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PRESIDENT'S
MESSAGE
Vote YES on Amendment 4,
half-cent sales tax for schools | | | The General Election is just days away. If you have not yet voted, do so by Nov. 5.
The LWVFL recommends you Vote YES on Amendment 4, a citizen’s initiative that would allow women in Florida autonomy over their bodies. The league recommends a NO Vote on Amendments 1 (partisan elections of school boards) and 6 (repealing public financing for some statewide campaigns).
The LWVPBC recommends a YES vote for the half-cent sales tax proposed by the Palm Beach County School District. The money is to be used for capital projects including enhancement of school safety, technology and equipment, and maintenance. This continues an existing sales tax.
In preparation for the election, LWVPBC has much to be proud of in educating the community. We distributed 88,000 copies of the Voters’ Guide throughout the county via our member volunteers, The Palm Beach Post and The Coastal Star. Our Speakers Bureau explained the six pending Constitutional Amendments to more than 4,000 community members. (That presentation has been translated to Haitian Creole and Spanish, and also is available on our website, LWVPBC.org.) Voter Services teams have been reminding folks to check their voter status, and helping them register and renew their vote-by-mail applications.
Young Leaguers produced a wonderful “Why Vote” video using volunteers of all ages and groups. Finally, our Election Expo was an enormous success with more than 250 participants and 37 candidates attending. We owe those who volunteered for the League’s many activities a huge thank you for their time and dedication to our mission of “Empowering Voters and Defending Democracy.”
— Kathi Gundlach, President |  |
FIVE DAYS LEFT TO VOTE IN NOV. 5 ELECTION
The League's website and the Voter Toolkit page are a great resource for your voting questions. Below are many voting topics covered there.
Important Dates:
Early Voting: Through Sunday, Nov. 3
Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 5
Vote by Mail ballots must be received (not just postmarked) by 7 pm Election Day, Nov. 5
Explanation of Constitutional Amendments (Video) and County Referendum
| FREE RIDES TO THE POLLS TUESDAY | TOUCH SENSITIVITY ISSUES
WITH BALLOT-MARKING DEVICES
Our Election Protection Poll Monitors have had reports from a few voters about difficulty using touch-screen interfaces. Election officials are aware of the problem and are retraining poll workers and posting notices to voters. They are also ordering styluses for voters to use.
Meanwhile voters should always doublecheck their machine-marked paper ballots before printing and again before inserting their ballots into the tabulating machines. There is an option to review your ballot, and you can backtrack to change your choice if something was entered incorrectly. Or if the ballot is already printed, the voter may inform the poll workers that their ballot is spoiled, and they would like a new one. Voters can also ask the poll workers for help if they are having trouble.
Some tips:
* Touch the center of the candidate’s name, not the corner.
* Try using a stylus, if available.
* Make sure neither your sleeve nor jewelry is touching the screen.
* If you have long fingernails, your knuckle might work better.
* Depending on the voter’s height and the slant of the screen, aim higher or lower on the screen.
* Use accessibility features, such as zooming in.
All ballots in Florida are paper ballots. Voters may use a ballot-marking device to fill out their ballot or request a hand-marked paper ballot to fill out with a pen.
— Kate Renchin, Palm Beach County Voting Rights Coalition/Florida Election Protection Coalition
|  | WEEKEND OF ACTIONS SUPPORT AMENDMENT 4
Members from the Palm Beach County League and other League chapters throughout Florida helped the petition drive for the reproductive freedom Constitutional Amendment on the November ballot. The League supports passage of this amendment.
To continue to help the effort, you can join Yes on 4 for its November Weekend of Actions in Palm Beach County. Yes on 4 partners and volunteer leaders will host local action events where you can learn how to talk to voters about supporting the Amendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion this November, and then have the opportunity to connect with voters and spread the message. Interested in joining a local event? Find one here.
| A MESSAGE FROM #YESON4
With days left until the election, Floridians Protecting Freedom encourages you to share Amendment 4’s ad centering Amber Thurman’s story. This moving ad reminds us that Florida and Georgia’s abortion bans are nearly identical and threaten women and healthcare providers alike, putting lives at risk even when a woman’s health is at risk. Take a moment to watch the ad here. Remember Amber and honor her by fighting to prevent similar tragedies in Florida by ending this extreme ban. | | | LWV Constitutional Amendment talks educated many
Speakers from the Palm Beach County League of Women Voters have been meeting with groups across the county to explain the six proposals to amend the Florida Constitution. These proposed amendments appear on all Florida voters’ ballots in the November General Election. The amendments address a range of issues, including the election of school board members, the right to fish and hunt, adult recreational use of marijuana, abortion access, homestead exemptions, and public financing for political campaigns. The League’s presentations provided clear summaries and analyses of each proposed amendment, and explained the ramifications of a “yes” or “no” vote. These presentations were designed for people who want to make informed choices, and they are strictly nonpartisan. You can email SpeakersBureau@LWVPBC.org with your questions.
The League’s DECISION 2024: A Voter’s Guide to the Six Amendment Proposals on the Florida General Election Ballot presentation was favorably received around the county. For the first time, the presentation was translated and recorded into Spanish and into Haitian-Creole. The recordings, including a version in English, are available at no charge at LWVPBC.org.
— Janet Elinoff, Speakers Bureau Chair
| YOU CAN STILL GET 2024 VOTERS' GUIDE |  | CANDIDATE, AMENDMENT INFO STILL AVAILABLE
Palm Beach County League volunteers have distributed 40,000 English copies and 5,000 Spanish copies of the 2024 print Voters’ Guide throughout Palm Beach County, including all county and city libraries, city halls and other government offices, senior residential communities and senior day centers, FAU in Boca Raton, businesses and houses of worship. We suggest you call a location first to make sure it still has copies available before you go there. The Voters’ Guide also was in the Oct. 6 home delivery edition — from Jupiter to Boca Raton — of The Palm Beach Post.
A digital copy of the Voters’ Guide can be found online at LWVPBC.org. Your local candidates’ information also is available on Vote411.org, a nationwide voter information website created by the national League of Women Voters’ Education Fund.
Thanks to our sponsors and huge team of League volunteers who put this guide together and worked to get candidates in Palm Beach County to put their information in both the guide and Vote411. And thanks as well to the League of Women Voters of Florida who gave us copies in Spanish and Haitian Creole.
See you again in two years!
— Joyce Sullivan, Development
|  | VOTER SUPPORT IN HAITIAN CREOLE IS AVAILABLE
The nonpartisan Haitian Creole Voter Support Line is live from 9 am to 5 pm through Monday, Nov. 4. On Tuesday, Nov. 5, it will be live from 7 am to 8 pm.
Haitian Creole is the second most spoken non-English language after Spanish in Florida. However, it is not covered under the Voting Rights Act of 1965 as amended, which means Haitian voters receive limited assistance.
Voters who prefer to speak Creole should call (727) 308-3009 and choose option 2. | |
IN MEMORIAM
Judge Ira Raab | | | The League, the county, New York and Florida have lost a valued and capable citizen. Retired New York State Supreme Court Judge Ira Raab died recently in his home of complications from a fall. It’s hard to believe he was 89. We all knew him as a creative, spirited activist whose talents were applied in many ways.
He was a legal savant, and editor for many of us. For the League, he served in a wide array of roles:
* Voting Rights, Speakers Bureau, Advocacy and Census Team Member
* League Representative on the County Ethics Commission
* Co-chair of our high-profile Juvenile Justice Committee
He held important roles in other local organizations and continued after retirement to conduct arbitrations and temporary New York judicial duties.
From his birth on the Lower East Side, through his education in public schools and colleges, and his rise through multiple New York judicial appointments, he was known as an efficient conciliator who got things done. He presided over immense numbers of arbitrations, settlements and decisions. His son Michael rightly described him as a true peacemaker. Past LWVPBC President Karen Wilkerson noted he was “such a caring guy … always helping people.”
We were privileged to know and work with him as an insightful analyst and a dedicated advocate for voting rights. He will be missed.
— Rich Bartholomew, Advocacy Chair
| | Ashley Cacicedo-Surdovel
named for recognition
by Friends of Foster Children
Ashley, chair of the Palm Beach County Young Leaguers, has been nominated by Friends of Foster Children for the Junior League of Boca Raton’s Woman Volunteer of the Year award. Nominees from nonprofits throughout Palm Beach and Northern Broward counties will be recognized today, during an event in Boca Raton, for their dedication to the organizations they serve. Proceeds from the luncheon and fashion show will benefit the Junior League of Boca Raton, whose mission is to advance women's leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration and training. | | | LOG IN TO WEBSITE TO ACTIVATE USEFUL FEATURES
The LWVPBC website has several features that activate only after a member logs in. For example, the Members menu and its choices are only visible to members who log in.
If you want to buy a name tag, log in and click on the Members menu and then on Name Tags. Follow the steps, including completing the portion that gives you the option of specifying the nickname you want on your tag.
If you log in before you register for Hot Topic Luncheons, then registering becomes very quick because the website recognizes you as an Active Member and automatically fills in your basic information. If you don’t log in first, you will not see the option to register as an Active Member.
A training video explains the functions on the website. Log in, then hover over the Members menu and select Virtual Recordings. Click the button “Training – Website Features” to watch the video.
Members who need assistance with logging in can email me at NPV@LWVPBC.org, or Membership Chair Darlene Kostrub at Members@LWVPBC.org.
— Dan Lishansky, Website Manager
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PALM BEACH COUNTY
LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION
2024-25 MEETING SCHEDULE | | | As soon as the 2024 Election is over, Palm Beach County's Delegation in the State Legislature will begin to organize itself for the 2025 Session in Tallahassee. There will be a series of Public Hearings, starting on Nov. 14, and open meetings with key public sector institutions though Jan. 29. If you would like to know more about this process or offer public testimony, contact Advocacy Team Chair Rich Bartholomew at RBwatchnow@gmail.com.
PUBLIC HEARINGS 2024-25
Election of Chair and Vice Chair and Public Hearing
Thursday, Nov. 14, 10 am – Noon
Els Center of Excellence, 18370 Limestone Creek Road, Jupiter
Public Hearing
Wednesday, Dec. 18, 9:30 am —11:30 am
Palm Beach State College, Loxahatchee Groves Campus, 15845 Southern Blvd., Loxahatchee
Local Bill and Public Hearing
Wednesday, Jan. 8, 10:45 am — 12:45 am
Keiser University Student Life Center, 2600 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach
WORKSHOPS 2024-25
Joint Meeting with the Palm Beach County League of Cities
Wednesday, Jan. 8, 9 am — 10:30 am
Keiser University Student Life Center, 2600 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach
Joint Meeting with Palm Beach County Commission
Wednesday, Jan. 29, 9:30 am – 11:30 am
PBC Canyon Branch Library, 8915 Sen. Joe Abruzzo Ave., Boynton Beach
Joint Meeting with Palm Beach County School Board
Wednesday, Jan. 29, 1 pm – 3:30 pm
PBC Canyon Branch Library, 8915 Sen. Joe Abruzzo Ave., Boynton Beach
*This schedule is subject to change.*
Anyone interested in addressing the Legislative Delegation at a Public Hearing should call the Delegation Office at (561) 355-2406 or email VNowlan@PBCGOV.org or KIngram1@PBCGOV.org.
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Thanksgiving Basket Drive for foster families is here
For the fifth year in a row, Friends of Foster Children is counting on you, its community, to build Thanksgiving baskets for its families. You can put together as many baskets as you want and make it a fun, group effort. Be creative in filling and decorating the baskets, or just make sure to include the basics listed here on the flyer.
Deliver the baskets Monday, Nov. 25, between 8 am and 6 pm to 4100 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach. Call (561) 352-2540 or email Admin@FriendsOfFosterChildren.com for more details. | WELCOME THESE NEW MEMBERS TO THE LEAGUE
Their contact information is available in the Member Directory at LWVPBC.org.
Amy Blackman (Lake Worth), Kathryn Chappelle (Royal Palm Beach), Laura Duffy (Juno Beach), Dee Katz (Delray Beach), Matthew Lane (Palm Beach Gardens), Donna Levine (Wellington), Grace Lichtenberger (Boca Raton), Barbara Lowenstein (Delray Beach), Nancy Mancini (Boynton Beach), Natalie Newman (Boca Raton), Nashika Jackson Ogilvie (West Palm Beach), Barbara Prine (West Palm Beach), Joann Reisman (Palm Beach Gardens), Joan Schneider (West Palm Beach), Catherine Schwartz (Boca Raton), Sallee Silverman (Wellington) and Megan Wiston (Lake Worth).
— Darlene Kostrub, Membership Chair
| UPCOMING EVENTS
Click on the flyer to see the event
|  |  | November Hot Topic to focus on National Popular Vote
The Nov. 5 election is just days away and by now you know the election will likely be decided by the voters in just three states, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.
Did you also know:
* Those three states have fewer than 8.5 percent of the total registered voters in the United States. That means fewer than 8.5 percent of all registered voters will determine the election.
* Those three states are so evenly divided that the presidential winner will likely be chosen because fewer than .5 percent of the voters in those three states chose one candidate over the other.
This is not new. The elections of 2000, 2004, 2016 and 2020 were also close. They were each determined by the votes of fewer than .3 percent of the voters in one to three states.
When the National Popular Vote goes into effect, every vote across the country will count, and every vote will count equally. Want to know more? Come to the Nov. 20 Hot Topic Luncheon, where I will present a dynamic look at the Electoral College and National Popular Vote.
— Dan Lishansky, National Popular Vote Team Chair
| CONNECT AND REBOOT WITH LONG-TIME, NEW MEMBERS
CIRCLE SATURDAY, FEB. 8, on your calendar for our third annual Connect and Reboot at the South County Civic Center, from 10 am to noon. Featured speaker will be Dave Aronberg, State Attorney for the 15th Judicial Circuit.
|  | ELECTION EXPO: IT TAKES A VILLAGE
Our goal was to collaborate with Leadership Palm Beach County and Palm Beach State College to provide information on voting and give the community the opportunity to meet the candidates and make an educated decision on voting. This event proved partnering with leading organizations is critical to the success of serving our community. Approximately 250 people attended, and we had more than 30 volunteers and 37 candidates on hand to meet everyone. Photos from Election Expo are available on our website under Events menu.
Some highlights:
* Becky Haltermon Robinson led a group of student volunteers to show attendees how to use VOTE411.org to find the candidates in their district.
* The Hispanic Alliance from Lake Worth High School and John I Leonard High School, along with volunteers from Palm Beach State College, took pictures, assisted candidates and more.
* Grants, sponsor income and donations amounted to more than $7,000.
* In-kind sponsor income was more than $2,800.
* Expenses were $4,600.
— Joyce Sullivan, Development
|  | | Center front: Joyce Sullivan, Kathi Gundlach and some of the many volunteers who helped put on the Election Expo. | WISDOM OF AGE COMES WITH WILLINGNESS TO HELP
Ann Solomon, age 103, helped League member Pamela Maldonado finish writing postcards in support of Amendment 4. When Pam had too much to do to finish the project, Ann took 100 of Pam’s postcards and wrote them in two days. Ann’s daughter is Pam’s friend Teri Mitze, who attends Hot Topic luncheons. | RESOURCE FAIR AT ANDROS ISLE
Germaine Richards, County Commissioner Gregg Weiss and Pamela Maldonado staffed a voter resource table, but happily everyone they spoke to at the event had either already voted or planned to vote soon. | DEMOCRACY, CIVIC ACTION ON DISPLAY
Pamela Maldonado attended and spoke at the October meeting of the Black Nurse Practitioners of Palm Beach County. The meeting was about Democracy and Civic Action. |  | | Amendment 1
deserves a 'NO' vote
The following Opinion was published in The Palm Beach Post on Sunday, Oct. 20.
On November’s ballot, the first constitutional amendment voters will be asked to weigh in on is “Establishing School Board Elections as Partisan.” As a sitting School Board Member, I urge you to vote NO. When elected in 2020, I couldn’t have predicted that the nastiness of political campaigning would be nothing compared to the rapid politicization of public education. During my term, I’ve repeatedly seen firsthand the damage and negative impact of injecting partisan politics into our educational systems. Because a reform of this magnitude cannot be legislatively addressed, the Florida State Legislature has placed this on the ballot under the guise of transparency, hoping voters give in to the hyper-partisan “culture wars” style of politics that entertain but do not solve the biggest crises facing our communities. Political parties and partisan leadership have no place in the leadership qualities needed to form policy that creates successful school systems. Additionally, school districts oversee and allocate massive publicly funded budgets. This change would encourage voting simply down party lines, not qualifications, and will lead to further strain on overworked and underpaid administrators, teachers, and staff. Public schools need selfless leaders qualified to lead, not partisan politicians looking for a platform at the expense of children’s futures.
— Alexandria Ayala, Palm Beach County School Board District 2
| | | DEADLINES FOR SUBMISSIONS TO 'the VOTER'
The Voter, the Palm Beach County League’s newsletter, will publish on the first of every month. The deadline to submit news articles and photos or graphics to the editor, Carol Carnevale, is the 20th of every month. Submit articles and photos to News@LWVPBC.org. If you’re interested in being part of the Newsletter team, contact Carol Carnevale at News@LWVPBC.org. | |