Welcome to LWVAA's Weekly VOTER
The Weekly VOTER is here to make sure everyone stays in the know about opportunities to empower voters and defend democracy in our community. Like what you see? Please share with your friends!
| Democracy in the news
The Supreme Court just weakened one of the most important protections against racial discrimination in voting. By severely limiting Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, this decision makes it harder to challenge racist gerrymandering and discriminatory district maps across the country.
It’s a major setback for fair representation, civil rights, and the future of multiracial democracy in America. Voting rights are not guaranteed. They must be defended. Now more than ever, staying informed, engaged, and active in our democracy matters.
| Three things you can do to support democracy.
May 18 - 22 - Early Voting, quick and flexible
May 15 - Application for a ballot by mail must be received by County
May 26 - Election Day, your final chance to vote
2. ✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿 Set aside time to volunteer with the League.
3. 🇺🇸 Learn about how our government works.
| It's time to reconnect, recharge, and spend a Saturday morning with our LWVAA community at the 2026 Annual Meeting!
It's an opportunity for League members to reflect on and celebrate our work over the past year and chart our course for the year ahead. Hear the President's annual report, review and adopt the 2026 - 2027 proposed budget, recognize outgoing board members, and welcome new leadership.
There are three ways to register:
We look forward to seeing you on May 16! | LWV Primary GOTV Campaign
|  |  | Primary "Pick a Winner" Campaign Results
Your dedication to empowering voters during the Primary Election paid off!
The 2026 Primary Campaign focused on increasing primary voter participation in low turn-out precincts by activating existing general election voters to vote in the primary and by reducing barriers to participation in the primary process.
Across Travis County, turnout increased substantially from 2022 to 2026, rising by about 56% overall. Turnout increased significantly across all precincts, with strongest gains in the areas targeted by our campaign.
Both North and South precincts saw major gains in voter participation, but the most dramatic increase occurred in North precincts that received socially persuasive postcard outreach. Turnout nearly tripled: that suggests that our targeted voter contact may have amplified participation in areas with historically low turnout. However, the pattern isn’t uniform: South postcard precincts also improved, but not as much as the broader South region, indicating that other factors likely contributed to voter turnout.
The results indicate that targeted outreach can be highly effective, but the impact depends heavily on local context and baseline voter behavior.
Join us in giving a big thanks to Julie Lass and her GOTV team -- and to everyone who volunteered their time and money to empower voters in the Primary "Pick a Winner" campaign. | Highlighted Community Events
May 6:
Braver Angels of Central Texas - Noise Versus News: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Social Media has become a dominant force in our nation's culture. The session will focus on Social Media primarily through the largest and most classic example, Facebook.
LWV of Roselle Bloomingdale, IL - Countering Citizens United This timely discussion via ZOOM will examine new strategies that the state of Illinois developed in response to Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, including the “corporate power reset” approach and emerging reform efforts nationwide.
Integral Health - The State of Mental Health in Central Texas Join Integral Care for a community conversation during May Mental Health Month. Integral Care’s Community Forum will spotlight the State of Mental Health in Central Texas, sharing data‑driven insights on local needs, access to care, and how community partners are working together to strengthen our behavioral health system.
May 7:
Transgender Education Network of Texas - Screening of HEIGHTENED SCRUTINY, a documentary that follows Chase Strangio, ACLU attorney and the first out trans person to argue before the Supreme Court, as he fights a high-stakes legal battle to overturn Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth (United States v. Skrmetti). The film will be followed by a talkback panel featuring community leaders who are shaping the trans policy landscape in Texas.
May 9:
Life in the City UMC - Presents American Teenager Reading / Q&A.Award-winning journalist Nico Lang will read from their book, American Teenager: How Trans Kids Are Surviving Hate and Finding Joy in a Turbulent Era, and take part in a Q&A with the audience. Presented with help from the Transgender Education Network of Texas.
| 🗳️ Volunteer to empower voters for the midterms election. | May 6: We need your help! Wednesday afternoon, Join us at the LWVAA office for an hour or for the day
2:00 - 5:30 pm - Have fun and support First Vote! We need volunteers to restock kits, fold zines and much more! LWVAA will provide all the materials and tools. Come for a little or the whole time. RSVP here.
5:30 - 7:00 pm - Help plan for the fall voter registration rush! Have you ever volunteered as a VDR when we are tabling somewhere? Did you know it often takes multiple email rounds and lots of planning to make each of these events happen? From connecting to the hosting organizations to creating sign-ups and finding experienced VDRs willing to be the lead for any given event. Brainstorm and share ideas about recruiting and training volunteers, places to go, help with scheduling, etc.
RSVP here
| What a fantastic time we had at the Friends & Family Spring Festival!
Incredible performances by Girls Performance & Advocacy, Austin Poet Laureate Zell Miller III, Austin Youth Poet Laureate Saaya Accapadi, singer-songwriter Suzanna Choffel, and singer-songwriter Lou Priest. With customized poems from Typewriter Rodeo, yoga, a civics-themed scavenger hunt, and lots of Kona Ice, attendees enjoyed an afternoon of connection and community. We ended the festivities by recognizing and hearing from the winners of our recent Picture This Contest. We created this event with the belief that defending democracy starts small -- by bringing people together and creating a space where everyone feels included. We look forward to bringing people together again at this event next year!
- Kate Abel, VP Organization | Highlighted League & community events
May 16:
LWVAA 2026 Annual Meeting Celebrate our work over the past year, and chart our course for the year ahead (members: log in to register)
Greater Austin Book Festival 2026 GAB Fest brings together authors, illustrators, and readers from Travis, Hays, and Williamson Counties to establish meaningful connections and engage with their community. Meet the participating authors, get your books signed, explore the Central Library, and enjoy a full day of panels, workshops, and programs.
| Learn more & take action locally
Find more opportunities to provide feedback on issues important to your community at the link below.
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LWVUS
Keep up with National LWV Actions!
Go to LWV.org to empower voters and defend democracy nationally.
| Welcome Our Newest Members!
| Mary Duhon
Safietou Gaye
Laura Gilmour
Susan Roselle
Teri Rowe
Ann Taylor
Jacquelyn Tovar
Warren Townsend
Lisa Wainer
Rebecca Zamora | If you've read this far, it must be worth it.
Share the LWVAA Weekly VOTER with your friends!
|  | Knock knock.
Who’s there?
Activists.
Activists who?
LWV Activists, that's who -- because voting rights don’t defend themselves! |
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| The League shall not support or oppose any political party or candidates. It may take action on governmental measures and policies in the public interest after significant study and consensus is reached. | |