April 2018 Meeting

Treasurer’s Report

Chrystal Schivell welcomed members and, in the unusual absence of the treasurer, read her report, which included $404 raised through Callathon this year. The report was approved.

Annual Dinner and Business Meeting

Coming to the Annual Dinner is vital because important decisions will be made at the brief business meeting. Members will be asked to approve Princeton’s positions, the budget, the revised bylaws, and the Leadership Committee. Nominations for the upcoming year’s Leadership Committee are being made, as usual, by Sandy Smith. If the bylaws are approved, the election of a Nominating Committee for the following cycle will take place immediately.

Members will receive copies of the above documents before May 21 and should read them to become informed voters!

LWVUS Convention 2018

Ellen Kemp and Jennifer Howard will represent our League in Chicago in late June.

Facebook page

Jennifer Howard and Ellen Kemp have created a public page. Events will be posted there as well as on the Princeton Area website. Please invite your friends on Facebook to Like the page so that we can increase our followers.

Voter Service News

Sandy Smith reported that the Speakers’ Bureau has eight membersand will meet soon in order to be ready to respond to invitations.

Chrystal reported that LWVNJ has purchased VOTE411 for the entire state, regardless of whether a given area has a League. Enthusiastic members can now cover races outside their counties, with the goal of making VOTE411 a resource for all New Jersey voters. Chrystal and Ann Armstrong are willing to train members to use VOTE411. A bill requiring candidates to supply email addresses when they file for office is making its way through the legislature.

A forum for Democratic candidates running for Princeton Council will be held May 1 at 7PM in the main room of Witherspoon Hall and videotaped. Chrystal will ask these candidates and any others in contested primary elections to respond to questionnaires on VOTE411.

Advocacy

Members of the Princeton Area League participated in the Women’s March, March for our Lives, and the Women’s Convention at Mercer County Community College. Please keep track of any advocacy you do for our League’s report.

LWVNJ encourages members of local Leagues to support its advocacy. Automatic Voter Registration is now the law, but the League is supporting many other voter-friendly bills, so please answer the calls from Jesse Burns to join her at the State House in Trenton.

If, however, a local League wishes to take action on any state issue (like lobbying their legislator), the local League must seek permission from LWVNJ and work closely together with it.