You can vote early now for the June primary on June 28.  Representatives from LWVCC and the Illinois State Board of Elections explain how. Press the red button to check out this recent interview on  WILL's 21st radio show about the process for early voting.  In the interview, Ann Prisland, LWVCC Voter Ready co-chair,and  Matt Dietrich,  Illinois State Board of Elections tak about early voting in introductory language. ​

Want to hear from the candidates for the 13th Congressional District race?  Illinois Public Media, WAND News, and the League of Women Voters of Champaign County are hosting debates between primary candidates in the 13th Congressional District. The debate between Democratic candidates is now available.  The next debate - among the Republican candidates - for the 13th Congressional District will be Thursday, June 2, 7:00 pm. 

What issues matter most to you in this election year? Illinois Public Media, WAND News, and the League of Women Voters of Champaign County will  host debates between primary candidates in the 13th Congressional District. You can help us shape these debates. Submit your questions online and help ensure the moderators are asking what the constituents want to learn more about.
https://go.illinois.edu/shapethedebate

On  April 20, 6:30 pm, LWVCC and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority (AKA) sponsored a Webinar about community efforts to address gun violence.

​Lemond Peppers, City of Urbana, and Tracy Parsons, City of Champaign, shared information about gun violence prevention initiatives in the two cities. They discussed root causes affecting gun violence and the resources being applied to address this community concern. James Manrique, League of Women Voters of Champaign County,  provided this month’s voter education update.

The video of this session is available on LWVCC's YouTube site.

The video for this meeting is available on the LWVCC YouTube site. 

 In this session participants had an opportunity to

• Learn about recent changes to Illinois’ election law, what offices are up for election this year, and why your vote matters. 
• Hear about how the League will be providing candidate information during the Primary Election season. 
• Learn more about the new Champaign County Student Ambassador program—and how local high school students are involved in leading voter registration efforts in their schools.
• Hear about plans for Get Out the Vote efforts between now and Primary Election Day, June 28.

Several LWVCC teams provided timely information to use and share with others. Presenters were: Lynda Minor (Youth Outreach Civic Engagement team, Carol Baxter and Beth Martin (Get Out the Vote team), James Manrique (Candidate Guide and information), and Ann Prisland (Voter Ready team). Participants learned how they can help with this important community outreach. 

For more information contact Trish Crowley tcrowley9491@gmail.co

LWVCC Book Club. April 12,  7:00 pm – 8:15 pm, Champaign Public Library. This quarter's  book is Clementine: The Life of Mrs. Winston Churchill.  The meeting is open to the public. and will be moderated by League member Annette Lansford.  Attendees who so wish may sit at the back of the room wearing masks. Those who feel comfortable in a public setting will be able to sit closer to the discussion. 

About the author: Sonia Purnell is a biographer and journalist who has worked at The Economist, The Telegraph and The Sunday Times. She was fortunate enough to have at her disposal a biographer’s gold mine of written correspondence between Clementine and Winston Churchill, notes that they exchanged constantly.

The book club previously read Sonia Purnell’s book A Woman of No Importance. 

Dr. Span is UIUC Chief of Staff and Associate Chancellor for Administration and Pre-K to 12 Initiatives at UIUC. 
​
The video of this session  is now available on the LWVCC YouTube site at  
https://youtu.be/rJj4uc5YCbA

​In February 2021, Illinois passed the Pretrial Fairness Act, a sweeping set of reforms intended to curb the overuse of jails and end the use of money bond. When the law goes into effect in 2023, poverty will no longer be a reason to keep people in jail.
 
On Wednesday, March 9 from 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm  Sarah Staudt, Senior Policy Analyst at the Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts, a key advocate for the legislation, explained the changes, why they were made, how they will make our courts more fair and our communities more safe, and what steps local communities must take to make sure that the new law is implemented fairly and effectively. 

​The Appleseed Center describes itself as a “volunteer-led, collaborative nonprofit organization that advocates for a legal system in Illinois that is equitable, accessible, and fair to all people; efficient so justice is not delayed; and effective in seeking solutions to social injustices. We improve lives by improving the courts."

To attend the event, go to https://zoom.us/join. Click on Join a Meeting. Type in

• Meeting ID: 823 1148 8448
• Passcode: 714789

This event is the first of a series to help voters prepare for the 2022 primary and midterm elections. For the full schedule, see the Voter Education page.  Questions? Contact voterready.lwvcc@gmail.com