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ABOUT US
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Our Mission, Roles & Focus
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The League of Women Voters encourages informed and active participation in government. It influences public policy through education and advocacy. The League of Women Voters has two separate and distinct roles.
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Registering an Ocala voter via SmartPhone.
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2022 Youth Voter Registration
The student volunteers suggested raffling off gift cards for food purchases.
Worked like a charm! Our traffic really picked up when food was on the table. |
Using a small grant from our national organization, we held voter registration drives at Lake Sumter State College in Leesburg and Clermont. Thirteen League volunteers worked with 11 students to register 19 new voters.
We also collected 99 pledges from students to vote in 2022. Since they provided their cell phone numbers and emails, we will be contacting them prior to both the August Primary and November General Election with gentle reminders. 
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Voter Education
During elections we strive to provide the information voters need to make an informed choice.
- We hold candidate forums both in person and on Zoom.
- We hold candidate forums both in person and on Zoom.
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- We publish an online voter guide (Vote411) with unedited responses from candidates as well as information on local referenda and state amendments.
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2022 - 2023: What We Accomplished
Local Accomplishments
We are very proud of the work our local League accomplishments during the 2022 - 2023 fiscal year.
- Our membership increased 35% over the 2022 - 23 fiscal year, growing from 108 to 146.
- The Speakers' Bureau provided 37 presentations to organizations in the tri-county area. Three new presentations were launched: one on the 2022 Florida Amendments, another on the Sumter County Referendum on an Independent Fire District, and another on legislative changes impacting voters.
- LWVTRI received a grant from LWV national to register young, non-voters. We focused on Community College students helping them register themselves using cell phones. We also held registration drives at community events throughout Lake, Marion, and Sumter counties. In total we ran 29 registration drives registering 48 new voters and collecting 463 email addresses of voters pledging to vote and requesting reminders of important deadlines.
- During the 2022 election cycle we hosted 4 candidate forums and created a personalized voter guide covering state and local candidates and ballot initiatives. The Florida League was responsible for races spanning more than one county; our local league covered all races at the county level down. Between the primary and the general elections we covered 49 races and 107 candidates. 89% of our local candidates in the Primary participated; 63% in the General.
- We joined the Florida League's efforts to help returning citizens determine whether their right to vote was restored by sending out 1,100 postcards.
- We hosted President of LWVFL, Cecile Scoon, at our general meeting in September. Six of our non-partisan partner organizations, who also work to empower voters, were invited to a Meet and Greet in her honor. This afforded us the opportunity to learn more about each other as well as to introduce our partners to statewide initiatives.
National Accomplishments
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More details about the League of Women Voter' accomplishments nationwide during the 2022 elections are contained in this report.
We are now getting ready for 2024. |
What We Do
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We are REACTIVE. When Hurricane Matthew was bearing down on our state, Gov. Scott did not see any need to extend voter registration dates. Pam Goodman, State President contacted a lawyer and in less than a week the deadline was extended. Hurricane Irma hit in the middle of the primary season. Miami Dade local chapter worked with their County Commissioners to establish procedures to ensure voters were given the opportunity to vote despite the hurricane evacuation
We are PROACTIVE. The State League is in litigation regarding the appointment of Florida Supreme Court justices when a vacancy exists because of mandatory retirement. Three justices will retire on the same day that our next governor is sworn into office. Oral arguments are November 1, 2017 for our case which asks that the new governor appoint justices on his first day in office, rather than the outgoing governor on his last day. We are AWARE: The State League has filed a friend of the court brief on the side of the city of Cape Coral. The city’s ordinance banning plastic bags has been struck down by the state legislature. A case of “home rule,” which will set a precedent makes this more than a plastic bag case and the state league is speaking out in favor of home rule. |
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Our Studies
SURVEY OF CIVICS EDUCTION IN FLORIDA SCHOOLS
In pursuit of our annual goal for 2021-2022, a committee conducted a survey of the status of civics education in public schools in Lake, Marion and Sumter counties. Reseach methodology included internet searches, telephone conversations and email exchanges with State Department of Education personnel, meetings held via electronic media, attendance at board of education meetings, document searches, committee members' prior knowledge, and committee discussion.
The mission for their work was to ascertain what is required in public schools in Lake, Marion and Sumter counties pertaining to civics education. A summary of their findings and recommendations was published in May 2021.
VOLUNTARY PRE-KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM
As part of the League's 2015-16 initiatives, LWVTRI undertook a project to educate the members and the community on Florida's Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Program. In Phase 1, League members interviewed directors of the Early Learning Coalitions in the tri-county area. In Phase 2, members visited VPK classrooms in each county and interviewed owners/directors and teachers.
Phase 1: Final Report - 2016
Phase 1: Summary Report - 2016
Phase 2: Pilot Report - 2017
Final Report Summary - 2018
Final Report - 2018
Early Learning Terms & Facts
In pursuit of our annual goal for 2021-2022, a committee conducted a survey of the status of civics education in public schools in Lake, Marion and Sumter counties. Reseach methodology included internet searches, telephone conversations and email exchanges with State Department of Education personnel, meetings held via electronic media, attendance at board of education meetings, document searches, committee members' prior knowledge, and committee discussion.
The mission for their work was to ascertain what is required in public schools in Lake, Marion and Sumter counties pertaining to civics education. A summary of their findings and recommendations was published in May 2021.
VOLUNTARY PRE-KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM
As part of the League's 2015-16 initiatives, LWVTRI undertook a project to educate the members and the community on Florida's Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Program. In Phase 1, League members interviewed directors of the Early Learning Coalitions in the tri-county area. In Phase 2, members visited VPK classrooms in each county and interviewed owners/directors and teachers.
Phase 1: Final Report - 2016
Phase 1: Summary Report - 2016
Phase 2: Pilot Report - 2017
Final Report Summary - 2018
Final Report - 2018
Early Learning Terms & Facts
Our History
In her address to the National American Women's Suffrage Association's (NAWSA) 50th convention in St. Louis, Missouri, President Carrie Chapman Catt proposed the creation of a "league of women voters to finish the fight and aid in the reconstruction of the nation." Women Voters was formed within the NAWSA, composed of the organizations in the states where suffrage had already been attained. The next year, on February 14, 1920 - six months before the 19th amendment to the Constitution was ratified - the League was formally organized in Chicago as the national League of Women Voters. Men were accepted into the League in 1972.