I feel fortunate to have been to a number of Peter, Paul and Mary concerts. They always ended with “Blowing in the Wind” and added an extra line to the end. “The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind. The answer is you, me, and all of us!” That’s a good mantra for members and friends of the League of Women Voters right now. This is not a time to hunker down, hide out, or ignore what is happening in our country. It’s time to figure out what each one of us can do to be part of the answer. For clear and purposeful inspiration, LWVUS has developed a League members’ oath:

“We do solemnly swear that we will empower voters and defend our democracy, and that we will faithfully execute our civic responsibility as nonpartisan advocates. We do this fearlessly, reflectively, and collectively. We act from a place of hope and collective power. We affirm that we will work to provide democracy education and election administration support, restore and defend voting rights protections, abolish the Electoral College, protect democracy organizations, and fight for reproductive freedoms. We will not be deterred from these tasks. Join us to protect life, liberty, freedom, and justice.”

Commitments elsewhere led Board Member Kelly Carlson to resign recently. Mary Ann Roser agreed to an appointment until the end of June and will be on the ballot for a two-year term at our annual meeting. Contact Suzanne Fisher (suzanne2000@gmail.com) if you are interested in serving on the Board. 

We had a good discussion after the presentation on Election of the President by Popular Vote on February 19 and we were glad that it was a Zoom event since we had yet another snow day. 2025 is a winter to remember! 

These are busy times for our League. Join us at these upcoming events for League members, potential members, and friends: 

• March 12 League 101 presentation at the East Asheville Library, 3 Avon Road, Asheville at 6:00pm
• March 26 Coffee Chat with Board members at Well Bred Bakery and Café, 216 North Main Street, Weaverville at 10 am
• April 2 BC Ruckus Presentation on Insurance and Breast Cancer Screening; 6pm via Zoom; link to be sent closer to the event. 
• April 16 Coffee Chat with Board members at OWL Bakery 197 Charlotte Street, Asheville, at 10am

Events for League members only:  

• March 27 Federal Judiciary Study Consensus Meeting at 6:30pm; see details below. 
• March 29 Regional Meeting in Hickory, 10am to 3pm, lunch provided. This will be an update for members of our League, Henderson County, Catawba Valley and Charlotte Mecklenburg. It’s a great opportunity to meet other League members and find out what other local Leagues are doing! Let me know if you are interested in attending. 
• May 2-4 LWVNC Annual Meeting in Durham; here is the information on registration. Our League can send five voting delegates in addition to the President; let me know if you are interested in attending.
• June 19 LWVAB Annual Meeting at Weaverville Community Center

Suzanne Fisher

President, LWVAB

Federal Judiciary Study Consensus Meeting

March 27 6:30 pm (via Zoom)

At the LWVUS 2024 Convention, delegates voted to proceed with a study on the federal judiciary, to be completed by June 2025. This includes Federal (not state) district courts, circuit courts, and the Supreme Court. All local leagues are expected to have a meeting to discuss the issues raised for discussion and provide feedback via a survey by April 14 in which we report our league’s view (strong consensus for, moderate consensus for, strong consensus against, moderate consensus against, no consensus) on the following topics:

• Transparency is essential to an effective Federal Judiciary.
• Accountability is essential to an effective Federal Judiciary.
• Independence is essential to an effective Federal Judiciary.
• Ethics is essential to an effective Federal Judiciary.
• There should be binding universal standards of conduct for judges and Justices at all levels of the Federal Court.
• Court hearings, documents filed in the court, and rulings for all federal cases should be open and available to the public.
• There should be an effective enforcement mechanism for the Federal Judiciary code of ethics at all levels.
• An enforcement mechanism should include a process to require a judge or Justice to recuse him or herself when a reasonable litigant would believe that the judge or Justice has a bias against any party or an issue raised in the case.
• A judge of Justices decision and rationale to recuse or not recuse should be publicly disclosed in writing.
• Federal judges and Justices should be subject to rigorous financial disclosure requirements, enforcement, and penalties for all financial benefits, including but not limited to income, gifts, paid speaking engagements, and book deals.
• Stability of the law (stare decisis*) is a value that contributes to a strong democracy.
• Public perception of the Supreme Court’s legitimacy contributes to a strong democracy.

*Stare decisis generally defined as a legal doctrine that requires courts to follow previous court decision in deciding similar cases. This can be vertical (lower courts follow decisions of higher courts) and horizontal (court must follow its own previous decisions). Higher courts can review and reverse earlier precedents if they are convinced that the previous decision was erroneous. For example, Brown v. Board of Education prohibiting school segregation reversed Plessy v. Ferguson that allowed “separate but equal” provision of services.

The link provided above connects to policy documents on these topics and previous Zoom presentations by LWVUS.

If you plan on attending this meeting, contact Suzanne Fisher and the Zoom link will be sent a few days in advance. 

Corinne Duncan, Buncombe County's Director of Elections Services, was named one of the Women of the Year 2025 by USA Today for her work to serve the voting public by successfully pulling together the 2024 General Election in the aftermath of historic devastation from Helene. Click here and scroll down the page to North Carolina's honorees to read the story about Corinne and two other Asheville women who served our community heroically, in different ways, after the storm. If you wish to send a message to Corinne, email her at this address.

VOTER SERVICES

Board of Elections Observations – February

LWVAB currently monitors Boards of Elections in Buncombe, Madison, McDowell, and Transylvania as part of an 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 on the LWVAB website.

A bipartisan pair of Buncombe Board of Elections Members met with Buncombe County Managers regarding a proposed move of the Elections Services Staff and Board to 35 Woodfin Street from its current location at 59 Woodfin Place. Board members expressed several concerns that will adversely impact the staff in completing their statutory duties to conduct secure and impartial elections. Unlike other County agencies, the Board and Elections Services needs to be and to appear independent of any political pressures. Among other things, they are required by state and federal law to maintain records on voters and campaign finance which contain confidential information for which privacy must be maintained. A key concern is that 35 Woodfin Street, unlike its current location at 59 Woodfin Place, lacks the space to maintain a polling place at its main office during election season, as required by law.

Regarding the contested race for an Associate Justice seat on the State Supreme Court, the Wake County Superior Court, on February 7, denied the losing candidate’s request to dismiss the ballots which might erase the 734-vote margin that separates him from the winner of the race. The heart of the argument is that the 65,000 early voting and mail-in ballots should be dismissed because the registration records may not contain a driver’s license number or last four digits of the voter’s Social Security number. The ruling has been appealed to the NC Appeals Court. The State Board of Elections and the winning candidate’s request for an expedited ruling was denied, meaning it will be heard by the NC Appeals Court. The expedited ruling would have sent the case directly to the state Supreme Court, where Republicans hold a 5-2 majority, and where the winning candidate has recused herself. A split 3-3 decision by the state’s high court would mean Appeals Court ruling would stand.  

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. Early voting and mail in ballots were targeted because they can be retrieved after Election Day. In contrast, ballots cast on Election Day cannot be traced to individual voters. Find notes from Buncombe County meetings at the bottom of the page on our website.

Voter Outreach

An unexpected registration opportunity came our way on February 17, when we served as co-sponsors of a rally organized by Common Cause to oppose the effort to toss out more than 65,000 early voting and mail-in ballots for the Associate Justice seat on the NC State Supreme Court. More than 300 people turned out for the rally in Asheville’s Pack Square Park, which was one of 17 rallies held across the state on a sunny but cold and windy Monday. Suzanne Fisher, Elaine and George Elam, and Cheryl Williams spoke with voters and passed out information about the contested race.

No Upcoming Registration Events in March

In 2025 Buncombe, Madison, and McDowell Counties will hold municipal elections. In Buncombe County, voters will cast ballots for Town Council members in Weaverville and Woodfin, as well as Mayor of Weaverville and seats on the Woodfin Water and Sewer Board. Residents in the Towns of Hot Springs, Marshall and Mars Hill will vote for local offices. The Town of Old Fort and The City of Marion will also hold municipal elections. Keep an eye on the newsletter for any voter outreach. However, if you have ideas please share at the link below. Candidate filing begins in July.

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 will be on Thursday April 3 at 5:30pm in the program room of the North Asheville Library at 1030 Merrimon Avenue. 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.

BCRuckus (Breast Cancer Ruckus) is a North Carolina group working to increase awareness of breast cancer screening and diagnosis issues. The group seeks to educate women about the importance of knowing their breast tissue density (whether they have heterogeneously or very dense breast tissue) and the implications this may have when mammography is used in routine breast screenings.

BCRuckus (https://www.bcruckus.org/about-us/) is working to enact legislation, in North Carolina and nationwide, mandating that private insurance cover screening methods that effectively detect tumors in dense breasts. Currently, 29 states plus the District of Columbia have passed this legislation. 

Join us for a zoom presentation on Wednesday April 2, 6:00-7:00pm to learn more about dense breast screening and the legislation needed in NC.

Equal Rights Amendment Declared 28th Amendment: What’s Next?

On January 17, 2025, President Biden recognized the Equal Rights Amendment as the 28th Amendment to the US Constitution. He said the ERA strengthens protections against gender-based discrimination and offers a robust foundation to combat gender-based violence, pay inequality, access to reproductive health, and other forms of discrimination disproportionately affecting women and other marginalized groups.

President Biden called on Congress to act immediately to pass a resolution recognizing ratification of the ERA and said that a recently published Office of Legal Counsel memorandum made clear there is nothing standing in the way of the Congress doing so. He stated that no one should be discriminated against based on their sex—and we, as a nation, must stand up for women’s full equality. 

Twelve states have yet to ratify the ERA, and North Carolina is one of them. In the upcoming weeks, we will need to contact our state representatives and tell them that we want ratification of the ERA in NC too!!

Join us!

The ERA and Gender Equality 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.

Election of the President by Popular Vote

There are many myths promoted by people opposed to the election of our President/Vice President by popular vote. It’s good to be prepared to respond when people bring these up.

One myth is that a few big cities would control the election. The data do not support this: 

• New York, Los Angeles and Chicago are 5% of the population.
• The ten biggest cities are 8% of the population.
• The 50 biggest cities are 15% of the population.

It’s mathematically impossible for cities to control the outcome of an election! It’s expected that the 2030 census will show a decline in urban populations.

Another myth is that a few big states would control the election:

• In 2020, there were 158,429,631 votes cast, so 79,214,816 votes were needed for a majority. The votes of 42 states were needed to get to that number for Biden. The final total was 81,283,501 votes for Biden, 74,223,975 for Trump. 
• However, Electoral College votes from only 17 states were needed to get Biden to the minimum of 270 EC votes to win; he actually got 306 EC votes from 27 states, to Trump’s total of 232. 

 A strong majority of the states will be needed to get the most popular votes. Here is another example from the 2012 election.  

March

10 ERA mtg 12:30 via Zoom

12 LWV 101 in-person, 6pm, East Asheville Library

26 Coffee Chat Well-Bred Bakery and Café, Weaverville, 10-11am

27 Federal Judiciary Study Consensus Meeting at 6:30pm, via Zoom

29 Regional Meeting in Hickory, 10am to 3pm

April

2 Zoom presentation 6:00-7:00pm to learn more about dense breast screening and the legislation needed in NC.

3 Voter Outreach Team meeting, North Asheville Library, 5:30pm

14 ERA mtg at 12:30 via Zoom

16 Coffee Chat OWL Bakery, 97 Charlotte Street, Asheville

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

The League of Women Voters and other nonpartisan organizations have formed Light for Democracy. Tuesday, March 4th, marks the President’s Address to Congress. Instead of tuning in, We the People will host community gatherings at state capitols, city halls, town halls, public gathering spaces and in virtual spaces across the country to bring people together in reflection, action, and solidarity. Find out more at mobilize.us/lightfordemocracy/.

If there is not an event that you can attend, take a few moments to reflect on recent events, consider what you can do for our country, and help others who are in need. 

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.