NOTE: The LWVCC will not be publishing The Voter in October.
The next edition will be issued on November 1.
This newsletter contains links to pages and documents on the LWVCC website: .
Before opening these links, please ensure that you are logged in to www.lwvcolliercounty.org.
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Luncheon and General Meeting
October 14, 2024, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Tiburon Golf Club
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Voter Information Initiatives
Presented by
Amy Shumaker
Associate General Manager of Content
WGCU
On October 14th, at our first General Meeting of the 2024-2025 season, we will be excited to welcome Amy Shumaker from WGCU as our guest speaker. Amy serves as Associate General Manager of Content at WGCU Public Media, PBS, and NPR for Southwest Florida. Amy will share with us how WGCU approaches voter information initiatives. Please join us for social time from 11:30-12:00, an update from a League leader at noon, and our speaker starting about 12:30. We wrap up at about 1:15.
Registration and Payment Must Be Made Online
by October 8, 2024 at 3:00 p.m.
More information and registration
Walk-ins will be seated in order of arrival on a space available basis.
Late registration/walk in price will be strictly enforced.
| Message from the President
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LWVCC President
Diane Preston Moore
The Voter was on a short hiatus in August, so as September begins, I want to highlight the important projects that our committees and teams have been working on over the summer.
During a big election year, much work revolved around being a trusted source of fact-based information for voters. We know that voting is not just a right; it's a powerful tool for shaping our communities and our future. Our League has worked hard to give voters the information and resources they need to make confident, well-informed choices in the voting booth. Every vote matters, and informed voters strengthen our democracy.
The Voter Services Committee has worked overtime: from the online publication of Vote411.org to printed Voter Guides to postcard-writing parties encouraging former felons to seek information about their eligibility to register to vote to observing Collier County’s Election Canvassing Board to hosting webinars on how to be election ready. In addition, our Education Committee joined with the Reproductive Rights Subcommittee to host Know Your Ballot issues, and the Engaging Young Voters initiative has been consistently, well, engaging young voters on LWVCC’s Instagram account. LWVCC is also broadening its reach by partnering with LWV Lee County to reach out to FGCU students on campus to ensure that they get to know the League as a source of factual information.
As we transition into fall, each of our committees needs you to help out and spread the news about the important work of the League. We need YOU to help empower voters this fall! Together, let’s ensure that every voter is informed and motivated to participate in the electoral process. Read on to hear more about the projects we’re working on.
In League,
Diane
| Know Your November Ballot Questions
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Our August 14 online discussion featured three important issues on the November ballot:
- Referendum on Using Capital Funds for Operating Expenses (Collier County Public Schools)
- Amendment 1: Changing the Ballot Category of School Board Members from Non-Partisan to Partisan.
- Amendment 4: Limit Government Interference with Abortion.
LWVCC recommends a NO vote on Amendment 1 and a YES vote on Amendment 4.
You can access the recording and materials from the session on the LWVCC website.
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The League of Women Voters’ non-partisan VOTE411 online voter guide has served tens of millions of voters and won multiple national awards over the last 15 years – America’s “one-stop-shop” for everything election-related.
LWVCC’s Vote411 subcommittee creates thoughtful questions unique to each local race, including a plain English job description. Next, we send every candidate a Vote411 invitation. Candidates set up their background and photo, with their responses to issues – without any edits by the League – on our Vote411 site.
Voters type in www.vote411.org, and fill in their address and Vote411 creates a Personalized Voting Guide with the candidates on their ballot. While many people know which races will be on the ballot for national races, it’s much more confusing to understand which county and local races will be on their ballot. In “closed” primaries, only voters registered to a party can vote for that party’s primary candidates. Vote411 cuts through the confusion by enabling each voter to see exactly what will be on their ballot and providing them with detailed candidate information to make informed choices. We also cover constitutional amendments and referendum questions. If you have questions about the six proposed amendments to the state constitution that will be on the ballot in November, Vote411 provides a concise summary of each amendment plus what a yes or no vote means.
One thing that we all can agree on is the importance of voting. And our League believes that an informed voter is an effective voter. So, we can help our family, friends, and neighbors do their research before they vote. When we share Vote411.org, we educate voters on the issues that matter to them. And we can share it locally, here in Naples, but also with friends and family around the country.
The future of our families, our communities, and our country is at stake. No matter what zip code we live in, our voices are equal at the ballot box, and we could all use some help making sure our voices are heard. We are more likely to vote when we know who the candidates are and where they stand on the issues. Our Collier League of Women Voters provides Vote411.org as a nonpartisan, nonprofit way to empower, support and inform voters. | Canvassing Board Observers
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A Canvassing Board is appointed for each election cycle, by FL election law, to ensure the integrity of electoral process: account for every ballot cast in a consistent and fair manner, include only valid votes in the official results, and provide transparency for voters, candidates, and media about the canvass of votes and the certification of results.
The Canvassing Board for the primary election cycle had two Collier Judges plus the Naples City Clerk. Volunteer LWVCC observers were present at each Canvassing Board Meeting (open to the public), as eyes and ears for the public, to witness the transparency of the canvass of votes and certification of results. LWVCC members were present on July 24 for the Logic & Accuracy Test (L&A). Other members of the public were there, as well as NBC-2, who interviewed Diane Preston Moore. She said that nothing is larger in our democracy than voting and the L&A testing is core to the voting process.
A test set of ballots, including blanks and over-votes, were processed with the goal to make sure every eligible vote was counted. After a “zero tape” cleared any tabulation, League members watched the staff feed ballots through the scanners. Next, scanned ballots were tabulated and matched 100% to the predetermined results. After the Canvassing Board certified the test results, they also authorized the staff to process Vote-by-mail (VBM) ballots.
The Canvassing Board met on August 19 to canvass VBM ballots. There were 141 ballots to review, most with issues on matching the outside envelope signature with the voter’s signature of record. League members observed as the Canvassing Board carefully reviewed each ballot, trying to find enough signature similarity accept the ballot. Also, one ballot was rejected as the voter having moved to/registered to vote in another Florida county and 4 ballots did not have a voter certification signature.
Election day, our volunteers again observed the Canvassing Board as VBM ballots that arrived on Monday and Tuesday were canvassed, then preliminary results released. In three more meetings, the Canvassing Board reviewed provisional ballots to determine whether each ballot could be legally counted, released the 1st Unofficial Results and selected a precinct/race for the Manual Audit. At the next meeting, the Canvassing Board officially certified the results of the election. At the final meeting, the Canvassing Board observed the manual audit.
We thank the Canvassing Board members for their service, thoroughness and careful consideration of ballot discrepancies. We also thank the staff of the Supervisor of Elections for a well-run, transparent, fair and free election.
LWVCC Volunteer Observers at Primary Canvassing Board
 
| Voter Services Activities
| Busy Summer for Voter Services
With the Election season upon us, our Voter Services Committee participated in several activities throughout the summer to keep voters informed!
- Staffed tabling events at Naples Pride Festival, Saturday June 8th and at the Juneteenth Celebration, Saturday June 23rd.
- Participated in NABOR Politics in the Park, Thursday June11th.
- Attended the Lipman Backpack Giveaway & Back to School Event, Saturday August 10th with fun giveaways for kids and lots of information for parents.
- Organized Get Out the Vote (GOTV) postcard writing campaign mailing 4,000 cards by June 30.
- Organized postcard writing parties for Returning Citizens mailing 700 cards by August 5th Note: 2500 postcards were mailed earlier in the year.
- Distributed the Voter Guide and GOTV Flyers to our Libraries, Community Centers, and other community partnership groups: Flyers were also printed in Spanish and Creole, the Voter Guide was also an insert in a Florida Weekly publication.
- Provided Poll Workers for two Adopt-A-Precinct locations for the Primary Election: Moorings Presbyterian Church and Immokalee Community Center.
- Took part in the Collier County Election Canvassing Board meetings.
A BIG THANK YOU to all the many League volunteers who helped during the sweltering summer months!
Community Outreach
We adopted two precincts in August: The Moorings Presbyterian and the Immokalee Community Center. We have the same precincts for the November election and need your help! (If we have "too many" workers, then we may be able to support another precinct, which would be amazing.)
The Adopt-a-Precinct program allows us to be out in the community and raise money for the League (we donate our workers' pay). Interested? Please apply online https://www.colliervotes.gov/Election-Info/Election-Worker-Application and get scheduled for poll worker orientation right away.
Once you've completed your orientation, contact Susan Housel (Immokalee) or Becky Newell (Moorings Presbyterian) to get scheduled for November. We are also attending events throughout the county to raise awareness for the election, creating and publishing flyers, google ads, and writing post cards with the goal of increasing voter turnout in low turnout precincts. If these activities sound interesting to you, please join the Community Outreach Subcommittee under Voter Services.
More LWVCC Merchandise Available
Show your support for the League and spread the word: “Get in Line, or Don’t Whine. Vote!,” one of the taglines for our League’s social media campaign. Clothing and accessories are available from Get Out the Vote by SBV. Products will be shipped directly to you! Note: the ladies’ tees run a bit small. | Social Policy Committee/Subcommittees
Gun Violence Prevention Subcommittee
The Gun Violence Prevention Subcommittee has had a busy and productive summer. Our mission is to promote a safe environment in Collier County with regards to reduced gun violence. Towards that end, we attended Naples Pride, Naples Juneteenth and the Lipman Family Farms Backpack events, handing out free gun locks, our Safe Storage flyer, and our Gun Safety Rules brochure.
In July, the Veterans Administration gave a presentation to our subcommittee to increase our understanding of the scope of Veteran suicides in the United States and teach us about gun safety. The VA provides the League with free gun locks throughout Florida and are a valued partner in our efforts to promote safe storage and reduce gun violence. This fall we’ll be working with Moms Demand Action to reach out to Chief Stephanie Spell of the Collier County Sheriff"s Community Engagement Department to discuss safe storage in vehicles and gun lock distribution. Other Leagues around Florida have had success in this partnership, including getting the Sheriff to film and promote Safe Storage PSAs.
Reproductive Health Subcommittee
The Reproductive Health Subcommittee has been meeting regularly to plan education and advocacy efforts in support of Amendment 4, the proposed state constitutional amendment to limit state interference in abortion. Committee members have been educating themselves on the facts behind the amendment, as well as those contained within the Project 2025 document. Members have readied themselves to engage in dialogue with undecided others to encourage their voting Yes on 4! As individuals, members will write letters to the editor this fall and submit an OpEd article from our local League for publication.
Members are also writing postcards to voters in support of Amendment 4 and will participate in the Forum on 4 event at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Greater Naples on October 27, at 11:30 AM.
We welcome any member to join our ranks to limit government intervention in abortion and other women’s healthcare decisions and to promote accessible and affordable reproductive healthcare for all women. For further information or to join the subcommittee, contact Paul Kardon or Cathy Hackney.
Housing Subcommittee
The Housing Subcommittee has been preparing for an exciting Zoom presentation on September 19th, 3:00 p.m..
Dr. Thomas Felke
Associate Dean for Academics at FGCU
Dr. Felke will enlighten and educate all League members on the growing pressures for affordable workforce housing in our community. Dr. Felke is incredibly involved in a wide array of housing, homeless and ageing issues. He is a member of the Collier County’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee along with multiple homeless organizations in Southwest Florida and the Area Agency on Aging in Southwest Florida. Dr. Felke also heads the Shady Rest Institute on Positive Aging at FGCU.
We are looking forward to this Zoom presentation on September 19 and hope that you will join us. You can reserve your spot on the League Event Calendar. See you there.
Register | DEI Committee
The LWVCC DEI committee had an active summer in 2024 with monthly meetings to plan the year’s activities. The Pride Fest on June 8th started us with a fun time at Cambier Park. And Juneteenth on June 15th offered an opportunity to celebrate Voting Rights with the River Park neighborhood. Look forward to other broadening and inclusive activities during the year and join us! We have designed a new poster to invite new members to join our League. And we ask all our members and board to focus on inviting and including other segments of our community to join our League!!
 
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Environmental Affairs Committee
Lynn Martin, Patti Forkan, Co-Chairs
The Environmental Affairs Committee (EAC) will hold its first in-person meeting of the new season on Thursday October 10th. Our meetings will be held at the Collier Community Foundation from 10am-noon on the second Thursday of each month through May 2025. The one exception is a field trip we're planning for our December meeting.
We look forward to welcoming our committee members on October 10 when we will discuss the upcoming year’s activities, hear suggestions from all of you and plan speakers for the year. Any League members interested in conservation issues are invited to join us.
The issues to be discussed include:
- Sea Level Rise
- Resiliency to climate change-including a field trip in December
- Water Quality
- Reducing the use of single use plastics
Come to the meeting with your ideas and think about what role you might be interested in playing for one or more of the issues—especially water quality and resiliency. We are closely watching one of our ongoing issues: the funding of Conservation Collier, which will be an important part of the county budget process at the Board of County Commissioners in September. League members will receive emails updating you on the budget discussions and how you can help us advocate. | Plastics Task Force
First Steps in Plastic Waste Reduction in Naples
Early in the summer, our Plastics Task Force met with two members of the Naples City Council to enlist their wisdom on how to involve the city in our plastics reduction campaign.
We first met with Linda Penniman with an executive summary of our Pass on Plastics presentation and she suggested that the optics of disposable plastic water bottles on the Council dais didn’t support the environmental sensitivity of the city and volunteered to donate a filter water refill station behind the council chambers. We also met with Ray Christman who gave sage advice on how to move forward with both the City Council and the city staff.
We were delighted to receive word that starting with the first meeting after the Council’s summer break, the Council would no long have disposable plastic water bottles, instead using refillable water bottles, cups or mugs. Needless to say, the LWVCC is thrilled with this positive response by the City Council. Next time you attend a City Council meeting or observe via streaming, take note of the change and express your appreciation to them.
With nearly 7 out of 10 bottles ending up in landfills or tossed in litter, and plastic bottles taking up to 500 years to degrade, turning into harmful microplastics, even the smallest of changes can make a difference. We saluted the City’s leadership and see this as a first step in what we hope will be a working partnership with the council, city staff, and Naples’ citizens to implement further actions to reduce single-use plastics.
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Membership Committee
Beth VanDamme, Chair
| Please welcome the following new members: |
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Dawn Barakett
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Gerry Moriarty |
| Carrie Coats |
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Shazi Parker |
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Ronna Hoffberg |
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Julie Perez – FCGU Student |
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Eva Klinger |
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Carol Pier
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Dana Mikstay
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Chris Tunney |
| Wilma Miller |
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Kristen Ziman |
| Logan Moore served as a summer intern in 2024, as part of the Engaging Younger Voters Committee. Her work was invaluable and you can see her lovely face (and her enthusiasm) on our Instagram page (@lwvcolliercounty)! She shared her observations and experiences in the letter below.
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My name is Logan Moore, and I am a junior at Bucknell University double-majoring in Biology and International Relations. This summer, I had the amazing opportunity to intern for the Collier County League of Women Voters and Pink Shark Media to progress the League’s “Engaging Young Voters” project. Considering my lack of experience with civil organizations, I didn’t know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised to find myself emerging in a welcoming community that took the time and effort to provide me with an educational internship experience.
The “Engaging Young Voters” project aims to encourage Gen Z and Millennials (ages 21-40) to vote, particularly through interviews asking what issues people value when voting, and about their voting experience in general. This summer, I served as the face of the Collier County League of Women Voters on various social media platforms, interviewing people about voting and voting issues with the guidance of Pink Shark Media. My experience as an interviewer gave me a greater understanding of the diversity of issues valued by Collier County voters and allowed me to view issues from various standpoints.
One of the questions we asked participants was “What would you do if you were president for one day?” Participants were able to share their unique approaches to issues important to them through our interview process. Interviewing also gave me a chance to explore the full reach of Collier County. We interviewed people in downtown Naples at the Pride Festival and Juneteenth, as well as in Immokalee at the Mango Festival, along with other locations and events. While I enjoyed simply experiencing each event we attended, the variety in the location of each event reminded me of the large size of Collier County and left me in awe of the voting system.
I also attended a tour of the Supervisor of Elections office as a part of my internship, which left me even more awestruck. I believe the exact words I used to describe my experience to my mother afterward were “epic,” and “amazing.” Mostly, I was impressed by the mechanization and organization of the voting system, which was only heightened by my interviewing experience had suggested to me just how many voters Collier County has. The care taken by the Supervisor of Elections office to ensure that each ballot remains anonymous and is counted equally all by the date of the election is outstanding.
As a college student who typically fills out a vote-by-mail ballot, I was especially excited to learn that there is an online system that can tell you when your vote has been counted. Voting is a right that we are lucky to have, and it has become evident to me that the Supervisor of Elections office works hard to make voting easy and efficient, just as the Collier County League of Women Voters works hard to ensure that people get to the polls (or vote-by-mail!), and take advantage of their right to vote. |
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For more information, visit LWV.org.
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For more information, visit LWVFL.org.
| Please refer to the LWVCC Weekly Update for a complete list of upcoming events or visit the LWVCC website: lwvcolliercounty.org.
Members should log in to ensure they see members-only events and registration options. | Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy.
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in Government. We influence public policy through education and advocacy. Our goal is to empower citizens to take an active role in shaping better communities worldwide. The League of Women Voters of Collier County does not support or endorse any candidate or political party.
League of Women Voters of Collier County
P.O. Box 9883, Naples, FL 34101
Sent by lwvcc@lwvcolliercounty.org
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