 |  | By Faith Russell
Times like these make me proud to be a League of Women Voters member. We’re a highly active, nonpartisan political organization. As a proponent of voter rights and democratic principles, every level of the League is fully engaged in preparation for the November 3 midterm elections.
Locally, our own LWVMC Voter Services team is providing registration and voting plan information at a wide range of venues - Saturday Farmer’s Markets; PrideFest; resource fairs at the Bloomington-Normal YMCA, Heartland Community College, Illinois State University, and Illinois Wesleyan; the McLean County Museum of History's Democracy Dialogues; the ACLU town hall; and high schools throughout the county.
At the state level, the LWVIL is supporting local efforts to prepare for the November elections, most recently by providing an informative State Assembly in Springfield on August 28. (Details in a later article.)
And at the national level, in League of Women Voters v. US Department of Homeland Security, the LWVUS brought a case against the administration's effort to pause a lower court ruling that blocked expansion of the SAVE database. This expansion would have resulted in mass voter purges. The League position in the case was upheld. (For ongoing updates on LWVUS litigation, keep an eye on the LWVUS newsroom.)
The League of Women Voters is vigilant in protecting voters’ rights, with each level of the organization serving in the capacity where it is most effective. Our membership makes this good work possible.
|  | Usher in Fall with LWV!
Fall Kick Off Meeting on September 17
After a hot and busy summer, the League is kicking off a new season of activities and events. Start off by attending our Fall Kick Off Meeting on Thursday, September 17. We’ll begin at 6:00 p.m., with time to socialize, mingle and enjoy light refreshments. Staffed information tables will be set up where you can learn about work we’re involved in locally and perhaps sign up to help in an area that interests you.
At 6:30 League President Faith Russell will open the program with comments on LWVMC work related to the upcoming election. Next, Vice President Allie High will announce the winner of the 2026 Florence Fifer Bohrer Award. Guest speaker Dr. Meghan Leonard, associate professor and associate chair in the Department of Politics and Government at ISU, will then provide a studied assessment of “What’s Ahead for the November Election” followed by Q & A. The evening's program will conclude at 7:30.
This will be an enjoyable, informative, and useful time for members and their guests. We look forward to seeing you there! An RSVP is appreciated.
| | Impact of Federal Policies and Funding Cuts
Yes, there's more! Three panelists will share the impacts of federal policies and funding cuts on our community on Tuesday, September 29. This is the third in our series in partnership with The Documentation Project.
Featured topics are impacts to museums and libraries, research grants to institutions of higher learning, and to healthcare services and access due to Medicaid changes. More details are available at our event page.
Please tell your friends and neighbors! You can send them to our event page at lwvmclean.org/funding, or download and share the event flyer linked below.
| | | | A Chat with Illinois ACLU Communications Director
The LWV is offering a special opportunity for a chat with Ed Yohnka, Communications Director for Illinois ACLU. Entitled "Your Vote, Your Voice: Navigating Your Rights in 2026," this discussion will be held in the Normal First United Methodist Church lounge on Friday, October 9, from 9:45-11:15 am. This program is free and open to the public.
| | | | Illinois Convened to Prepare for November Election
By Kyle Ciani, Director of Voter Services
On August 28, 33 leagues from across Illinois gathered in Springfield for the Illinois State Assembly 2026. LWVIL President Becky Simon encouraged the audience to turn their concerns for voting access into action. One way is to become a Poll Watcher. She also emphasized the importance of checking that voting information is factual and verified with and from accurate sources.
The day-long assembly gave Leagues an opportunity to share ideas, learn from the Illinois Board of Elections and the Illinois Education Association representatives on the importance of local action for ensuring that all eligible voters have secure and accessible paths to vote.
Representing the McLean County League were left to right: Theresa Garrett, Jane Scott, Allie High, Faith Russell, Kyle Ciani, and Diana Hauman.
| | |  | Connecting with University and High School Students Throughout the Fall
By Kyle Ciani, Director of Voter Services
The League Voter Services committee has planned several connections with students this fall to help them learn about the power of their voting voices. Voter Services started off its season with Festival ISU in August when committee members joined hundreds of community organizations on the Illinois State University Quad. Students who stopped by our table ranged from first-time college learners to graduate candidates, living on and off-campus. . One thing they shared: an eagerness to learn how they can vote on November 3.
In September our group will head to the Heartland Community College Wellness Fair and then to Illinois Wesleyan University, where we will assist students register to vote and learn about their ballots. We use the League VOTE411 tool, which allows for easy access to voting information no matter one's zip code; you can access it at vote411.org/il-lwvmc.
Area high schools are also on our calendar. Typically we work with social studies teachers and principals to organize the best days for our visits, and often students involved in civics clubs join our efforts. In Illinois, students who are U.S. citizens, and 17 years of age who will be 18 by Election Day may register to vote.
Events throughout the fall such as the ISU Voter Palooza in October are designed to energize young voters and demystify the voting process. If you are interested in joining Voter Services Committee members in tabling at a school or community event, please contact Kyle Ciani at voterserviceslwvmclean@gmail.com. | 
| Click on the image above to see the full Festival ISU 2026 photo album. | | Resources for Voting
A subgroup of Voter Services committee members has developed voting materials, “Resources for Voting”, that serve as a prologue for VOTE411 information. VOTE411 informs interested voters on their ballot, their registration, polling places, and candidates. Resources for Voting attempts to engage eligible, inexperienced- or non-voters in the voting process. These new materials include: Why Vote, Obstacles and Solutions to Voting, Eligibility, How to Register and How to Vote, which are presented in three infographics (low-text, high-graphic, brief). They are customized specifically for McLean County’s eligible voters.
These materials, along with a VOTE411/Making a Voting Plan postcard are being distributed through community agencies, hung on doors in underrepresented areas of Bloomington-Normal, and via our LWVMcLean website. They are available in both English and Spanish. Bookmarks with QR codes directing people to the “Resources for Voting” and VOTE411 webpages will also be available for broader distribution.
We’re hoping these information pieces shared a variety of ways will attract the attention of potential voters and help increase voter turnout in the November election.
|  | | | | Welcome New Members
Say hello to our newest members: Mary McClintock, Debra Borowski, Melanie Sanchez-Ponce, and Nancy Ridenour. | | | Democracy Dialogues Continue
Each discussion will begin with a short presentation on the historical context of each phrase and why it was included in the Declaration. Program participants will then break into facilitated small group discussions to reflect on what these founding principles mean to them, how they have changed in our society since 1776, how they have been upheld, and what impact they still have on our nation today. At the end of each discussion, participants will be given information about how they can get more involved in our community and become more civically engaged. | | "All Men Are Created Equal" featuring Dr. Meghan Leonard, Associate Professor and Associate Chair of the Department of Politics and Government at ISU, Tuesday, September 22 at 6:30 p.m. at Heartland Community College, Community Commons Building rooms 1406-1407. | "Consent of the Governed" featuring Dr. Robert Bradley, Professor Emeritus of the Department of Politics and Government at ISU, Thursday, November 19 at 6:30 p.m. at the YWCA.
| | |  | Democracy and Voting Freedom Exhibits in Central Illinois
The Bloomington Public Library has a traveling exhibit Journey to Freedom: Illinois Underground Railroad. The exhibit is in Community Room 1 at the Bloomington Public Library during library hours. Underground Railroad exhibit
The Peoria Riverfront Museum has The Promise of Liberty, a display of original documents that helped shaped our democracy. Promise of Liberty exhibit
Also at the Peoria Riverfront Museum is We Remember: Stories from the National September 11th Memorial and Museum. We Remember Sept. 11 exhibit | Immigration Project Fundraiser
Save the Date
by Laurie Bergner
The Immigration Project's annual fundraiser luncheon will be held on October 9, from 12-1:00 at ISU Bone Student Center Ballroom. This organization provides legal and social services for immigrants in Bloomington/Normal and around the state outside of the Chicago area.
The need is always great, and only increasing under the present administration. But this year it is especially dire due to funding cuts to the program that represents unaccompanied minors. Please consider supporting the work that the Immigration Project does by attending the luncheon. There is no cost for the luncheon, but donations are requested.
To register, go to the website Immigration Project luncheon. We hope to have some League tables, so let Laurie Bergner ( laurielbergner@gmail.com) know that you've signed up and we'll sit together. The Immigration Project mission is aligned with the League position on immigration and our LWV McLean County focus on immigration this year. | | In Remembrance of Bob Sutherland
Lifetime advocate dies at 88
Bob Sutherland, longtime League of Women Voters member, passed away September 10th. He was a diligent activist and advocate for the betterment of people, working with such organizations as the ACLU and LGBTQ+ community.
His work with the league included serving on a sub-committee studying and offering alternatives to incarceration in McLean County. This sub-committee helped educate the public, encouraging the formation of drug and recovery courts and in creating the county’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC).
Bob was awarded the Florence Fifer Bohrer award in 2017. Laurie Bergner nominated Bob for the award. “Bob Sutherland’s passing is a loss for our community. Bob was a true intellectual, terrific teacher, and tireless fighter for democracy and civil rights,” said Laurie. “I had the pleasure of working with him on the Alternatives to Jail Committee, co-founded by Leaguers Carol Reitan and Barbara Stuart, which helped spark Judges Freese and Robb to start our specialty courts. He was also the League representative on the Jail Review Committee for decades, as well as our voting representative on the CJCC. Bob’s life, values and actions reflect those of the League, and we will miss him.”
We are grateful for Bob's lifetime of community service.
|  | | | LWV in the News
Read LWVUS public statements about our actions to defend democracy.
Read LWVIL published news and media coverage.
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