PRIMARY ELECTION IS AUG. 18
| Use VOTE411/Ballot to find out what’s on YOUR ballot | In preparation for the 2026 primary and general elections, the League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County has launched VOTE411, an online Voters’ Guide. With valuable information on local, state and federal candidates running in the upcoming primary, VOTE411 is part of the League’s comprehensive nonpartisan campaign of voter registration, education and candidate engagement.
This outreach is targeted at voters across Palm Beach County for both the statewide primary Aug. 18 and national general election Nov. 3.
Printed versions of the VOTE411 Voters’ Guides will be carried in select editions of The Palm Beach Post and will be available for convenient pick-up at numerous public libraries starting Sunday, Sept. 27.
LWVPBC is also distributing thousands of voter information hand cards with two messages:
+ What’s on YOUR Ballot? with both a QR code and Vote411.org/Ballot, for direct access to trusted, localized, nonpartisan voter information.
+ General Voting Info 2026 with both a QR code and LWVPBC.org/Vote2026, to check your voter status, register to vote, update personal voter information, check your vote-by-mail ballot, find polling locations or research campaigns and candidates.
For more information about VOTE411, visit VOTE411.org/Florida.
We want to thank Kristina Serbesoff-King, our Vote411 technical team leader; our State Vote411 team leader, Heidi Davis; Carol Carnevale for editorial content; and our local candidate calling team: Kathi Gundlach, Linda Kramer, Linda Prior, MJ Range, Susan Breece, Ashley Cacicedo Surdovel, Karen Buttell and Rebecca Cohen. At this point, all but four local candidates have responded. Heidi led the team calling state and federal candidates.
— Joyce Sullivan, First Vice President and Publications Chair
| LEAGUE HOSTS SCHOOLS, PORT CANDIDATES | Palm Beach County School Board District 4 hopefuls met voters at a candidate forum at the Lantana branch of the Palm Beach County library. From left: Dr. Tiffany Bryant, Dr. Anthony Hamlet, Christina Romelus and Daniel Zapata. | Palm Beach County School Board District 6 hopefuls met voters at two LWVPBC candidate forums, held in Belle Glade and Royal Palm Beach. District 6 represents the western communities. From left: John McGovern, Widline Pierre and Wanda Rosario-Schoenfeld. | Port of Palm Beach candidates meet voters at a LWVPBC forum at the Vista Center in West Palm Beach. From left: Blair Ciklin and Dr. Serge D'Haiti for District 4, and Taniel Koushakjian and Dr. Deandre Poole for District 5. Absent: District 4 candidate Brian Lamb. | From left: LWVPBC Board Directors Kate Renchin and Janet Elinoff
with LWVPBC President Amy Kemp | Officers travel to biennial LWVFL Council of Leaders | LWVPBC President Amy Kemp, Speakers Bureau Chair Janet Elinoff and I traveled to Winter Park for the biennial LWVFL Council of Leaders, held at Rollins College. Jessica Lowe-Minor, LWVFL President, welcomed close to 100 Leaguers from around the state.
Lowe-Minor discussed our state focus on Election Protection, and encouraged us to use free time for networking and building relationships. Amy Keith, Executive Director of Common Cause Florida, taught the statewide Election Protection poll monitor training, and attendees were the first to complete the updated class and receive bright yellow EP t-shirts, badges and signs.
Karen Castor Dental, Orange County Supervisor of Elections, detailed her family history of LWV engagement. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement is the top concern of Orange County voters, she said, and she has met with local law enforcement to stress that voter intimidation is illegal.
We learned from the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition that some 1.5 million Floridians have felony convictions. Their ability to vote is mired in red tape due to lack of clarity of their outstanding fines and fees from the government. FRRC advocates for voting rights restoration, voter registration and criminal justice reform, as well as better housing, education and job opportunities.
Several workshops were offered over the two days as well as time to network with other state League members. We left satisfied, happy for the opportunity to attend this year’s LWVFL Council of Leaders.
— Kate Renchin, Palm Beach County Voting Rights Coalition Co-Chair | Alfred Fields, NAACP WPB President; Janet Elinoff, Speakers Bureau Chair; Kathryn Wagner-Reiss, Voter Services; Wendy Sartory Link, Supervisor of Elections; Joaquin Almazan, Belle Glade Commission; Barbara King, South Bay Commission; Sarah Baxter, County Commission; Marcia Andrews, School Board; Isabelle J. McDonald, Pahokee Vice Mayor; Rev. Willie Lawrence Sr., Greater Union Missionary Baptist Church. | Commissioner Barbara King invites League to panel | Our League was invited to be panelists at South Bay City Commissioner Barbara King’s July 7 Community Town Hall. Janet Elinoff, Board Member and Speakers Bureau Chair, spoke about “Your Community. Your Vote. Your Future.” Katherine Wagner-Reiss spoke about voter registration. The Town Hall, held at the South Bay Crossroads Center, was for residents of South Bay and surrounding Glades communities, Belle Glade and Pahokee.
— Janet Elinoff, Speakers Bureau Chair | |
IN MEMORIAM:
HARRIET DIAMOND | | | A longtime member of the LWVPBC, Harriet Diamond died July 20 under hospice care after a long illness. She was a fighter for human rights, civil rights and voting rights, and inspired many people with her spirit and commitment to justice. Harriet was a mentee of the late Corinne Miller, a League guru on all things voting and political.
With the League, she was a longtime Chair of Voter Services. She also was member of the Palm Beach County branch of the National Organization for Women, and volunteered for SEE — Support, Educate and Engage — in Boca Raton, where she trained volunteers and headed voter registration.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, she was an expert respiratory therapist who traveled around the country training hospital staff on respirators. She also taught respiratory therapy at Indian River State College.
Her life was celebrated July 24 at Sinai Memorial Chapel in Delray Beach, with many friends from the League, NOW and SEE there to pay tribute.
She most recently resided in Delray Beach. She was predeceased by her husband, Chet, and is survived by her daughters Michelle and Donna, her sisters Sheila and Ellen, her three grandchildren, and their families.
May she rest in power and in peace.
|  | LWVPBC members at Harriet Diamond's service, from
left: Alice Mann, Darlene Kostrub, Joyce Sullivan,
Nancy Ballen and Pamela Maldonado. | WHAT’S THE TRUTH ABOUT PBC ELECTIONS? | Elections Supervisor Link to speak at VRC team Zoom, 2 p.m. Sept. 3
| Our Palm Beach County Voting Rights Coalition is excited to host Supervisor of Elections Wendy Sartory Link to speak at our September monthly meeting. It will be an opportunity to get your all your voting questions answered:
• How can we know our elections will be fair, safe and accurate?
• How secure are our machines?
• What kinds of contingency planning is being done?
Look for the Zoom link on the LWVPBC website Calendar.
Pro tip: Have concerns? Vote By Mail! It avoids all potential issues.
— Kate Renchin, Palm Beach County Voting Rights Coalition Co-Chair | PLEASE HELP PROTECT THE POLLS | Please help spread the word. Here is information on all the different volunteer needs: Poll monitors, legal monitors, Canvassing Board monitors and more. Volunteers can sign up
here. For general voter information to share, visit the Voter Resource Hub.
We are particularly targeting Saturday, Aug. 8, for maximum volunteers out at the polls. It is the first day of Early Voting and a good chance to see what might happen at which polls this year. If you know of certain poll locations — during Early Voting or on Election Day — that have had issues with hyperpartisans, long lines or any other impediments to voting, please let me know. We can add them to a priority list to be sure we have eyes on them.
— Kate Renchin, Palm Beach County Voting Rights Coalition Co-Chair | 2026 ELECTION EXCELLENCE SCHOLARSHIP | Current and first-year PBSC students may apply through Aug. 14 | The Election Expo Committee in partnership with Palm Beach State College is proud to offer the 2026 Election Excellence Scholarship to support students who are committed to civic engagement, voter education and community leadership.
Through Election Expo 2026, we provide nonpartisan educational opportunities that strengthen democracy through informed participation. Our initiatives include:
* Hosting the Election Expo, where voters can meet candidates and ask questions
* Providing voting machine demonstrations before Election Day
* Creating and distributing a nonpartisan voter guide
* Supplying clear information about constitutional amendments and referendums
Eligibility Requirements:
• Current and first-year Palm Beach State College student
• Registered or pre-registered voter in Palm Beach County
• Participation in at least one volunteer activity with one of the sponsoring organizations: Leadership Palm Beach County, League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County or Palm Beach State College
Application Deadline: August 14, 2026
If you're passionate about serving your community and strengthening our democracy through civic engagement, we encourage you to apply. | E-bikes, property tax amendment, municipal budgets | Boca Raton is offering free E-bike Safety Training for Teens (12-19) who reside within the city limits. To be completed at home, the self-paced course covers knowing your equipment, driving your E-bike, avoiding crashes and riding with friends. Goals are to educate young riders about rules of the road, safe driving and riding responsibly on neighborhood streets and bike paths.
Kudos to Florida League of Cities for hosting a Property Tax Toolkit for some 800 municipal elected officials and administrators on July 14. The purpose was to inform local budget creators about ramifications of the proposed Florida Constitutional Amendment 3. The takeaway was that it's incumbent on local governments to educate their constituents. Fun facts: Florida has 67 counties, 411 towns and cities, and 2,082 special taxing districts.
Wellington, as every other Palm Beach County taxing body, is beginning budget creation, anticipating various town halls and other public input opportunities throughout the process. Fun fact about Wellington (because who really thinks about these things?): The Village has 2,400 fire hydrants and 3,300 valves. Continuous hydrant upkeep and maintenance is budgeted at $171,000.
— Susan Breece, Advocacy | SCHWEIKHART WINS PRESIDENT’S AWARD | Gary Schweikhart, a League member and our publicist, has always been there for us to help with our Hot Topics, Annual Fundraiser Luncheon and public relations.
Gary invited Rebecca Cohen and me to the 20th Annual Bernays Awards July 23 for the Gold Coast PR Council. The awards honor excellence in public relations, marketing and community impact. Gary, a co-founder of the council, this year was honored with the President’s Award. Rebecca and I both know how fortunate we are to have him supporting our League. We were pleased to celebrate Gary receiving such an important award, presented by his peers.
Gary, head of PR-BS Public Relations By Schweikhart, has partnered with Julie Mullen from the Buzz Agency to help with the League’s social media to help elevate our presence in Palm Beach County. Julie’s Buzz Agency also received an award.
— Linda Kramer
| | | UPCOMING EVENTS
Click on the flyer to see the details
| COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS: DELTAS ARE ON BOARD | What a great turnout! We were excited to welcome members of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority, South Palm Beach County Alumnae Chapter, for a voter registration training July 12 led by Judy Giller, Chair of LWVPBC Voter Services. Thank you to everyone who joined us and is committed to empowering voters and strengthening our democracy. Every volunteer trained helps make a difference in our community.
Delta SIgma Theta, a service sorority founded in 1913 at Howard University, provides assistance and support through established programs in local communities throughout the world. Members' first act of public service was participating in the Suffrage March of 1913. There are more than 1,000 collegiate and alumnae chapters across the world with more than 350,000 initiated members. It is the first Black Greek-letter organization to be named a Non-Governmental Organization by the United Nations. | CHURCH WOMEN GET ELECTION-READY ONLINE TRAINING | The League of Women Voters was honored to be invited by the Senior Women’s Group at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Delray Beach for a special voter education program focused on the upcoming midterm primary election. The gathering brought together an enthusiastic and thoughtful audience of 22 women who share a deep commitment to civic participation.
Judy Giller, Chair of Voter Services, led the presentation with a clear and engaging overview of the history of voting rights, the purpose of primary elections and the practical steps every voter can take to prepare for casting a ballot. Her message underscored the long and hard-won fight for voting access in the United States — particularly for Black Americans, whose struggle for enfranchisement continues to shape our nation’s understanding of democracy and civic responsibility.
League members Maria Montiglio, Linda Prior and Debra Walker joined Judy in offering hands-on guidance. Together, they walked attendees through the process of checking their voter profile, confirming registration details and reviewing sample ballots using VotePalmBeach.gov and Vote411. The group’s attentiveness and curiosity made for a lively and meaningful session, with many expressing appreciation for learning how to navigate online election tools with confidence.
This event highlighted the power of community partnerships and the importance of equipping voters with reliable, accessible information. The League looks forward to continuing its outreach throughout Palm Beach County to ensure that every voter feels prepared, informed, and empowered.
— Linda Prior
| MUNCH AND MINGLE — AND A LITTLE MUSIC ON THE SIDE | The League’s July 18 Munch and Mingle brought together a lively group of members and guests at Gizzi’s Coffee in Delray Beach. As part of the League’s Membership Program to “Take the League Local,” these gatherings offer both new and longtime members a chance to connect in a relaxed, welcoming environment close to home.
Linda Sorenson, a League member for more than 50 years, shared insights into the League’s ongoing initiatives, including voter registration and education, candidate forums and the upcoming Candidate Expo in September. Her long-standing dedication and knowledge offered valuable perspective for both new and seasoned members.
School Board candidate for District 4, Dr. Tiffany Bryant, joined us and had the opportunity to meet members and learn more about the League’s work. Several guests asked thoughtful questions about League programs and activities. We were also delighted to welcome musician Cecilia St. King, whose guitar playing and singing added a warm, uplifting touch.
Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make the Munch and Mingle meaningful and enjoyable. Your enthusiasm and engagement continue to strengthen our League community and support our mission to empower voters and defend democracy. As always, please confirm any election‑related information with trusted official sources.
— Linda Prior | NEXT ‘TASTE’ ORIENTATION SET FOR SEPT. 23 ZOOM
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Taste of the League is a program for new and reconnecting members to learn how League teams serve our community to empower voters and defend democracy.
In this special Zoom edition, from 7-8 p.m., Wednesday Sept. 23, team chairs will highlight how they organize and staff voter registrations, educate residents and businesses about all aspects of voting and voter regulations, promote election protection, combat voter suppression and support voting rights legislation.
This program will also include a quick "trip around the website" to help you get involved in voter registration and election protection as well as other information you will need.
— 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.
Deborah Chasin (Boynton Beach), Sharon Beaulieu (Boynton Beach), Julie Mullen (Delray Beach), Cecilia St. King (Delray Beach), Taniel Koushakjian (West Palm Beach), Sondra Eiseman (West Palm Beach), Tyrielle Jarmon (West Palm Beach), Bonnie Alvarez (Palm Beach Gardens), Sherry Miller (Palm Beach Gardens), Stephanie Citerman (Wellington), Janine Marley (Wellington), Bradley Cassel (Lake Worth Beach), Nicole Kaplan (Boca Raton) and Nancy Williams Smith (Belle Glade).
— Linda Sorenson, Membership
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