LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING

Matt Boster

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Posted by: Matt Boster
Date: Dec 11 2019 7:24 AM

The League of Women Voters of Alabama (LWVAL) is holding an official organizational meeting to establish a unit in the Wiregrass region. This organizational meeting will be held on Sunday, December 15^th from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., at the Main Branch of the Dothan Public Library, 445 North Oates Street. Information will be provided about the nonpartisan mission of the League, which is to promote the active and informed participation of citizens in all levels of government. Anyone age 16 years and older may join the League, including men.

 

“We held a very successful informational meeting on December 2^nd at the Main Branch of the Dothan Public Library,” announced Kathryn Byrd, new League organizer for the LWVAL. “The next step is to complete the formalities so the Dothan-Wiregrass area can have an officially recognized Member-at-Large (MAL) unit. This step can lead to full recognition of the group as an independent league. Byrd continued, “If this organizational meeting is successful on December 15th, the MAL unit could be ready to operate under the supervision of the State League at the beginning of the new year.  Several individuals signed up and paid to be League members at the first meeting.  These new members, plus other interested members of the public, are invited to attend the upcoming Sunday meeting to complete organizational formalities.

 

“Right now is a busy time for our nation and for Alabama,” Byrd noted.  Alabama is just completing its celebration of the bicentennial of its statehood on Saturday, December 14^th.  The year 2020 brings the 100^th anniversary of the 19^th Amendment, allowing women to vote. Of course, 2020 is also a critical year because of the March 3^rd Presidential primaries in Alabama, along with the seat for the U.S. Senate and some other statewide races.

 

Of local interest is the hotly contested race for the Second Congressional seat, being vacated by current Congressman Martha Roby. There will also be an important ballot measure on March 3^rd regarding the means of selection of members of the State Board of Education. Byrd observed that a League presence could provide helpful information about all phases of the voting process.

 

Dothan resident Stephanie Butler expressed why she believes the League offers important opportunities to the to this region. “The League is a nonpartisan organization that is a recognized force in shaping public policy and promoting informed citizen participation at all levels of government. From the beginning, the League has been an activist, grassroots organization whose leaders believed that citizens should play a critical role in advocacy. It is a nonpartisan organization. League founders believed that maintaining a nonpartisan stance would protect the fledgling organization from becoming mired in the party politics of the day.”

 

Butler continued, “We hope to have a strong League presence in this area.  We are anxious to serve the citizens in the Wiregrass area before the March 3^rd primary and amendment vote, and again in November for the general election. We would like to sponsor voter registration drives and similar outreach activities to help get the word out about how to be an informed voter.”

 

Byrd and Butler ask that interested members of the public remember to join them on December 15th at from 2:00 to 4:00 at the library.  For further information, or to obtain materials to join, contact Byrd at 205-394-5852. 

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