We hosted our first tabling event of 2023 thanks to member Julie Roland, who invited us to connect with the audience before her production of "Just Tryna Make Friends" at Diversionary Theatre on January 21. Lynn Miller volunteered to work the table with her friend Brittany, and it was a successful event. At our committee meeting this month, we decided our new emphasis during this non-election year would be less on registering voters and more on engaging with voters about what the League offers. At the event, most people who visited the table had heard of the League and were supportive. More than 30 people came to the table, where they received stickers, bracelets, pamphlets, and League t-shirts.
From left: Julie Roland, Lynn Miller, Brittany Aceves, Lauren Cazares
Another project that is in the works for this year is a collaboration with the newly formed Community Connections Team of the Public Defenders’ Office. They offer two events a month to engage with at-risk individuals in the criminal justice system and provide them the services they need to keep them from homelessness and recidivism. They have invited us to table at these events and provide voter service information as well as voter registration for those on parole or otherwise eligible. (Due to changes to state election laws in recent years, many people whose criminal justice system status had formerly prevented them from voting are now eligible to do so.)
At the suggestion of former California legislator Lori Saldaña, the League moderated a symposium on renewable energy strategy options on Dec 7, 2022 (watch the video). It was sponsored by Protect Our Communities and hosted at San Diego City College. Michelle Morgan, our Candidate Forum coordinator, did a fabulous job of helping organize the forum for the three groups who served on the panel. She also was the timekeeper and Jane Andrews was the moderator. It was well attended and followed the format developed for our candidate forums.
The Speakers Bureau also hosted a presentation on “Making Democracy Work” on January 9 at the La Jolla Women’s Club. Jane Andrews was the speaker, and she included information about the new threat to our Democracy contained in the Independent State Legislature Theory (ISLT) contested in Moore v. Harper, a case that was heard by the US Supreme Court in December. Along with many other organizations, LWVUS filed an amicus brief in this case, urging the court to rule against the Legislature and continue state courts’ power to protect free and fair federal elections.