 6/18/2020
Subject: LWVOC Newsletter & Events
From: Lisa K Adkins




Press Release:  YOUR VOICE, YOUR VOTE, YOUR SAFETY  
~According to Gloria Pickar, LWVOC Co-President, “We want Orange County Voters to exercise their right to vote and to stay as safe as possible.  That is why LWVOC wants you to register online and vote from home.  We know it’s your voice, your vote, your power, and now it’s also your safety.  Celebrating 100 years of women’s suffrage makes this year especially significant and we want to honor that right by getting as many people out to vote as possible.”
 
Read the complete press release HERE  Visit our Voting in Orange County for Election 2020 Resources
 
Covid-19 Changed How We Vote. It Could Also Change Who Votes., NY Times: "In Florida, one likely battleground state in November, there were 77,000 new registrations in January; that number fell to 21,000 in April.  In the last major election year, 2018, League of Women Voters chapters registered 225,000 new voters nationwide, a number that would almost certainly rise sharply this year under ordinary conditions. But this month, registration efforts by the league’s 750 affiliates are “probably 95 percent closed compared to what we’ve done in the past,” the group’s director of mission impact, Jeanette Senecal, said on Friday."

Tune in to see our League member, Representative Geri Thompson, and others discuss the past, present, and future of African Americans and the vote.  Another resource is viewing our FEB 2020 Hot Topics event, Black Women's Triumphant Path to Voting on our YouTube Channel.  Just click to enjoy HERE and then "subscribe" to see all our uploads!
Shown below, our FEB HT panel and moderator l to r: Elizabeth Thompson, executive director of Orlando's Wells' Built Museum of African American History & Culture, Dr. LaVon Bracy, long-time activist and co-founder of the New Covenant Baptist Church; and Tiffany Moore Russell, Clerk of the Orange County Courts; Orlando broadcaster, Jackie Brockington


“The Vote" Virtual Preview & Chat, Wednesday, July 1, at 6:30 p.m. 

Presented by the League of Women Voters of Orange County, FL, with WUCF,  the Orange County Regional History Center,  and the Orange County Library System. 
Kick your celebration of the Centennial of women’s suffrage into high gear on Wednesday,  July 1 at 6:30 p.m. with an online preview of “The Vote,” the new PBS “American Experience” documentary about women’s decades-long battle for suffrage. Following a compelling 25-minute preview clip, our own Centennial chair Linda Chapin and state Rep. Geraldine Thompson will talk about the suffragists’ legacy and the continuing fight for votes for all!
 The full documentary, which premieres July 6 and 7, 9-11 p.m. on WUCF,  brings to life the movement’s unsung leaders, as well as the deep controversies over gender roles and race that divided Americans then — and continue to dominate political discourse today.  History Committee Co-Chair Joan Erwin declares The Vote a reality-packed delight, with an all-woman production team, narrated by experts well known to members of our Women’s Lost History reading group.” 
For details and a screening link for the July 1 preview with Linda Chapin and Geraldine Thompson, visit www.thehistorycenter.org/event/the-vote/
 Modern day suffragists shown below from our "march" in the last Citrus Parade: left-Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings and Sue Foreman, Leaguers carrying our message

The Supreme Court has been busy....

HUGE WIN! The court said the language of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 applies to discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Shown above, Leaguers marching at the Women's Rally 2017
 WASHINGTON--The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that a landmark civil rights law protects gay and transgender workers from workplace discrimination, handing the movement for L.G.B.T. equality a long-sought and unexpected victory.  "An employer who fires an individual merely for being gay or transgender defies the law," Justice Neil M. Gorsuch wrote for the majority in the 6-to-3 ruling.
 Continue reading the NY Times article HERE
 Ready to get involved in our newest committee centered around WOMEN'S RIGHTS?  Contact our Chairperson Ginger Mundy
Supreme Court blocks the end of DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
#dacahope
Shown above, 2018 DACA rally with Leaguers in attendance
 
"The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected President Donald Trump’s effort to end legal protections for 650,000 young immigrants, a stunning rebuke to the president in the midst of his reelection campaign." Read OS article  HERE
 
Ready to get more involved?  Our Immigration Committee wants to hear from you!

We are on INSTAGRAM  Find us:  @lwvoc

COVID-19 has created challenges for the League’s voter registration efforts. Nationally and locally, Leaguers are busy working on a Vote by Mail campaign. Social media is one of the strategies we’ll utilize. We’re asking members, who are Facebook and Instagram users, to help increase our social media presence by interacting with the League's posts.  Interacting with our posts is where the magic happens. Every time you do, our voice is amplified. The more interactions we have, the more people will see our message and the greater our impact. A “like” is good, a “comment” is better and a “share” is best of all.  ~ R. Pando  Hover over the graphics above and below, "right click" and save to your device, then follow your normal routine for sharing an image.  



Melissa King-Polsinelli   Kenneth Polsinelli
Pat Strasberg               Kevin Schmidt
Alisha Taylor                Kimberly Dias
Gricel Rivera                Stacey Prakash
Jeanette Lambert        Nicole Phillips
Jessica Lynch               Melissa Nguyen
Colleen Heyligar

 

Share this newsletter and encourage others to join the LWVOC in this important election year.
Jenetta Maxena made a generous donation to LWVOC in honor of her candidacy for the District 7 School Board  
 
*Note-the League is non-partisan and does not endorse candidates in any election.
 We know that many of you looking for ways "to honor" or give "in memoriam" for fellow League members, friends, family and colleagues.  Our system makes it easy for you to make that contribution. 
 Make sure you are logged into your LWVOC account and donate to our Education (tax deductible) Fund 

 
Newsletter Checklist
 
1) Time's a wasting!  Urge your friends, family, and colleagues to check their voter registration status.
2) And then urge them to request a Vote-By-Mail ballot.
3) Juneteenth is tomorrow and you can ZOOM in for a special event highlighted above.
4) Visit us on social media platforms:  Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and stay connected with your League.
5) WELCOME to all our newest members.  Keep up the good work and encourage all that you know to join us!


The League of Women Voters Orange County has been defending democracy for 81 years.  Learn more about our History Committee, and remember, if you need reading material for this extended shut-down, we still have our history book available and we SHIP!  
 
Visit our LWVOC History Timeline for more details about our history. 

Most of Florida entering Phase 2.  Read Orlando Sentinel article: Gov. DeSantis Announces FL's move to Phase 2
 
 To get updates on numbers diagnosed and more information about COVID 19, visit the Florida Department of Health's COVID 19 site.  (NEW information/updates on a daily basis)

Florida/Local Resources: 
  1. The Florida Department of Health has a 24/7 Hotline that can be reached at by calling 1 (866) 779-6121.
  2. Advent Health's 24/7 hotline can be reached by calling:  1 (877) 847-8747 or 877-VIRUSHQ
  3. Orlando Health's Questions and Answers COVID-19