LISTENING, LEARNING, LEADING TOGETHER | | Elle Harrigan leads the State of the Florida Girl presentation at the Mandel Library in West Palm Beach. The Oct. 16 program also featured a panel discussion. Thank you to the Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida and all who joined us. | Girls at the center, community in action, democracy in motion | We’re still feeling the energy from State of the Florida Girl — A Community Call to Action. The informative presentation by Elle Harrigan, Chief Advancement Officer of Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida, and the inspiring panelists helped us center the voices and needs of Florida’s girls.
From data to dialogue, the day was a powerful reminder of what’s possible when community leaders come together with purpose. This event was a true collaboration, and my deepest gratitude and appreciation to the many teams and volunteers who made it possible.
At the League of Women Voters, our mission is clear: Empower voters. Defend democracy. Events like this are how we live that mission — by listening, learning and leading together. Thank you to everyone who showed up, spoke out and helped us build momentum for change.
— Janet Elinoff, Speakers Bureau Chair
| From left: Caitlin O, Francine Mantyh, Suzy Diaz, Amy Kemp,
Janet Elinoff, Elle Harrigan and Annie McGrath. | | PRESIDENT'S
MESSAGE
More varied venues,
local candidate forums,
holiday party on tap | | | As we look forward to 2026, I'm excited to share some important updates on our upcoming programming. In the first quarter, we'll implement alternating locations for our popular Hot Topics events to better serve members across Palm Beach County. This strategic change reflects our commitment to accessibility and community-wide engagement.
Most importantly, our team will be launching candidate forums as March elections approach. These forums represent the heart of our mission — providing nonpartisan voter education to inform our community's electoral decisions. With local races intensifying, our role in facilitating informed civic participation has never been more critical.
On a lighter note, we're thrilled to announce that holiday party details will be shared soon! We're excited to continue this celebration for the second year and look forward to gathering together as a League community.
I encourage any member interested in volunteering for these upcoming events or looking to deepen their involvement with the League to reach out to me directly. Your engagement strengthens our collective impact and helps fulfill our vital democratic mission.
Thank you for your continued commitment to the League's work.
— Amy Kemp, President | KUDOS TO TWO SPECIAL LEADERS |  | | Joyce Sullivan and Janet Elinoff have taken on mammoth challenges to expand the presence of the League. They have been innovative in their programming and created opportunities to develop community within the League and with outside organizations.
Joyce, first vice president and publications chair, has the personality of a saint. She appreciates everyone's point of view with grace. Joyce is the face of the League to outside organizations. She enhanced internal communication by organizing a monthly chairs meeting. Her organization of the budget, Voter's Guide and Directory of Elected Officials are gigantic projects.
Janet has broadened the reach of the League to younger girls and women through the Girl Scout initiative (above). She hopes to educate other students and young adults on the value of voting. The Speakers Bureau, under her leadership, is creating presentations that promote education on voting issues. She has been a great support for new chairs and incorporates other chairs in presenting programs.
I celebrate their dedication and friendship.
— Linda Prior, Secretary
| | | Republican Rep. Anne Gerwig and Democratic Sen. Lori Berman address ongoing housing affordability crisis during October LWVPBC luncheon program. WLRN story.
| HELP WANTED
PUBLICATIONS TEAM NEEDS CANDIDATE CONTACT PERSON
FOR MARCH 10, 2026, MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS
The Publications Team is seeking volunteers to help contact candidates for the March 10, 2026, Municipal Elections and remind them to respond to our VOTE411 questionnaire. Contact Publications Chair Joyce Sullivan at JTFSullivan@comcast.net to volunteer.
Job Description
* Contact candidates running in the March 2026 Municipal Elections.
* Remind candidates to complete and submit answers to the questions created for their specific race.
* Questions will be sent to each qualifying candidate with a unique identification number.
* Candidates who do not respond will receive a follow-up email and, if needed, a phone call reminding them of the submission deadline.
* A contact list with candidate information will be provided.
* Training will be provided.
Qualifications
* Comfortable using Google Sheets.
* Willing to learn key facts about this election (training provided).
* Friendly, persuasive and patient communication skills — especially when working with hesitant candidates.
|
PALM BEACH COUNTY LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION
| Local Bill and Public Hearing
Thursday, Nov. 13, from 9 a.m. to noon
Els Center of Excellence, 18370 Limestone Creek Road, Jupiter
| Remaining Committee Weeks
Nov. 3-7 Nov. 17-21
Dec. 1-5 Dec. 8-12
The regular legislative session begins Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026.
| Palm Beach County Day
Two days of advocacy, collaboration and connection are set for Jan. 13 and 14 in Tallahassee. Palm Beach County Day registration ($200) is now open.
Schedule:
* Tuesday evening, Jan. 13, Welcome Gathering at the Aloft Hotel
* Wednesday, Jan. 14, Legislative Appreciation Luncheon on the 22nd floor of the Capitol, an opportunity to engage with key policymakers
* Wednesday evening, Jan. 14, Legislative Reception in the South Plaza
* Wednesday will close with a Hospitality Suite at Charlie Park, in the AC Marriott hotel.
Download the Whova app and follow it on Facebook and Instagram for updates. | UPCOMING EVENTS
Click on the flyer to see the event
| FIND THE GREAT IN EVERY GIRL | Pace Center for Girls Palm Beach provides education, counseling and social services to girls ages 12–18, helping them build brighter futures and realize their potential.
This year, its Believing in Girls Empowerment Luncheon will take place
Thursday, Nov. 13, at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Highlights will include:
* Emcee Nikita Ramos, WPBF 25 reporter
* Powerful Pace girls' stories
* Pace alumna speaker Lyndora Frazier, sharing her personal journey and the lasting impact of Pace
This luncheon is a movement of community support that ensures every girl at Pace has the tools and encouragement she needs to succeed. |  | Florida House District 90 Special Election: Tuesday, Dec. 9
This ballot will elect the successor to Rep. Joe Casello, who died July 18 during his term. District 90 covers parts of Delray Beach and Boynton Beach. If uncertain, use VOTE411.org or VotePalmBeach.gov to see if you reside in District 90.
Candidates are:
Rob Long (D)
Karen Yeh (NPA)
Maria Zack (R)
Deadline to register to vote: Nov. 10
Deadline to request a VBM ballot: Nov. 27, by 5 p.m.
Early voting: Nov. 29 through Dec. 7, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Deadline to return your VBM ballot: Dec. 9, by 7 p.m. to the Supervisor of Elections Main Office or by 5 p.m. to an SOE Branch Office or Secure Ballot Intake Station
All questions should be directed to the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections at VotePalmBeach.gov or (561) 656-6200. | Florida House District 87 Special Election: Jan. 13 & March 24
This ballot will elect the successor to Rep. Mike Caruso, who resigned in August during his term to become Palm Beach County Clerk and Comptroller.
Primary Election: Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026
General Election: Tuesday, March 24, 2026
District 87 stretches along the Palm Beach County coast from Juno Beach to Hypoluxo, and includes the oceanfront barrier islands. It also includes portions of Palm Beach Gardens and Jupiter. If uncertain, use VOTE411.org or VotePalmBeach.gov to see if you reside in District 87.
Candidate qualifying is set for 8 a.m. Nov. 17 to noon on Nov. 18.
All questions should be directed to the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections at VotePalmBeach.gov or (561) 656-6200. | Charitable donations under the OBBBA: What to know | The One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed in July this year contained some important changes to tax rules pertaining to charitable donations. These will take effect in 2026. In brief, they are:
1. Taxpayers who do not itemize will be able to deduct up to $1,000 in qualified charitable donations ($2,000 for married couples filing jointly). While the law increased the standard deduction to $15,750 per person ($31,500 per couple), this additional deduction for qualified charitable donations is designed to increase participation in giving, but it does exclude some types of donations. For example, donations to a donor-advised fund are ineligible for this deduction.
2. For those who do itemize, the new law only allows taxpayers to deduct qualified charitable donations to the extent that they exceed 0.5 percent of their adjusted gross income (AGI). For example, a couple with an AGI of $500,000 could only deduct charitable donations in excess of $2,500.
3. Also for itemizers, the OBBBA caps the tax benefits of charitable deductions at 35 percent for those in the 37 percent marginal tax bracket. For an individual with AGI of $650,000 who donates $30,000, the deduction would be reduced to $9,362.50 ($30,000 less .005 of $650,000 times .35) from $11,100.
To maximize the tax benefits, donors may want to push forward planned donations to 2025 before these new requirements go into effect. In future years, those below the top 37 percent bracket should consider a bunching strategy where multiple years’ worth of donations are consolidated into a single tax year.
— Melissa Gannon, Treasurer | GOT GRANDS? VISIT GRANDPARENTS FOR VACCINES | The erosion of public trust in vaccines did not happen overnight. But now we are seeing the worst measles outbreak in more than three decades, with 1,563 confirmed cases reported in the United States as of Oct. 7, per the CDC. That is up from 285 in 2024. So far, very few cases have been reported in Florida (less than 10).
Measles is the most contagious virus known to humans, per the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. In addition, Whooping Cough cases have surged this year in Florida by 81 percent. This highly contagious disease is especially dangerous for infants and children, who can possibly suffer complications such as pneumonia, seizures, brain damage or even death (Source: Palm Beach Post).
Unfortunately, due to an increase in conflicting information, overall vaccination rates are trending downward, from 95.2 percent (during the 2019-2020 school year) to 92.7 percent (2023-2024 school year) among U.S. kindergartners (Source: CDC).
This is placing Americans at risk, especially our children and pregnant women. This danger has led to the launch of Grandparents for Vaccines. It is a national, non-partisan organization dedicated to protecting the health of children through the proven power of immunization. Their goal is simple: to inspire hesitant parents to protect their children — our grandchildren — without delay. We began by collecting our stories: memories of childhood illnesses, seeing classmates in iron lungs or wearing leg braces due to the crippling effects of polio.
Grandparents for Vaccines invites every grandparent to open their treasure chest of stories. To learn more, and to sign up for their free newsletter, visit GrandparentsForVaccines.com.
— Sharon Lent, Healthcare Committee | BEAUTY AND THE BALLOTS
Catherine Shore Martinez helps a customer with voter registration at a Lush Cosmetics store. The Palm Beach County League’s Voter Services committee collaborated with the business for a day in October and sent volunteers to the Lush stores at malls in Palm Beach Gardens, Wellington and Boca Raton. | HELPING SENIORS REGISTER TO VOTE
Charlotte Novak, Mary Resnick and Nancy Ballen at the Carlisle at Palm Beach, assisting voters with registration and Vote-by-Mail applications. | ALL WORK, NO PLAY? NOT US!
Voter Services team members get together for a fall potluck lunch organized by chair Judy Giller. | 'TAKE THE LEAGUE LOCAL' KICKS OFF IN BOCA
| Membership Team member Susan Breece initiated and hosted the first Take the League Local (TLL) event in Boca Raton on Oct. 8. Held at Maggiano's from 5-7 p.m., it provided a unique opportunity for members to gather informally and conveniently to share casual conversation and conviviality. On Oct. 10, from 10-11 a.m., a second TLL was held at Narbona so members could enjoy a cup of coffee and converse. Members were excited to unite with old friends and meet new neighbors who share the values of the League. Thank you, Susan, for your efforts to Take the League Local. We look forward to more TLL.
— Donna Colabella, Membership Co-Chair | A WARM-HEARTED WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST MEMBERS | Their contact information is available in the Member Directory at LWVPBC.org.
Stephanie Ralston (Palm Beach Gardens), Janet Bilodeau (Delray Beach), Margaret Davis (Delray Beach), Rebecca Andre (Delray Beach), Christine Raymond (West Palm Beach), Sylvia Moffett (West Palm Beach), Marilyn Litner (West Palm Beach), Clair Wilson (West Palm Beach), Mary Divine (Boca Raton), Karina Henderson (Boca Raton), Frances Corgnati (Riviera Beach), Linzie Francoise (Boynton Beach), Amy Thoman (Jupiter), Emily Gregory (Jupiter), Deanna Albert (Wellington), Jana Hirsekorn (Lake Charles Shores), Ellen Barnes (South Palm Beach), Charlotte Leonard (Westlake), Robyn Cooper (Palm Beach) and Donna Packard-Mahoney (Albany, NY).
— Linda Sorenson, Membership
| NEWS FROM THE NATIONAL LEAGUE | SUIT: S.A.V.E. SYSTEM TARGETS VOTERS FOR PURGES
League, others seek to stop creation of interagency databases consolidating sensitive and personal information.
| BLOG: WHEN WOMEN LEAD, PEACE FOLLOWS
Despite 80th anniversary of United Nations, it has not solved global gender inequality.
| BLOG: UNITING IN PEACEFUL PROTEST
League protests racial gerrymandering in front of Supreme Court, defends democracy with No Kings allies.
| BLOG: 5 WAYS TO CELEBRATE VOTING WITH KIDS
National Voter Education Week advocates being a messenger to connect the future voters in your life with what they need to know.
| BLOG: THE JOURNEY OF A LATINO BALLOT
A first ballot can reflect a parent’s sacrifices, a teacher’s guidance and a community’s hopes. Every Hispanic Heritage Month, Latinos can reflect on their growing voice in American democracy.
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