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Black Lives Matter, Defund the Police, Excessive Police Force, De-Escalation Training are all terms we have added to our vocabulary in recent years. In the abstract we know what these are but, how do they apply to our country and the city? Sheriff John Mina and Chief Oscar Rolon (above l. & r.) will share their public safety perspectives and we will have Attorney Jerry Girley (below left) with his view as a civil rights litigator.
Our moderator, Dr. Stan Stone, (above center) brought the Police Academy to Valencia College and for 25 years was the administrator tasked with direct oversight of the Criminal Justice Institute there.
These are definitely HOT TOPICS and question time is always shorter than anyone would like. Be sure to have the best chance to have your issues addressed by emailing your questions in advance to Sue Gilman or Barbara Lanning | | SEPT 16 at NOON
Join the ACLU of FL, Floridians for Immigrants Justice campaign to learn about our efforts to build capacity within your local communities and our plans to secure passage of local ordinances and resolutions within the state of Florida for immigrants’ rights. The Immigration Committee was invited (and invites you) to participate in a virtual program on Zoom about Immigrant Rights. The primary topic will be SB 168, the Anti-Sanctuary City legislation that is still being kicked around in Tallahassee. The other topic will be an update from the ACLU Legal Team on some of the issues the committee has addressed over the last three years, such as, the separation of families at the border, the response to Covid 19 by ICE, deportation, and DACA. Click HERE for login details. | | |  | | Sandi Vidal is our LWVOC Co-President.
Oftentimes, she runs across promising events (see right) and shares them with the League as a supplement to the programming that we already receive. Currently, she is the Vice President of Community Strategies and Initiatives for the Central Florida Foundation. She is a graduate of the University of Miami school of Business with a degree in Business Administration. Prior to her role at the Foundation, Sandi served as the Executive Director and CEO of Christian HELP/Central Florida Employment Council and as Executive Vice President of Central Florida Commission on Homelessness.
|  | 2020 American Dream Reconsidered Conference from Roosevelt University
The virtual conference will offer a number of events that explore the history, purpose, and practices associated with a vibrant civic life as a core aspect of the American dream. These conversations can inspire a new generation of civic leaders to carry the torch for a revitalized American democracy.
Virtual panels will include these and more:
– The emergence of a new generation of local leaders working to expand on the legacy of the New Deal in the 21st century
– The history of Black women and women’s suffrage
– The LGBTQ+ movement’s efforts to build support for its community and to broaden our understanding of the rights that need to be protected in our democracy
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 | We've launched our “100 Days to The Vote” campaign, with daily social-media posts, (also on our site for our non-social media users) featuring fascinating nuggets about the suffragists and the achievements of women in the century since 1920, both nationally and in Central Florida, FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/LWVOC and on Instagram @LWVOC Our 100 Days celebration continues until November 3, the Election Day that marks 100 years since the first time women across the nation could participate in our democracy.
[Shown above: If you decide to vote by mail, make sure you sign the back of the sealed envelope and note the date where indicated, whether you mail your ballot or drop it off at an approved location. The most frequent reason vote-by-mail ballots are rejected is because voters forget to sign the envelope. Photo: Florida Center for Instructional Technology, Tampa (ballot from 2012). |  |
The Accessible VBM (Vote-by-Mail) Pilot Program is now available:
- Open to Orange County voters who are visually/print impaired.
- Voters will receive an electronic ballot to be completed/printed AND paper vote-by-mail ballot which will act as backup.
- Voters who have already requested a Vote-by-Mail ballot must still submit a request to participate in the pilot program.
- Included Certificate Envelope must be signed and sealed with enclosed ballot and physically returned to Supervisor of Elections Office or secure drop box at an early voting location.
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 | | Returning Citizens Outreach Program needs your help! Many of you have expressed the desire for physical volunteer opportunities. The LWV of Florida has something for you:
We have a TON of undeliverable postcards from our outreach to Returning Citizens and need help updating our data in VAN to reflect these bad addresses. It's hard to even estimate how many we have received back (attached picture - so far there are three bins like this) but we know we'll continue to receive more for the next few weeks.
We are hoping volunteers from Orange and Seminole Counties could swing by the office and pick up bundles of 250-500 postcards. We will have them separated in bags and no one would need to enter the building to get them, we'll bring them out. The data isn't located in VAN at large, it's separated out in a separate list we were provided by the ACLU. Anyone who volunteers would go through a brief training so they know how to access/update the data.
Here is a sign up sheet for your members. (That means you, LWVOC members!)
| | | | Virtual volunteering is a thing nowadays! You can choose something below, participate with one of our Committees or peruse our Volunteering page. Women fought for the right to vote in a pandemic a century ago and today, we fight against voter suppression, etc. during a modern pandemic. #wegotthis #votes4all #defenddemocracy | | Wave 3 begins Sept 7, so get ready to get even more people counted!
Our Statewide Census Committee is in need of volunteers to assist in a special Census outreach program for under counted communities in Florida. It’s easy, virtual work: texting people in under counted communities and encouraging them to answer the 2020 Census.
This project requires a commitment of 3-5 hours over the course of a 5-7 day window. The texting is done through a computer or tablet with a number provided by the program. An accurate and complete 2020 Census count is critical to ensuring Florida receives its fair share of funding and representation.
To participate:
Sign up for a Texter Training. (Trainings take place on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays).Lastly, complete this form to let us know you are signed up and ask any questions you might have. | | | We also have an actual IN PERSON volunteering effort with the Census Drive. Join us (masked and socially distanced) at the SEPT 16 "Census Drive Through Food Drop" event hosted by the Central Florida Regional Housing Trust taking place at Camping World Stadium. Click here to volunteer: Census Drive and Food Drop event | 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 @LWVOC and Instagram users @lwvoc, 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
Save these graphics on your device and share on your social media platforms.
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Tenemos buenas noticias.
The League of Women Voters: We're so excited to share that VOTE411 is now available in Spanish! Supporting Spanish-speaking voters through VOTE411 has long been a dream of ours, and we are so grateful to the strong partnership of NALEO Education Fund in making this a reality.
| | | | From the Florida Election Protection Coalition
Interested in helping monitor the election process? Members can find out more about their non-partisan mission HERE: "...mobilizing thousands of volunteers to help our fellow Americans navigate the voting process and cast their votes..." | | | | Volunteer your smile and the reason you vote. We want to feature YOU on our social media!
- Submit a picture of yourself with the "Vote From Home" yard sign.
- Submit a snapshot of you along with a short answer to the question "Why is voting important to me?" We'll add the caption to the photo
- Submit a short video clip (30-seconds or less) answering the question "Why is voting important to me?"
- Send submissions to John Klapchuk
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Your contributions help us continue the powerful work of the League, especially during these pandemic times when our normal operations have been curtailed.
*Please note, our tax-deductible fund has been renamed to simply: The League of Women Voters Orange County Fund
For those of you who would like to donate "to honor" or "in memory of" someone or to support our voter education efforts,
| | | | David Luna
Emma Roehrig
Cheryl Railey
*Remember, students join for free!
Invite your family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues to JOIN US | | | Newsletter Checklist
- Registration for Hot Topics is open!
- Two months until the next election and we have many ways for you to volunteer.
- Are you following us on social media? Find us @LWVOC on Facebook and Instagram as well as YouTube
- Check out information below as the #Votes4All series continues.
| The Peace and Justice Institute at Valencia College, in partnership with a dozen community organizations, will present three upcoming public workshops through the Zoom online platform, continuing a series that began in the spring before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Titled “#Votes4All: The Power to Create a More Perfect Democracy,” the series examines the role of gender and race in voter suppression in Central Florida’s past. It continues a program of community education inspired by the Ocoee Massacre of 1920, which was ignited after Mose Norman, an African-American man, tried to vote.
The interactive programs will take place via Zoom on Tuesday, September 15; Wednesday, September 30; and Wednesday, October 14. For each, the Zoom link will open at 5:45 p.m., and the programs will take place from 6 to 8 p.m., followed by a “Community Connection” period from 8 to 8:30 p.m. for those who wish to continue their conversations. Click HERE for all the details. |  | All members should have received this email message touting the educational resources now available for students and the general public.
"As part of the 2020 Election Task Force Committee, we have adapted the national League’s voter education PowerPoint (PPT) for Orange County usable for both high schools and for general audiences. These are designed to be used in virtual presentations (like Zoom) OR at in-person gatherings or classrooms. We are happy to provide presenters for virtual presentations."
For high school students, contact: Betty Saulpaugh/bwsaulpaugh@gmail.com
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