Get Out the Vote with LWVHC - August

Help the League of Women Voters of Howard County GET OUT THE VOTE! The 2020 Election presents challenges to voting unlike anything we've seen in our lifetimes. It's up to all of us to ensure that every single person who wishes to vote in this election is able to do so. THe LWVHC is asking for help staffing booths at Farmers Markets adn Columbia Community Cares locations. We'll provide resources on voter registration and vote-by-mail instructions. All you need to do is share them and encourage everyone you meet to vote!

Select a month, then choose your spots. 

https://signup.com/client/invitation2/secure/87013985108590047/true#/invitation

LWVMD joins the ALL IN CAMPUS DEMOCRACY CHALLENGE!

https://www.allinchallenge.org/

The League of Women Voters is looking for volunteers to contact colleges they care about (maybe as alums, faculty or parents of students) to ask for full student voter participation in those colleges. This campaign is called Ask Your College. Created by the Foundation for Civic Leadership (fcleadership.org), it is a nonpartisan volunteer campaign to urge colleges and universities to ensure every eligible student votes.

To participate, contact your target college(s) and report back the response you receive from the colleges. Go to fcleadership.org to get sample letters to write or email to your college leadership. If you want to check if your college(s) are already involved, go to the RESOURCES section at fcleadership.org. It lists colleges and universities that have already committed to advancing student voter participation as part of the nonpartisan All IN Campus Democracy Challenge. You can learn everything that campuses commit to do at allinchallenge.org.

Please help us increase participation in our upcoming election!

Feel free to contact me at info@howard.lwvmd.org if you have any questions.  

Cynthia Williams, President

LWVHC

Evictions Prohibited

“This Saturday (August 1st), many residents will face another month of missed rent due to income loss from COVID-19,” said County Executive Calvin Ball. “It’s critical that tenants are aware of their rights. Under the current Executive Order issued by Governor Hogan, a court cannot order the eviction of any tenant who can show that their failure to pay rent was a result of COVID-19. While we’ve allocated $1.5 million towards rental and eviction relief, and promoted other relief programs, we know that this crisis is far from over.” 
 
Examples of COVID-19 related rent delinquency include losing employment, needing to care for a school-aged child, or being diagnosed with COVID-19. An additional emergency order prohibits electric, gas, water, sewage, phone, cable TV, and internet service provider companies from shutting off any residential customer’s service or charging any late fees. For additional assistance with housing needs, utility shutoffs, family or financial issues, tenants should contact Maryland 2-1-1 by calling 211 or visiting 211md.org. 
 
For more guidelines for rental tenants, please click here. If you are in need of legal support, please contact Maryland Legal Aid, or Maryland Volunteer Legal Services.  

Rent Assistance Available

Howard County residents may apply for financial assistance to pay past due rent payments to prevent eviction. The $1.5 million in housing payment relief is being allocated through local non-profit partnerships. Applicants must be Howard County residents, provide proof of home address, and provide evidence of loss of income due to COVID-related job loss, reduction in hours, and/or medical illness. The maximum assistance per household is three months of housing expense. 
 
Residents may contact one of the participating providers for an application: 
•    Community Action Council, cac-hc.org, 410-313-6440 
•    The United Way, uwcm.org, 211 
•    Grassroots, grassrootcrisis.org, evictionprevention@grassrootscrisis.org, 410-531-6677 
•    Family and Children’s Services, fcsmd.org, lspivey@fcsmd.org, 443-864-0379 
•    Foreign-Born Information and Referral Network (FIRN), firnonline.org, housinghelp@firnonline.org, 443-276-3166 
 
Applicants must also meet maximum household income limits, which are based on 80% of the Howard County area median income.  

Family Size and Amount:
 
One Person       $64,723  
Two Person       $73,969  
Three Persons   $83,215  
Four Persons     $92,461  
Five Persons      $99,858  
Six Persons       $107,255  
Seven Persons   $114,651  
Eight Persons    $122,048  
  
Partnership with Making Change 
In County Executive Ball’s continued commitment to financial literacy, Howard County is partnering with Making Change, Inc. to provide free financial counseling to residents affected by a loss of income due to COVID-19. The counseling will include budget preparation and contacting creditors for assistance. The request form is available at makingchangecenter.org or by emailing info@makingchangecenter.org. 
 

 

Please join us on August 18, 2020 at 11:00 am as the Howard County League of Women Voters celebrates the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment.

The event will be held in front of the George Howard Building (3430 Court House Dr, Ellicott City). County Executive Calvin Ball will be on hand to make a proclamation, and Delegate Jessica Feldmark and County Council Chair Deb Jung will also be in attendance.

There will be music and seating – six feet apart, of course. Please remember to have your masks on. We look forward to seeing you!

Those members who virtually attended the LWVUS convention can be proud of how national
officers and staff handled the business and caucuses for 2,500 delegates and observers with
very few glitches. LWVUS is focused on Making Democracy Work issues, but also is trying not
to neglect other priority issues.

The following program items and resolutions passed:

● The abolition of the electoral college by Constitutional amendment as an action focus;

● The concurrence with LWV New Mexico on the Transfer of Federal Public Land;

● The Voter Representation/Electoral Systems Concurrence as presented in the Workbook
to support electoral systems at each level of government that encourage participation,
are verifiable,can be audited, and enhance representation for all voters. (Some of the
wording was controversial with Maryland Leaguers, but the idea of having a national
position that state and local Leagues could support won out.);

● Retaining all current LWVUS positions in the areas of representative government,
international relations, natural resources and social policy;

● The proposed LWVUS program for 2020-2022 Campaign for Making Democracy Work®:
ensuring a free, fair and accessible electoral system for all eligible voters by focusing on issues of 
Voting Rights, Improving Elections, and advocacy for the National Popular Vote Compact;
Campaign Finance/Money in Politics and Redistricting; and to continue to work on the urgent
issues of Climate Change, the Equal Rights Amendment, Health Care, Gun Safety, and
Immigration; 

● Reaffirming our commitment to Immigration reform, for efficient, expeditious immigrant
entry into the United States. The League stands in solidarity with immigrants and our
immigrant rights community partners. Congress must take immediate action to pass
common sense, fair immigration policies that end the crisis at our borders, end the
separation of families, ensure their health and safety, and provide a clear path to
citizenship, including DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) young people;

● We Resolve First, That the League advocates against systemic racism in the justice
system and, at a minimum, for preventing excessive force and brutality by law
enforcement. We also call for prompt actions by all League members to advocate within
every level of government to eradicate systemic racism, and the harm that it causes;

● We Resolve Second, That the League help our elected officials and all Americans
recognize these truths to be self-evident; that Black, Indigenous and all people of color
(BIPOC) deserve equal protection under the law; and that we demand solutions for the
terrible wrongs done, so that regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, disability, and gender
identity or sexual orientation we may truly become a nation "indivisible, with liberty and
justice for all,” and finally;

● The LWVUS calls for an immediate, wide-scale, mobilization by the United States, to
restore, protect and fund an ecologically sustainable environment and climate, based on
an interrelated approach that is environmentally sound, science based, just and
equitable, dedicated to adequately addressing the scale and speed of the global climate
change emergency.

During the three days preceding the plenary sessions, there were many excellent caucuses presentations on
issues ranging from Getting Out the Vote, to Climate Change, to Encouraging Diversity, Health
Care, etc. Recordings can be found  at www.lwv.org/league-management/council-convention/2020-convention-virtual-caucuses-and-info-sessions

The election process for November has been announced by the Governor this week - the state will be conducting a traditional election and mailing every eligible active voter an absentee ballot application. While this was not the preferred option of LWVMD, we are ready to act now to ensure everyone can cast their ballot this fall. See our statement below and stay tuned for more information on what LWVMD at the state and local level are doing to Make Democracy Work!

LWV Maryland Will Help Voters Navigate the Elections Safely

The League of Women Voters of Maryland is springing into action, in response to the Governor’s July 8th order to the State Board of Elections to carry out a traditional election process this November, while also mailing every active registered voter an absentee ballot request form. This decision runs contrary to the advice of local election officials who reported that many election judges have already declined to serve due to concerns about COVID-19. Election officials also noted the additional administrative costs and potential delays caused by the processing of absentee ballot request forms, and recommended that ballots be mailed to voters to ensure a safer and more seamless process. This will unfortunately create challenges for voters and poll workers -- chief among them the risk of exposure to COVID-19 at in-person polling places.  

Regardless of our views about this policy choice, our highest priority now is to support voters with the information they need to successfully and safely obtain and cast their ballots. 

Here is our 2020 Election Protection Plan: 

• Voter Empowerment -- As we have done for the past 100 years, we will continue to empower voters by providing them with unbiased nonpartisan candidate and ballot issue information via our trusted Voters’ Guides, Vote411.org, and candidate forums.
• Advocacy -- LWVMD will continue to advocate for the safety of poll workers and voters in coordination with a broad coalition of voting rights groups - Everyone Votes Maryland.
• Accountability -- We will continue to monitor and communicate with the State Board of Elections to ensure every voter’s needs are considered as this election plan progresses.
• Grassroots Coordination -- 15 local LWVs throughout the state will continue to collaborate on the ground in their communities and provide critical election resources and information.

While we are ready to provide Marylanders with the tools they need to participate in our democracy in November, we remain concerned that this decision leaves us open to the possibility of another emergency shift in the election process should there be a second wave of widespread COVID-19 cases in Maryland in the fall. 

What's the first thing you can do right now to be ready to vote? Make sure your registration information is up-to-date - and encourage others to do the same! You can check easily online by clicking here.

The Everyone Votes Maryland coalition will be hosting a virtual town hall this Thursday.June 11th, at 6:00 pm featuring voters like you.

LWVHC Voters' Guide Advertising Opportunity

The League of Women Voters of Howard County plans to publish our 2020 Primary Elections Voters’ Guide. Buying advertising in the Voters' Guide is an excellent opportunity to reach out to a wide range of Howard County citizens while supporting education and civic engagement. For information go to Voter's Guide Advertising Rate Sheet

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