Living tucked away in my corner of the mountains, I certainly do a lot of driving! It’s a great chance to listen to books, podcasts and music; I particularly enjoy listening to Hamilton. It’s always been inspiring to me, and especially so in these tumultuous times. Here are a couple of my favorite quotes.

“History has its eyes on us.” 

Whether you write to or call elected officials, attend town halls, protests or marches, boycott companies who have ended DEI policies, or just express your views civilly to friends, neighbors, family or others who feel differently from you, be proud of what you are doing at this critical time in our country’s history. 

“Rise Up…It is not a moment, it’s a movement” 

We’re not alone in our efforts. As members of the League of Women Voters, we are part of a national organization, a state organization, and one of more than 700 local Leagues. We have a strong and respected voice…and now is the time to use it!

It was good to see new members and potential members at our League 101 session on March 12. We had a lively discussion on many topics. We now have members in the following counties - Buncombe, Haywood, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Transylvania, and Yancey! I hope all our members will encourage friends, family and colleagues to join us. Remember, the only requirement is that you are at least 16 years old.

Elaine Elam, Cheryl Williams, myself, Mary Ann Roser, and Juanita Carrier attended the Western Regional Meeting organized by LWV North Carolina on March 29. It was a good opportunity to meet with state Board members and Leaguers from Henderson, Catawba Valley and Charlotte-Mecklenburg. A highlight was the Zoom talk by Dianna Wynn, President of LWVUS and a member of the Wake County League. She emphasized that LWV is taking a strong activist stance in response to the threats to our democracy and the current administration's lack of respect for the rule of law. The issues we advocate for are nonpartisan; efforts to label them otherwise should be treated as mis/dis information.  

Our Board members recently decided to help people who would like to join the League but find it difficult to pay the $20 minimum dues. This could be students (people enrolled either full-time or part-time in an accredited institution) or others. If you know someone, please contact us at leagueofwomenvoters.ab@gmail.com so we can help. If a new member or (not-so-new) would like to meet with a Board member to discuss the work of the League and/or opportunities to be engaged, let us know at leagueofwomenvoters.ab@gmail.com. 

Suzanne Fisher

President, LWVAB

New Date! April 7: Statewide Meeting on

Federal Judiciary Study 

At the LWVUS 2024 Convention, delegates voted to proceed with a study on the federal judiciary. The study will be completed on a fast-track timeline in time for a position to be announced at the LWVUS 2025 Council in June 2025. 

LWVAB has already hosted our consensus meeting for this study. A small but dedicated group participated; we all agreed that it was an excellent learning experience and a worthwhile effort. If you were unable to join our meeting, you can join LWVNC’s meeting on Zoom on Monday, April 7 at 10am. Sign up here. Advanced registration is required. (Note: this date was shifted to allow members to participate in the "Hands Off" events in their region.) 

In order to prepare for the Federal Judiciary Study meeting, you can find discussion prompts, guidance, and additional resources on the League Management Site.

Of note: The LWVUS Federal Judiciary Study Committee held a town hall on February 4, with speakers including Alicia Bannon from the Brennan Center for Justice, Thomas Berry from The CATO Institute, and Erinn Martin from NGV LLC. Watch the YouTube recording here. 

Citizens Initiative

The Citizens Initiative (CI) Study Team is hosting a caucus via Zoom before the statewide convention, on April 17, 7pm - 8pm. CI is a powerful direct democracy tool that allows citizens to collect voter signatures to place a law or amendment directly on the ballot, bypassing legislative gridlock. At the caucus, we will briefly share the benefits of CI and then explain the proposed position, which includes strong safeguards to ensure fairness and transparency. Register here. Visit the Citizens Initiative webpage here.

VOTER SERVICES

Board of Elections Observations – March

The four counties in Western North Carolina where LWVAB currently monitors Boards of Elections – Buncombe, Madison, McDowell, and Transylvania, are part of a LWVNC statewide effort to have observers for all 100 counties. LWV observers learn about the voting process which helps them educate community members and improve confidence in our elections. Observers complete an online form for each meeting observed. More information including lists of sites and meeting schedules, the reporting form, and tips about the process is found at Become an Observer of County Boards of Election Meetings in North Carolina. (Here is the new link to this page.)

Buncombe County: After numerous meetings and much discussion, the Buncombe County Board of Elections and the Director of Election services decided to agree with the County’s decision to move the Elections Services staff to 35 Woodfin Street where it will share space with other county departments such as Tax Assessment and Planning. Elections Services staff will be the last department to move into the shared space in late April. Assistant County Manager Tim Love attended the meeting on March 5 and said that the County Manager and he now realize they should have involved the Board much earlier in the process and pledged to do so in the future. He further said he hopes this move will provide a template for enhanced communication when the new warehouse is built on Riverside Drive, a project that is not yet even in the design phase.

The concerns of Board Members and Election Services staff regarding efficiency of operations and security of sensitive documents remain but staff are committed to applying their continuous improvement ethic to document the effect of the changes to their operations. Data collection on various tasks will begin in their current space at 59 Woodfin Place to provide a baseline for comparison and to provide feedback on which, if any, concerns materialize following the move. Many tasks, such as moving ballots or other sensitive documents through shared space, will require new procedures to ensure the security of the documents. The full scope of procedures that need to change will not be known until after the move has taken place and staff adjust to their new surroundings. As Director Corrine Duncan said, Election Services noted, the departments “play” well together in the “sandbox” and she expects they will continue to get along well as “roommates”.

The Madison County Board of Elections learned at their February meeting that no change will be made to the exempt employee status of the Director following a review of federal criteria by the County Attorney, which the County Human Relations Department agreed with. Three polling locations have been identified for the upcoming municipal elections in Hot Springs, Mars Hill, and Marshall. The South Marshall precinct polling place was heavily damaged during Helene and the owner thought it possible the building would not be available in time for the 2026 elections. Consequently, the Board will need to determine a longer-term solution to finding a voting location in South Marshall.

Regarding the last Uncertified Race in the Nation, NC Associate Justice Seat on the State Supreme Court:

The North Carolina Appeals Court heard arguments on Friday, March 21 in the appeal of the decision by the NC Appeals Court to uphold a lower court ruling. On Friday April 4 the NCSBE issued a statement on the results of the appeal, which you can read here. About 2,500 ballots in Buncombe County and 300 in Henderson County are among the contested ballots. The ballots were cast by Democrats, Republicans, and Unaffiliated voters.

Voter Outreach–April

Upcoming Registration Event Staffed

Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina has invited LWVAB for a return engagement at the Madison County High School Seniors Resource Fair on April 24 in the gymnasium. Last April Scott and Cheryl Williams staffed our table where we happily learned that most students had already registered to vote -- a trend we hope continues. LWVAB will join 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. Goodwill’s NextGen program provides training and career development services to 16 - 24-year-olds. Students in the towns of Hot Springs, Mars Hill, and Marshall will be eligible to vote in the municipal elections in November!

Want to brush up on your skill set and see the new registration application form? Go to our website, review the materials, and take the quiz at the bottom on the page. Watch this newsletter and/or attend our Voter Outreach team meetings, then sign up for registration events once we get them scheduled.

Find the 2024 training materials here. The quiz is at the bottom of that page. LWVAB registration volunteers must read the training materials and take the quiz. We pair newly trained folks with veteran volunteers and supply all materials and supplies. If you would like to be on our list of volunteers, or have an idea about an event we should attend, contact us at and let us know.

Next Meeting

Our next meeting is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday May 20 at 5:30pm in the program room of the North Asheville Library at 1030 Merrimon Avenue. This meeting will be an in-person voter registration training. Watch for a confirmation of the date in the May newsletter. If you are new to the Branch, turn left as you enter the front doors, 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! To RSVP for the meeting or voice any questions or concerns contact us here.

Election of the President by Popular Vote

Here are a few conversation starters for talking to people about the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.

Did you know that the words “Electoral College” do not appear in the Constitution?  

Article II, Section 1 simply states “Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress….” States can use any method they choose to direct their electors and, over time, all states have made changes in how they do this. “Winner-Take-All”, the method currently used by 48 states and the District of Columbia, is also not mentioned in the Constitution.

Which state gave Trump the most votes in 2020? 

Most often guessed are Texas or Florida. The answer is California, with just over 6 million votes; but none of those counted, as all 54 of California’s Electoral College votes went to Biden, who received more than 11 million votes. 

Have you ever run in an election? Did you expect to win if you got the most votes? How would you feel if you didn’t? 

How many times in the history of the US has the person who did not win the popular vote become President?  

The answer is five times – 1824, 1846, 1888, 2000, and 2016.

It would be great if all League members, not just those on this Action Team, would start the conversations and support the One Person One Vote Campaign that starts with enacting the National Popular Voter Interstate Compact by 2028. The next meeting of the Action Team is May 6 at 5:30pm via Zoom. Contact Suzanne Fisher (suzanne2001@gmail.com) to join us. Help us start the conversation!

From the YWCA

Until Justice Just Is

Every April, the YWCA of Asheville joins with YWCA USA to raise awareness about the impact of institutional and structural racism and build community among those who work to advance racial justice. In 2025, the racial justice campaign, Until Justice Just Is (UJJI), centers around YWCA USA’s theme of Equity in Action: Exposing Myths and Redefining Justice and it will be based on the topics for the 2025 YWCA Racial Justice Challenge, which will investigate these topics:

• Age of Misinformation/Disinformation

• Interpersonal Racism

• The American Dream

• The Racialization of Crime

This year’s campaign began on the last day of March and will go through the month of April with the YWCA Racial Justice Challenge, a critical component of the campaign. Join the effort all month long as the YWCA highlights events and initiatives to inspire and engage our network of activists, advocates, and allies and advance racial justice — together. Register for the challenge and to take the pledge here.

Coming Events

April

7 LWVNC mtg-Fed Judiciary study

10am via Zoom

11 Last day to register for LWVNC Convention

14 ERA mtg at 12:30 via Zoom

16 Coffee Chat OWL Bakery, 97 Charlotte Street, Asheville, 10am-11am

17 LWVNC CI study caucus via Zoom

May

2-4 LWVNC Convention, Durham

6 Election of the Pres. by Popular Vote mtg at 5:30pm via Zoom

7 Coffee Chat Camden's Coffee House, Marshall NC, 10am- 11am

8 Informal meetup for members and guests at Peri Social House, Black Mountain, 5:30pm

Contact your Representatives

Congressman Chuck Edwards

Email link on website: https://edwards.house.gov/

Address: 1505 Longworth House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

Telephone: (202) 225-6401

Senator Ted Budd

Email link on website: https://www.budd.senate.gov/

Address: 151 Patton Ave., Suite 204

Asheville, NC 28801

Telephone: (828) 333-4130

Senator Thom Tillis

Email link on website: https://www.tillis.senate.gov/

Address: 10150 Mallard Creek Road, Suite 509

Charlotte, NC 28262

Telephone: (704) 509-9087

Find your national representatives at

https://myreps.datamade.us/ or for NCGA reps, https://www.ncleg.gov/findyourlegislators

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 Bluesky! Follow us @lwvab.bsky.social. If you have recommendations for items to post, let Suzanne Fisher know.