"Hope is not a strategy!" I first heard that phrase recently and I agree. Hope is very good indeed; but we need actions, backed up by that old standby, solid information, to really make a difference. Throughout the year the LWVUS, LWVNC, our League and other Leagues in North Carolina have a variety of informative events in person and on Zoom. These events are excellent opportunities for learning and connecting with other Leaguers. 

May 20-21 is the LWVNC Council that will be held virtually from 6 to 8 pm. This is for all members and will be an informative two-evening meeting where there will be opportunities to reconnect, reinvigorate, and renew our energy for the important work we have ahead in 2024. During Council, you will have the opportunity to hear from League leaders across the state, learn more about statewide action teams and get the latest updates on resources, trainings, and more! Here is the link to register.

May 14 from 7 to 9 pm there will be an LWVNC statewide Zoom briefing on Citizen Initiatives, a tool that allows citizens to collect signatures to put a proposed law or constitutional amendment on the ballot and one that we do not have in North Carolina. See below for details on this important event.

May 9 from 7 to 8 pm the LWVNC Tax Policy Review Committee is having a Zoom session on Navigating Tax Policies: Insights from Three State League of Women Voters. Register here.

Next month: June 5 we will repeat our League of Women Voters 101 event at the North Asheville Library at 6 pm. We will talk about the history of the League and the efforts of our local League. This is for new members and not-so-new members. It's also a great opportunity to bring a potential member with you. Details will follow in an email.

Although 2030 seems far in the future, LWVNC is starting up a Redistricting Action Team that will also be involved with the next Census. Gaye Williams will be leading this and will keep us posted.

Finally, be sure to save the date for our in-person Annual Members' Meeting Thursday May 16, 6:00pm-7:30pm at the East Asheville Library (3 Avon Rd. Asheville 28805). Members should already have received the invitation with RSVP link and documents to be reviewed and voted on after the meeting. Members will receive a reminder invitation a week or so before the meeting.

On a personal note, I am excited to be writing this while on a train from Stockholm to Copenhagen. My paternal great-grandparents immigrated to Minnesota from Sweden in the late1880s because of a severe famine. My great-grandmother came as a young child; my grandfather was born not long after his family arrived. We are a nation of immigrants.

Suzanne Fisher

President, LWVAB

A message from Sania Irwin,

President, League of Women Voters of the United States

This month marks Jewish American Heritage Month. The League honors the Jewish American community and all Jewish American women working to power democracy. We also condemn the antisemitism Jewish Americans are experiencing right now, and we stand in solidarity with our Jewish American friends and neighbors.

Over the last week, we have seen peaceful protesters arrested while exercising their constitutional rights of assembly and free speech. In some parts of the country, the democratic act of protest is now under attack. Peaceful protest is a constitutional right deeply rooted in American democracy and must be respected. The League of Women Voters condemns violence and civil rights violations at peaceful demonstrations. We also condemn antisemitism, discrimination, harassment, islamophobia, and racism of all forms. 

May is also home to Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. As a member of the AANHPI community, I hope you will join me in celebrating — not just throughout May, but every day — all the AANHPI women who have fought to create a more equitable and just society. Intersectionality is core to our mission of empowering every voter and defending democracy, and I am honored and energized to be doing this work with you all.  

LWVNC Statewide Briefing and Dialogue

on Citizen Initiative

Tuesday May 14, 7-9pm via Zoom  

Citizen Initiatives (CI) give voters a powerful “direct democracy” tool, enabling them to collect signatures and put a proposed law or constitutional amendment directly on the ballot for state voters to consider. CI empowers voters to take action on issues where legislatures are not listening to voters or have failed to resolve an issue. About half of states have some form of CI; North Carolina does not.  

The LWVNC Board authorized a study which is underway. As a next step, the CI Study Group wants to share information and get input from League members across the state. Asher Hildebrand, Associate Professor at the Duke Sanford School of Public Policy, will provide a briefing on Citizen Initiative and its role as a direct democracy tool, reviewing pros and cons.

This is your chance not only to learn more about CI but also to help chart a path forward to a new LWVNC position. What do you want the Study Team to consider as we work toward a position on CI? Immediately following the expert briefing, members will join virtual breakout rooms for small group dialogue. Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of this important League policy decision! Register now for the CI Briefing and Dialogue.

We want YOU to join our Board!



The LWVAB Board of Directors is responsible for the overall organization and direction of our League. The focus of activities is defined by the Program Priorities established by the LWVUS, LWVNC, and our Annual Meeting. The perspectives of both those very new to the League and those with longer experience are valued. Terms are for two years.

The Board meets once a month at a time agreed to by all, generally in the early evening; meetings may be by Zoom, in person, or a hybrid mode for 60 to 90 minutes. Board members are expected to participate in the events and activities of the League, advocate for the League, encourage others to join, and donate to the League at a level they determine is appropriate for their situation.

The Board has responsibility for the finances of the League, including applying for grants and approving expenditures. The LWVAB participates in a general liability insurance policy through the LWVNC. For more details see our Board Member Expectations and Bylaws.

This description of the Board functions does not capture the shared sense of purpose and accomplishment that Board members experience. There are opportunities to work with other league members at the state and national level, as well as collaborations with groups that share our values, such as Common Cause, DemocracyNC, and others. Board members bring expertise from their work and life experiences and also have the opportunity for learning new skills in communications and social media.

If you are new to the area and/or the League, this is a great way to meet new people. Remember our name is more historic than descriptive, we welcome anyone 16 or over, however you identify and you do not have to live in Buncombe County. 

For more information, contact any Board member or send an email to info@lwvab.org. If you value our democratic way of life and want to help protect it, please consider joining the Board for a term starting July 1, 2024. 

VOTER OUTREACH

Board of Elections Observations in Buncombe, Madison, and McDowell Counties – April

November seems like a long way off, but County Boards of Elections are considering Early Voting plans for the November 2024 General Election. Along with other North Carolina counties, Buncombe, Madison, and McDowell Boards of Elections discussed their Early Voting plans for the 2024 General Election during April meetings. Madison and McDowell have approved their plans.

Buncombe County has discussed their proposed plan and opened an online survey on April 22 to gather public input on it. The survey closed on May 3 at 5pm, with a final vote on the plan by the Board scheduled for May 7, following a review of the public input. Anyone who missed the online survey can appear in person at the 3:30pm meeting at 59 Woodfin Place, Asheville.

County Boards of Elections will submit Early Voting plans for the 2024 General Election to the State Board of Elections on May 7, which is earlier than in previous years. Find the Buncombe County proposed Early Voting plan for the General Election in November 2024 here.

Make your plan to Vote in the Second Primary – May 14

Because new registration applications are largely not permitted during the time between the first and second primaries, same day registration will not occur during Early Voting. However, individuals who become newly eligible to vote, such as those who have completed their parole or probation following a felony conviction and those who become newly naturalized citizens may register on May 14, second Primary Election Day. All North Carolina registered Republicans and some Unaffiliated voters are eligible to vote in the second Primary Election, to be held Tuesday May 14 in all 100 counties.

Absentee ballots are already being mailed to eligible voters who requested them. In-person Early Voting began Thursday April 25. The deadline to request an Absentee ballot is May 7.

Second Primary Dates and Deadlines

Here are the remaining voter dates and deadlines for the 2024 second primary election in North Carolina:

• April 25, 2024: In-person Early Voting began.
• May 7, 2024: Absentee ballot request deadline (5pm)
• May 11, 2024: In-person Early Voting ends (3pm).
• May 14, 2024: Election Day. Polls are open from 6:30 am to 7:30pm
• May 14, 2024: Absentee ballot return deadline (7:30pm)

Be prepared:

1.     CHECK YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION – many ballots were rejected during the primary because registration was not current

2.    GET AN ACCEPTABLE ID: NC DRIVERS LICENSE OR COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS ID

3.    REMEMBER TO TAKE YOUR ID WITH YOU WHEN YOU VOTE

4.    USE VOTE411.org TO FIND CANDIDATE AND OTHER INFORMATION

Observers needed for the Second Primary Meetings

Almost to the finish line! May 14 is just around the corner but there are lots of Absentee ballots to review as well as certifying the election results and conducting post-election audits to observe. Help be our eyes and ears on the second Primary process in Western North Carolina! Seeing the process firsthand is an incredible learning experience. All observers share their notes and Aiden Carson turns them into a final report that we post on our website here. Sign up to attend meetings of the Boards of Elections in Buncombe, Madison, and McDowell Counties here.

Voter Outreach – In Person Registration Training for 2024

With all the changes from the NC General Assembly in 2023, voter registration has changed, but remains of vital importance, especially in a year when we vote on our President, members of Congress, and a range of state and local officials. Join the Voter Outreach Team on Thursday June 13 at 5:30pm at the North Asheville Library program room for in-person training on the new registration form. We will cover our updated step-by-step set of slides, have copies of a range of voting forms, and share experiences registering voters and working in the polls. Register for the June 13 training at lwvabvoters@gmail.com.

Now is a good time to brush up your skill set and see the new form. Go to our website, read the materials, and take the quiz at the bottom on the page. Watch this newsletter and/or attend our Voter Services team meetings, then sign up for registration events as we get them scheduled. Find our schedule of events here. Find the new training materials here.

Outreach Volunteers Shout Out - April

Even though most new registrations are on pause until after the second Primary Election on May 14, we've had volunteers answering questions and registering a small number of high school students and a newly naturalized citizen for the November General Election.

Many thanks to Jennie Klein (pictured), CJ Breland, Suzanne Fisher and Cheryl Williams for answering questions and passing out Vote411 information to voters attending April performances at the Asheville Community Theater. November is not front and center to voters now and many did not know about the second Primary, so it was a good time to update voters and remind them of the importance of taking their Photo IDs with them to the polls.

April also saw Scott and Cheryl Williams at the Madison High School Seniors Resource Fair sponsored by Goodwill’s NextGen program, which provides training and career development services to 16-24 year-olds. The NextGen staff outdid themselves with organizing and hosting a fun and informative event for 80 registered seniors. While most students had already registered to vote, many had questions about where to find information about candidates, which was a natural segue to VOTE411 information. LWVAB was joined by AB-Tech, Mars Hill University, Madison County Libraries, and a host of other community organizations to help these students learn more about their community and their career options.

Many thanks to Ruth Planey, who reached out to the Blue Ridge Symphony about getting the word out about VOTE411 to their patrons. The Symphony responded with a lovely ad in their 2023-2024 Spring program. Thanks to the Symphony and thanks to Ruth!

The Buncombe County Books to Action Book Club partnered with Buncombe County Elections Services for the featured book, Thank you for Voting by Erin Geiger Smith. Elections Services Director Corinne Duncan (pictured) provided an excellent overview of the election and post-election processes followed by hands on experience voting both traditional hand marked ballots or Express Vote machines and a sample eye-hand ballot count. The eye-hand ballot count gave folks real life experience with the challenges of determining voter intent for hand marked ballots and write-in candidates. Mutt was the write-in candidate of choice for favorite canine.

Thanks to the event, Board of Elections staff recruited a new poll worker – a grand success. Elaine Elam and Cheryl Williams staffed a table with LWV information while members Ron Katz and Patricia Hearron (pictured) were attendees. Thanks everyone!

Registration Volunteer Opportunities – May and June

Asheville Community Theater has graciously allowed us to staff a table at each of their productions except for opening night. Volunteers are invited to stay for the performances. The current production is Matilda - the Musical, the story of a precocious little girl with a love for books and a touch of telekinesis that challenges authority and transforms her world. The play ends its run Sunday May 5. The next production is Alfred Hitchcock’s 39 Steps, a fast-paced adaptation of his 1935 classic thriller film that runs from June 22 to July 7. Shifts are from 6:15 to 7:45pm on evening performances and from 1:15-2:45pm for matinees. Sign up to register and inform voters here.

Between the last performance of Matilda (May 5) and the first performance of 39 Steps (June 22), we have two festivals to empower voters through registration and education. We have applied for a booth at Grindfest, a celebration of Black business ownership and entrepreneurship. The goal of the festival is to highlight the progress made by people of color while also connecting folks in the community. May 25-26 vending hours are from 10am to 5pm at A-B Tech Conference Center, 16 Fernihurst Dr., Asheville, NC 28801. Our 2-to-3-hour shifts include set-up and take-down as follows: 9:30am – 12:30pm,12:30 to 3:30pm, and 3:30 to 5:30pm on both Saturday May 25 and Sunday May 26. During and after vending hours, the festival features music, carnival rides, and activities for the whole family.

The following weekend, join us on Sunday June 2 - rain or shine - for VeganFest at Pack Square Park in Asheville from 11am to 6pm. The 4-hour shifts include set-up and take-down as follows: 10:30am – 2:30pm and 2:30 to 6:30pm. VeganFest celebrates compassionate, plant-based living. The festival hosts a very FUN Family Fun Zone, shopping, DJ and Emcee, lots of incredible vegan food, and more. Whether a veteran vegan or simply curious, come and join the fun! Sign up here to join our experienced volunteers at either festival for a shift.

If you would like to be on our list of volunteers, or have an idea about an event we should attend, contact us here and let us know.



Next Meeting

Our next Voter Outreach meeting in 2024 is at 5:30pm Thursday May 9 in the program room of the North Asheville Library. If you are new to the Branch, turn left as you enter the front doors and then right at the Book Sale hallway. The Program Room is at the end of the hallway, or come to the door near staff parking at the side of the building and knock on the last door. Hope to see you there! RSVP for the meeting here.

The Present and Future of the Equal Rights Amendment

On April 12, a groundbreaking conference on the Equal Rights Amendment was held at Georgetown Law School. Organized by the ERA Project at Columbia Law School and the Georgetown University Law Center, the conference, entitled: The Present and Future of the Equal Rights Amendment: The ERA as a new source of equality rights in the Constitution, gathered legal scholars along with members of Congress, lawyers, advocates, and organizers to sharpen  strategy for the ERA’s future.

The event featured keynote addresses from Representatives Cori Bush, Ayanna Pressley, and Senator Ben Cardin, who talked about current strategies for the ERA movement. Panel sessions with leading legal scholars discussed topics, including ways to surmount procedural roadblocks to the ERA’s final ratification and visions for establishing the ERA as a new and independent source of constitutional sex equality.

According to one panelist, Professor David Pozen, Columbia Law professor and renowned constitutional law scholar, the process for constitutional amendments to the U.S. Constitution is not clear cut; virtually every amendment has faced legal challenges as to its adherence to Article V. Professor Pozen contends that whether an amendment deserves to be considered as part of the U.S Constitution is a function of whether enough government officials, lawyers and ordinary citizens treat it as such. Watch conference highlights here!

TAKE ACTION TODAY!

• Call U.S. Senators Thom Tillis (202-224-6342) and Ted Budd (202-224-3154) to urge support for Senate Joint Resolution 4.
• Call U.S. Representative Chuck Edwards, 11^th District, (202-225-6401) to urge support for House Joint Resolution 25.



Both resolutions affirm the ERA as the 28th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.



Join us! The ERA and Gender Equity team meets via Zoom on the second Monday of the month at 12:30 pm. If you are interested in learning more about the ERA, contact Lynne Joshi (302-521-7741) and she will send you the Zoom login link.

Direct Election of the President

“As goes Maine, so goes the nation.” This phrase was used to describe Maine’s bell-weather status in predicting the outcomes of presidential elections in the 1800s and early 1900s. In April Maine became the 17^th state to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, bringing 4 Electoral College votes. The total is now 209 EC votes, only 61 to go. There was quite a bit of news coverage about this and that is good for getting the National Popular Vote into the general conversation. This is the second time in the last 60 years that Maine made a change in how Electors are instructed by the state legislature. In 1972 Maine switched to proportional voting for President/Vice President wherein two electoral votes go to the state popular vote winner and one electoral vote goes to the popular vote winner in each congressional district. Now Maine has committed to give all of its electoral votes to the slate that has the most votes in the entire country once we reach 270.

Reminder: All league members are encouraged to attend one of the scheduled Zoom sessions to learn more about the LWVUS Moonshot which begins with the adoption of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact and culminates in the abolition of the Electoral College by Constitutional Amendment. Here is the Zoom link.

May 13– Monday at 2pm

June 4 – Tuesday at 5pm

July 10 – Wednesday at noon

August 8 – Thursday at 7pm

September 9 - Monday at 5pm

October 15 – Tuesday at 7pm

November 20 – Wednesday at 2pm

December 12 – Thursday at noon

We can also do presentations for the general public that cover the same information but about problems with the Electoral College and the need to enact the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact as a first step. These put less emphasis on the history of the League of Women Voters in this area and the specifics of the Moonshot plan. Contact Suzanne Fisher if you have a group that would like a presentation or have a suggestion for us to contact.

LWVAB Seeking Board Treasurer

The LWVAB is looking for a committed, detail-oriented volunteer to serve on the Board of Directors as the League’s Treasurer. This is a great opportunity to become more involved with the League and make an important contribution.

The LWVAB Treasurer develops the budget in consultation with the rest of the Board, manages and records the LWVAB’s financial transactions, picks up League mail from the North Asheville post office weekly, and gives monthly budget reports to the Board. The Treasurer generally spends 1-2 hours a week on League duties, though there may be a larger time commitment in the beginning. A professional background in finance is not necessary, but attention to detail is. (The current treasurer uses basic Excel for budget management.) The retiring League treasurer is happy to share information and expertise to help with the transition and is leaving detailed information on responsibilities.

The Treasurer, along with the rest of the Board of Directors, serves for a two-year term, although a willingness to serve for longer is beneficial. Board members follow Board Member Expectations and are elected in accordance with our Bylaws.

If you are interested in learning more about this essential position in our League, please email info@lwvab.org for more information.

Coming up...

May

9 Voter Outreach Action Team 5:30pm at North Asheville Library

9 LWVNC Tax Policy meeting 7pm via Zoom

13 ERA Action Team 12:30pm via Zoom

13 NPV Action Team Zoom presentation 2pm

14 LWVNC Citizen Initiatives Zoom presentation7pm

16 Annual Members' Meeting 6pm at East Asheville Library

20 & 21 LWVNC Council meeting via Zoom 6pm

June

4 NPV Zoom presentation at 5pm

5 League 101 at 6pm at North Asheville Library

Support our League!

Instagram: Follow us at lwv_ab!

Facebook: The LWVAB Facebook page has a variety of items specific to our chapter as well posts shared from the LWVUS, LWVNC, and other sources. Suzanne Fisher would love to have your story about voting and a picture to share. Please keep your story nonpartisan. And please Like and Share! Sharing our posts with your Facebook friends helps let people know about our efforts.

LWVAB is on Twitter! Follow us @ashebunlwv. If you have recommendations for items to post, let Suzanne Fisher know. Writing a piece with a 280-character limit is a good mental challenge!