LWV-Ohio / EF Highlights: How We Spent Our Summer Vacation!
To illustrate the breadth and depth of LWV-Ohio / EF’s summer activities, here’s a condensed version of what your state board, Lobby Corps and staff have accomplished since mid-May:
Activities supporting local Leagues included…
• Visits to more than two dozen local Leagues across Ohio by the LWVOEF imPACT project manager and state board members to share updates, get input and celebrate Women’s Equality Day (and we look forward to visiting the rest soon!);
• LWV-Ohio coaches working with the seven local Leagues participating in the LWVUS Membership Recruitment Initiative (MRI);*
• Hosting numerous leadership / ideas-exchange webinars for League leaders; and
• Publishing weekly e-newsletters full of administrative and issue information for local Leagues.
Election-related activities to ensure an informed electorate and an open, fair, accurate administration of elections included…
• Publishing a Voters’ Guide with information on statewide candidates;
• Publishing “Off to a Good Start,” a summary of 18 local League’s interviews with 22 county boards of elections regarding the boards’ adherence to the 2009 LWVO v. Brunner settlement agreement (available at www.lwvohio.org). We reviewed the report with the Secretary of State’s staff, and the Secretary then widely distributed it.
• Assessing a cross-section of Ohio county election boards’ Election Administration Plans for the November election in conjunction with the Lawyers Committee on Civil Rights Under Law. These plans outline election boards’ preparations to ensure that all registered voters may exercise their right to vote and votes will be accurately counted.
• Determining that the statewide voter-registration database’s accuracy has significantly improved since 2007 and that the Secretary of State has procedures in place to continue to address inaccuracies. The only unresolved issue from the 2005 lawsuit, the state League will continue to monitor the Secretary’s monthly database reports and resubmit the claim if needed.
• Reviewing the Secretary of State’s efforts to enforce accessibility rules and regulations.
Redistricting-reform activities included…
• Numerous meetings by League issue specialists with legislators to advocate passage of redistricting reform and get the reform measure on the fall ballot by Aug. 4; and
• In the absence of that ballot measure, LWVOEF is developing a plan to sponsor a citizen-based 2011 Redistricting Competition using objective, public-interest criteria—a contest that will parallel redistricting processes of the Apportionment Board and General Assembly next year.
Lobbying by League issue specialists included testifying in the Ohio House and Senate on…
• Senate Bill 240 and House Bill 506 in support of timely and complete disclosure of campaign donations / contributors;
• Sub. House Bill 377 in support of ensuring voters have accurate information on initiative petitions they’re asked to sign; and
• In the Senate in favor of Sub. House Bill 7, encouraging Ohio government support for building sustainability standards).
Testimony is available at www.lwvohio.org under “Advocacy.”
* If your League would like to know more about MRI and/or how to get involved, please contact Deidra Reese, LWV-Ohio Executive Director (leg@lwvohio.org; toll free: 1-877-LWV-OHIO).
