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Date: 2/24/2026
Subject: News Blast February 24, 2026
From: League of Women Voters of McLean County


February 24, 2026
Drinks & Dialogue
Media Influence on Voter Turnout
 
How much does the media impact voter turnout? To find out, come to the next Drinks & Dialogue at Gill Street Bar & Grill on Wednesday, February 25, 5:30 PM.
 

Melissa Libert, WGLT Assistant General Manager and Development Director, will facilitate the discussion around this important question.

 
Getting Youth Involved
Learn More About Student Civic Ambassador Program
 
League members can learn more about a planned study on a local Student Civic Ambassador program. The purpose of the meeting is to get input about exploring the program.
 
Thursday, February 26
6:00 - 7:00 p.m., Bloomington Public Library
 
Student civic ambassador programs help empower young people to become active and informed citizens. Program activities vary based on local needs, and are often created and implemented by strong partnerships of community groups and schools. Conducting a study is one way the League uses to determine further action.
 

Democracy Dialogues Series Continues

"Life & Liberty" Topic Saturday, Feb. 28
 
This coming Saturday, the next Democracy Dialogues event will focus on the phrase "Life and Liberty." Dr. Matthijs Tielement, ISU Assistant Professor of History will lead the discussion. The McLean County Museum of History developed the Democracy Dialogues to facilitate intergenerational discussions about American democracy. 
 
For details and to register, visit mchistory.org/250.
Revisiting Justice
Community Information Meeting
 
Find out what has happened with the latest criminal justice reforms at the next community information program, "Revisiting Justice: Assessing the Impact of Recent Criminal Law Reforms."
 
Tuesday, March 17, 6:30 PM
Heartland Community College, Community Commons Bldg.
 
Panelists include Chief Judge Casey Costigan, Judge Amy McFarland, and Toy Beasley, President of McLean County Reentry Council. They will discuss reforms such as the SAFE-T Act, the new Fair Act, and the Clean Slate Act.
 
Invite your friends!
 
From Alliance For Just Money
 
Money Matters - A Three-Part Series, March 4, 11, and 18: Where does money come from? Who creates it today, how, and to whose benefit? How does our current money system direct the allocation of resources? Does it support or undermine democratic practices, sustainability, and just exchange? Are there alternatives? 
 
These questions and more will be explored in a three-part online series. Join for one or all three. Find complete series details and registration here.
 
Local league member Lucille Eckrich is one of two presenters representing the Alliance For Just Money. She says participating in the series "will teach you things you don't know about 'money matters'...(It is) an issue I started to grasp through working on my 1998 dissertation on Value in Economics, Ethics, and Education." She has more to share in the full article about why this issue is relevant to society and to LWV. 
 
 
From ISU Center for Civic Engagement
 
Civic Engagement Awards: The Illinois State Center for Civic Engagement is accepting nominations for ISU's annual Civic Engagement Awards until March 12th through the nomination form. There are eight categories that recognize individuals and organizations for their contributions. Eligibility guidelines and other information is available online. Winners will be awarded on April 6 at the Civic Engagement Celebration.
 
Campus-Community Deliberative Dialogues: Upcoming Deliberative Dialogues sessions will be held to bring ISU and the community together for facilitated conversations on complex topics. On March 3, immigration will be discussed in the Old Main Room at Bone Student Center from 5 - 7 p.m. And on March 4, policing will be discussed in the Circus Room from 5 - 7 p.m.
 
From Not In Our Town
 
Not In Our Town is sponsoring a showing of the film "Join or Die" at Bloomington Public Library, March 31 at 6:30 PM. The film is about the necessity of keeping communities alive through civic involvement. Learn more about the film. 
Chicago Tribune Letter-to-the-Editor, Feb. 21
By Becky Simon, president, League of Women Voters of Illinois
 
The US Postal Service taking one to three days to postmark or just process mail is not new. We've heard anecdotal evidence this has been going on with vote-by-mail ballots since at least 2024. What appears to be "new" is that this procedure was finally codified in December and made public.
 
Our advice to voters is to focus on what they should do to protect their vote-by-mail ballots.
  • Use a secure drop box where available or return your vote-by-mail ballot directly to the election authority's office.
  • Use a drop box for this purpose at early voting sites.
  • Go inside the post office or postal retail site and request your ballot be postmarked.
  • Request and return vote-by-mail ballots as early as possible to avoid possible delays in processing.
  • Consider the last day as March 10 to put your ballot in the US Mail.
Miss the latest issue of The Voter?  Be sure you know what is going on in our League. Click on the link below for the most recent issue.
 
 
Read LWVUS public statements about our actions to defend democracy.
 
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Email: info@lwvmclean.org

League of Women Voters of McLean County 

PO Box 932 

Normal, IL 61761