From the President's Desk

Dear Members and Friends,

We have several activities coming up in the next few weeks. Mark your calendars for the unit meetings next week.  On March 25, we have a General Meeting on Food Deserts with guest speaker, Dr. Shaneka Baylor.  Click here for our Event Calendar. 

In April, we will host or co-host candidate forums for many races for local elections in Dallas and the surrounding area. Again, check the Event Calendar for the details about these forums.

The last day to register for the May 3rd elections is April 3.  Early voting begins on April 22.

I can’t stress enough the importance of these local elections. The League’s Voter Guides and VOTE411.org will be ready before early voting.  One of our primary goals is to educate voters in a non-partisan fashion. Our Guides and VOTE411 are made up of responses to questions from the candidates, without any edits from us.

In addition to the local elections, the US Congress and the Texas Legislature are proposing and voting on new laws and changes to existing laws.  

The League opposes changes or new laws that make it harder for eligible voters to vote. Take action against the US Save Act, which would create additional barriers to voting for women who have changed their name from the one on their birth certificate due to marriage or any reason. Texas citizens will endure dire outcomes to their voting rights from the SAVE Act, the ‘Use It or Lose It’ bill (Texas HB 2272), or the elimination of countywide voting (Texas SB 76) if these bills become law. 

The Texas House is rapidly moving forward with HB 3, a bill proposing the creation of an “education savings account” voucher system that threatens to divert public funds to private schools without any accountability measures. This is another issue of great importance. Take action by contacting your representative opposing public tax dollars for private schools.

In League,

Sandy Thornton

President – LWV Dallas

General Meeting: DFW Food Insecurity with Dr. Shaneka Baylor

Volunteers Needed for Naturalization Ceremonies

Each month volunteers from LWV Collin County, Richardson and Dallas register hundreds of new citizens at USCIS naturalization ceremonies held in Collin County.  

If you’re a VDR for Dallas, Denton, Collin, or Tarrant counties, we need you! If you’re a VDR for multiple counties, that’s even better! If you’re a relatively new VDR, or if you just need a refresher event, let us know—we can pair you with someone. While being a VDR is helpful, it is not required.

For more information, contact project manager Cathy Murphree, LWV Richardson: cathymurphree@gmail.com.

Become an Election Day Poll Worker    

Are you interested in training to be an election/poll worker for the upcoming May 3rd election? Election workers play a vital role in the democratic process, but training is required for ALL workers in order to work early voting or Election Day. You can find more information on positions, eligibility, and training schedules on this Dallas County Elections website. 

Election Judge/Poll Worker training is starting this month. We have new e-pollbooks and this training is REQUIRED for ALL May 3rd Election Day and early voting Judges and Pollworkers. Judges and Pollworkers will receive an email from Dallas County Elections regarding the required training. If someone is an Election Judge or Poll Worker and has not received an email or has questions, they can reach out to VotingSites-ED@dallascounty.org.

Mega Marcha for Immigration 

There will be a big rally/march for on March 30 at 1:00PM for bipartisan immigration reform, organized by Domingo Garcia. More information is here. 

Some folks will be gathering at Victor Ornelas’ home to leave at 12:30 and walk to the cathedral: 2913 Hallsville, Dallas, 75204. Or you can take DART.

In League,

Diane Tasian

League of Women Voters of Dallas

6060 N. Central Expwy, Ste #500