National Voter articles from June 2005

National Voter archives from June 2005

Democracy at risk!(OUT FRONT)
June 1, 2005... Democracy is at risk when long lines and faulty voting processes keep Americans from voting and having their votes counted. Democracy is at risk when partisan gerrymandering ensures that elections are over before the people even vote. Democracy...

Greetings from M Street!(NEWS FROM M STREET)(League of Women Voters of United States celebrates its 85th birthday)
June 1, 2005... 2005 is already shaping up to be a busy year with continued activity on many topics and new initiatives in other areas. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In conjunction with the January LWVUS Board meeting, we kicked off the year with a festive...

Communications.(NEWS FROM M STREET)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Earlier this year, media attention was focused on the League's 85th birthday and President Kay J. Maxwell's testimony at the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) hearing on provisional ballots in Ohio. President Maxwell's EAC testimony was...

Meet more of the staff.(NEWS FROM M STREET)(Elizabeth James, Bea Mozon and Natalie Testa appointed at League of Women Voters of United States)
June 1, 2005... We are pleased to introduce Elizabeth James, Bea Mozon and Natalie Testa, three part-time staff members who have been on the League staff for many years--all told they share a total of more than 60 years with the League. These three women...

Membership.(NEWS FROM M STREET)(League of Women Voters of United States)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... State League leaders, big city Leagues, capital city Leagues and Inter-League Organizations (ILOs) will be treated to lively, interesting sessions at the LWVUS Council, entitled "Engaging Your Community," in Washington, DC, June 11-13. David...

Redistricting reform.(election districts)(Cover Story)
June 1, 2005... America is an outlier in the world of democracies when it comes to the structure and conduct of elections. Presidents are elected not by direct popular vote but by 538 members of the Electoral College. Votes in federal elections are cast and...

Campaign finance reform: "527s" emerge to new prominence.
June 1, 2005... The 2004 federal elections were the first waged under the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA), better known as the McCain-Feingold legislation. Until the implementation of BCRA, "soft money" could be raised in unlimited amounts and...

Emerging issues in election reform.
June 1, 2005... The League's March 2005 forum (see League Matters, p. 16) highlighted a number of urgent priorities for policymakers, election officials and others. The ideal we aim for is to ensure that all eligible Americans who want to vote should be able...

Hill Bulletin.
June 1, 2005... Early this year, the LWVUS Board adopted the Democracy Agenda (see Out Front), a comprehensive, multi-year effort to strengthen and renew democracy, as its top program priority. In doing so, the Board also set the League's legislative...

LWV of the Houston Area, TX.(Leagues in Action)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... From the LWV of the Houston Area, TX: "I was delighted to read that the LWVUS was named to receive the 2005 Freedom Award from NASS. You might be interested to know that Houston's own Harris County Clerk Beverly Kaufman was instrumental in...

LWV of Ohio.(Leagues in Action)(League of Women Voters)(election reform)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The LWV of Ohio has developed a "10-Point Proposal" for use in election reform discussions in Ohio, and many different groups are using the plan as a starting point for discussions. The recommendations are based on League history and...

LWV of Arizona.(Leagues in Actionee)(League of Women Voters)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The LWV of Arizona reports that since Arizona became the first state to require proof of citizenship to register to vote after the November 2004 passage of a citizens' initiative vigorously opposed by the League, it has been very active in...

LWV of Fremont, Newark and Union City, CA.(Sikh temple's elections)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Earlier this year, the LWV of Fremont, Newark and Union City, CA, was called upon to help resolve a conflict concerning Supreme Council elections within the country's second-largest Sikh temple. In 2002, seven Sikhs sued the temple, complaining...

LWV of Milwaukee County (WI).(Leagues in Action)(New Voter project of League of Women Voters)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The LWV of Milwaukee County (WI) is proud of its successful, ongoing, seven-year-old New Voter/New Citizen Project. Every month League members attend naturalization ceremonies at the Wisconsin Eastern District U.S. Federal Court. The League...

LWV of Northfield, MN.(Leagues in Action)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The LWV of Northfield, MN, labored for three years to improve redistricting in its county. The League remained steadfast, despite setbacks, and finally achieved success in 2004! In a nutshell, the county board of commissioners selected a...

LWV of Montgomery County, IN.(Leagues in Action)(League of Women Voters of Indiana)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The LWV of Montgomery County, IN, proudly reports that its membership has increased from 45 in January 2001 to 107 in January 2005, the first time they have exceeded 100 since the 1970s! The climb was incremental over five years. The...

LWV of Washington.(Leagues in Action)(League of Women Voters)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The LWV of Washington is in the midst of a major civic education project to show students how they can participate in making and keeping effective government. The League's Ed Fund just published its 5th edition of The State We're in:...

Education fund.(LEAGUE MATTERS)
June 1, 2005... ELECTION REFORM The League has developed five areas of concern to guide its work at the federal level on election reform issues in 2005. These areas are: provisional balloting, statewide computerized voter registration lists, voting...

In memoriam.(LEAGUE MATTERS)(Ruth Chickering Clusen of League of Women Voters of the United States)(Obituary)
June 1, 2005... The League mourns the passing on March 14, 2005, of Ruth Chickering Clusen, LWVUS president from 1974-1978, and celebrates her lifetime of remarkable achievements. "The death of Ruth Clusen is a tremendous loss for the League and for citizen...

Advocacy.(LEAGUE MATTERS)
June 1, 2005... While it is still early in the 109th Congress, League advocacy efforts are in full swing. League staff, board and volunteers are promoting the League's priorities on Capitol Hill and in communities throughout the country. In January, the LWVUS...

Don't dismantle Social Security.(SOUNDING OFF)
June 1, 2005... As we pursue our national goal of economic security in retirement, it is clear that Social Security needs to be strengthened now for our children and grandchildren. But we must make sure that the solution is not worse than the problem. One...