 |  | Hello, I hope you're staying cool! Despite not meeting as a group recently, your Board has remained busy behind the scenes, planning events, improving materials, and working on ways to enhance our participation in the League.
Our first unit meeting – the monthly gathering for all members – is scheduled for September 25th at 6:00 p.m. It will take place at the Advanced Learning Library located at 711 W. Second St., 67203. During this meeting, we will learn about the activities of the ACLU in Sedgwick County and how we can contribute. It promises to be a stimulating conversation, and it's a great opportunity for us to reconnect after a couple of months apart. Please make sure to mark this on your calendar.
The County Commission has approved the budget for the upcoming year, and the discussions regarding the requests from our Election Commissioner, Laura Rainwater, were exceptionally interesting. We achieved some of our goals but also faced setbacks.
On the positive side, we secured 30 new polling sites instead of the originally requested 15. On a less favorable note, instead of sending advance/mail-in ballot applications to every registered voter, they endorsed an informative postcard mailer. Each household will receive one, which will contain details on how to request advance/mail-in ballot applications, along with information on early voting and the location of their regular polling place.
While not perfect, we recognize from past experiences that it could have been worse. The addition of this many polling places should significantly reduce congestion and wait times on Election Day. Part of the rationale for not mailing out advance/mail-in ballot applications was the proliferation of organizations providing them, and these applications are legally valid. Therefore, the compromise avoids duplicating efforts already undertaken by others without utilizing taxpayer funds.
I encourage you to explore the Events calendar in this newsletter and on our website to stay updated on the various ways we can be active in the community. As we prepare for the upcoming general election, there will undoubtedly be opportunities for you to lend a hand. We look forward to seeing you there
Best regards,
Nancy Brown and Jessica Maldonado
Co-Presidents LWV Wichita-Metro
|  | District #2 Candidate Forum
Rockwell Library, 5939 E 9th St N
Wednesday Sept 13th
6 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Please join us for the District #2 candidate forum. This is a nonpartisan event sponsored by League of Women Voters Wichita-Metro. Doors open at 5:30pm
To volunteer for the District 2 City Commission Candidate Forum use the following link https://volunteersignup.org/T4ALF.
We are seeking volunteers to fulfill various roles, including welcoming participants, reviewing audience questions, serving as timekeepers, assisting the moderator, and helping with event setup and teardown.
***This is not a sponsored event of the Wichita Public Library*** |  | Annual Bicycle and Pedestrian count for Sedgwick, Butler, and Sumner Counties
Every year, WAMPO (Wichita Area Metropolitan Planning Organization) organizes an annual count of bicycle and pedestrian activity at 42 different sites spread across Sedgwick, Butler, and Sumner Counties. To collect this valuable data, we rely on a dedicated team of volunteers who commit to spending two-hour shifts at each of these sites, counting bicycle riders and pedestrians.
Each volunteer will be equipped with essential tools, including a safety vest, counting forms, a clipboard, a stack of public interest fliers, and an information packet tailored to their designated counting site. This packet includes the following materials:
*A site information sheet featuring images and maps of your assigned location.
*Information about recommended parking locations.
*Details about the specific type of site you will be responsible for counting activity at.
We have provided a range of available dates and times for volunteering, as follows:
*Wednesday, September 13: 10 AM - 12 PM
*Wednesday, September 13: 5 - 7 PM
*Thursday, September 14: 10 AM - 12 PM
*Thursday, September 14: 5 - 7 PM
*Saturday, September 16: 12 - 2 PM
To learn more about the 2023 Bike-Ped count and get involved, visit https://www.wampo.org/bicycle-pedestrian.
WAMPO, in collaboration with planning partners like Bike Walk Wichita relies on this data to gain a deeper understanding of the patterns and locations of bicycle and pedestrian activity in the area. This survey holds significant importance, and we kindly urge you to share this opportunity with your family, friends, and on social media to encourage wider participation. |  | September is a busy month for Voter Services. We will be tabling with WSU students at the Rhatigan Center on September 11th, 19th and 25th from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm and will be located inside. Following is a link to volunteer.. volunteersignup.org/97B3W
To volunteer for the District 2 City Commission Candidate Forum on Sep 13, 2023 use the following link https://volunteersignup.org/T4ALF. We need volunteers to welcome participants, review audience questions, timekeepers, moderator and setup and teardown.
On September 25th we will be timekeeping and tabling for Mayoral Candidate Forum at the Roxy sponsored by KMUW, Wichita Eagle and Wichita Journalism Collaborative. The link to volunteer is https://volunteersignup.org/C4TKX.
September 19th is National Voter Registration Day and LWVUS would like to use two of our events for photographs. They will be providing a photographer for Voter Tabling at WSU on the 19th and at the Naturalization Ceremony September 15th. They have indicated a desire for some of our younger members to be available at the Naturalization Ceremony if possible with the idea for other Leagues to use to recruit younger members. They have become aware of how our League has varied our members' ages.
Carole Neal and Barbara Bell
Voter Co-Chairs
316-259-7575
| | Next Naturalization Ceremony
Friday Sept 15, 2023 11 am
Come help new citizens become registered voters! We would love for you to join us for the next ceremony.
We will have a photographer from LWVUS
The ceremony is from 11am to noon at WSU Hughes Metropolitan Complex- Lowe Auditorium 5015 E. 29th Street North, Wichita, Kansas.
| | | | After signing up here, the ACLU will reach out to confirm your role as a Beehive Leader for your county. Every month, you'll receive a call to action and a list of 25 ACLU supporters in your area to reach out to. Be a part of growing your community of civil liberties advocates and multiplying our impact 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝
Sign up here | | | We will be tabling with WSU students at the Rhatigan Center on September 11th, 19th and 25th from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm and will be located inside. Following is a link to volunteer volunteersignup.org/97B3W
We will have a photographer from LWVUS at Voter Tabling at WSU on the 19th. Let's show them what a great group of volunteers we have! |  | It's Renewal Time!
LWV Wichita-Metro's membership year is from July 1 to June 30 so it may be time for you to renew your membership. Not sure if you renewed? You can log into lwvwichita.org and check and pay on-line by credit card or contact membership@lwvwichita.org.
If you want to renew by check please mail your check to
Treasurer
LWV Wichita-Metro
P.O Box 2411
Wichita, KS 67201
Dues for an individual membership are $65
Household dues for a member plus an additional household member are $97.50
Sustaining membership is $100.
Dues are $0 if you are a student or a 50 year member.
It is also convenient to pay your dues at lwvwichita.org AND while logged in you can update where you plan to participate in the League's work this year. If you haven't logged in recently there is a procedure to update your user name and password. Please do check our website often for recent updates on our calendar of events. We are excited about our first member meeting September 25 as well as upcoming candidate forums! Members have access to our member directory.
If we all renew we will have more than 160 members. As a League we make a difference in protecting the right to vote in our communities, our state and our nation.
LWV Wichita-Metro Membership Committee |  | Tuesday Topics is back!
Same place: Advanced Learning Library
711 W 2nd St North
New time: 6 PM - 7 PM
Book banning and censorship have been receiving national attention lately. Banned Books Week, which takes place during the first week of October, was established by the American Library Association in 1982 to draw attention to the issue of censorship. This program will feature Jaime Nix, the director of the Wichita Public Library, and a Public School Media Library Specialist. They will discuss the processes involved in selecting and maintaining their library collections, as well as how they handle challenges to books and issues related to censorship.
***NEW TIME 6 p.m.** | Check us out on Instagram
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Our new phone number is (316) 835-0001 | |