PBC League conducts candidate forum in Jupiter
Town has one of 12 municipal elections set for March 11
| This year’s local election season got off to an informative start Feb. 3 when more than 130 Jupiter residents attended a candidate forum at the Jupiter Community Center. Volunteers from the League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County conducted the forum, moderated by League member Mary Jane Range. Eight candidates for two Town Council positions and the Mayoralty answered questions from the public. Story
| | DIRECTORIES READY
FOR DISTRIBUTION
Our printed Directory of Elected Officials is ready. Two thousand copies have already been delivered to Palm Beach County libraries. Another 4,000 were updated and printed, and are ready for pickup and delivery. Christene Campbell-Gabor has the list of delivery volunteers, and will contact them.
For additional copies, while they last, contact:
— Joyce Sullivan, Publications Chair | | |  | VOTER GROUPS ENCOURAGE FLORIDA SOEs
TO PUBLICIZE VOTE-BY-MAIL REQUIREMENTS
Not all counties have as proactive a Supervisor of Elections as we do in Palm Beach County. The Palm Beach County Voting Rights Coalition therefore has joined dozens of other nonpartisan pro voter organizations from throughout Florida in sharing best practices, based on what we have learned from colleagues around the state.
Relatively new state law causes every Vote-by-Mail application to expire at the end of every even-numbered year. We have recommended that all Florida Supervisors of Elections send mailers in English, Spanish and other languages mandated by state or local law. These mailers should offer clear instructions how a voter can renew their Vote By Mail status, and include a request form and postage-paid return envelope. We also recommend the SOEs make use of both social and traditional media, texting and newsletters, and make QR codes available.
This would cover all elections in 2025 and 2026, before all Floridians' Vote-By-Mail requests will expire again. The group of organizations offers to help advocate for funding assistance if needed.
— Kate Renchin, Palm Beach County Voting Rights Coalition Co-Chair
|  | |
PRESIDENT'S
MESSAGE
We 'stand' together at benefit;
Annual Meeting coming up | | | I hope you were able to attend our “I Stand with the League” fundraiser Feb. 26. It was a great event, from the silent auction and lunch to the discussion with MSNBC anchor Katie Phang and Dr. Robert Watson, moderated by journalist Joel Engelhardt.
Thank you to sponsors Florida Power & Light Co.; Lesser, Landy, Smith and Seigel PLLC; Searcy Denny Scarola Barnhart and Shipley, PA; Smith, Ball, Baez & Prather, and The Palm Beach Post; honorary chair Keely Gideon-Taylor; event organizers Linda Kramer, Dorneth Weir, Gary Schweikhart (our PR guru who provides ongoing insight and guidance) and Cathy Einhorn; and to Ashley Cacicedo-Surdovel, who produced the video about the League.
Our next Hot Topic will be Thursday, March 27, at the beautiful new Supervisor of Elections building, 4301 Cherry Road, West Palm Beach. We will tour it after a talk by SOE Wendy Sartory Link. Make sure you register on LWVPBC.org and make your choice there for a box lunch.
Our Annual Meeting will be April 16 at the Fountains Country Club. If you cannot attend, please send in your proxy. (Information about proxies will be available on the website shortly.) We need a quorum of members to be able to pass the 2025-2026 budget and elect a new slate of officers and board members. The State of the League and other important information will be available to all. Please be sure to attend, as we need your input.
Finally, thank you to all who volunteer and participate in League activities. We could not move our mission forward without you. Your financial donations also allow us to do our work. If you have not joined one of our committees yet, please join LWVPBC now and help us by donating your time, talents and money. It is extremely important the League continues “empowering voters and defending democracy.”
— Kathi Gundlach, President | SPEAKERS BUREAU SETS STAGE FOR 2025 GOALS | This year, the Speakers Bureau team is laying the foundation for future success by formalizing strategies to achieve its 2025 goals. Small groups will collaborate to maximize impact, focusing on three key areas:
Outreach: Engaging new communities, including young voters, voters with disabilities and those with English as a second language.
Content Development: Creating and updating presentations to ensure clear, compelling messaging.
Marketing: Expanding our reach through social media, blogs and podcasts.
We’d love for you to be part of our team. Have questions or interested in joining us? Send an email to SpeakersBureau@LWVPBC.org. We’d love to hear from you.
– Janet Elinoff, Speakers Bureau Chair
| WELCOME THESE NEW MEMBERS TO THE LEAGUE | Their contact information is available in the Member Directory at LWVPBC.org.
Lin Amendt (Delray Beach), Roberta Andrews (Jupiter), Gina Breakstone (Palm Beach), Lori Charnow (Wellington), Sharon Geltner (Boynton Beach), Sandra Herman (Boynton Beach), Susan Hoffman (Riviera Beach), Rosalind Murray (Boynton Beach), Patricia Novak (West Palm Beach), Linda Trifon (Lake Worth) and Susan Tutundjian-Mugan (Jupiter).
— Darlene Kostrub, Membership Chair
| UPCOMING EVENTS
Click on the flyer to see the event
| FOR YOUR CALENDAR: AN ORIENTATION
For any new members who have not attended a formal “Taste of the League” orientation, there will be an opportunity on Saturday, April 26, from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Zoom. We also encourage anyone who has not yet joined but is interested in the League to attend virtually. The event is free, but registration is needed.
— Darlene Kostrub, Membership Chair
| ‘CONNECT AND REBOOT’ OFFERS HOPE, HELP
Dave Aronberg, former Palm Beach County state attorney, gave a hopeful talk to the 113 attendees at the recent PBCLWV “Connect and Reboot” event, held Feb. 8 at the South County Civic Center in Delray Beach. It was the League’s third annual “Connect and Reboot,” which also offers helpful orientation information to new members. League issue group leaders talked informally with attendees at display tables around the room as well as addressing the audience and explaining their issue groups’ current activities. Guests seemed to come away inspired to continue their civic involvement. Authentic Mardi Gras/Carnaval refreshments also were offered.
— Darlene Kostrub, Membership Chair
| STUDENTS HIGHLIGHT IMPORTANCE,
RELEVANCE OF BLACK HISTORY | | Seventh grader Daniel Dunlap won first place at a Black History event in Tallahassee for his computer-assisted drawing of Frederick Douglass. He is pictured with his father, Damion Dunlap, and LWVFL co-presidents Debra Chandler of Palm Beach County and Cecile M. Scoon, Esq., of Panama City. The co-presidents attended Black History events Feb. 6 and 7 in Tallahassee and Panama City, encouraging residents to reflect on the enduring impact of Black Americans. The events featured guest speakers, student presentations, and a showcase of art and essays. Awards went to students whose work highlighted the importance of Black History and its relevance today. | VOTER SERVICES RETURNS TO TURTLEFEST | | Betty Langsam, above, helps a voter during TurtleFest at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach. Below, Jane Wattick, Marcia Elba, Sandy Fischman and Pam Maldonado are ready to meet voters who need help with their registration. | VoyageMIA online magazine published an interview
with Janet Elinoff, chair of the LWVPBC Speakers Bureau. | Nancy Gau's Letter to the Editor, "Remembering how 211 saved a life," was published Feb. 20 in The Palm Beach Post. Gau is the co-chair of the LWVPBC Healthcare Committee. | Dr. Brent Schillinger's Letter to the Editor, "Mental health center sorely needed," was published Feb. 5 in The Palm Beach Post. Schillinger is the co-chair of the LWVPBC Healthcare Committee. | |