School Board Elections Coming on May 20
On May 20 there will be school board elections in every school district in Monroe County other than the Rochester City School District. These elections include a vote on the budget proposed by the school board, as well as elections for members thereof. You can learn about your district here.
The people on the school board set policies for the district as well as making decisions on what to propose for the district budget, including capital projects. Some districts have had a lot of controversy in the school board meetings, with angry members of the public disrupting the meetings. It's really important to know who the candidates are and what motivates them to run.
Turnout at school board elections is usually very low. Your vote counts more here than almost anywhere. Please vote, and remind your friends and neighbors to do the same. They might appreciate a link to the school board page.
LWV-RMA Annual Meeting
Members will gather and:
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Hear Keynote Speaker Tom Ferrarese speak on "What would happen if the President ordered the EAC to decertify every election machine in the country? And what if the League ofWomen Voters sued to stop it."
- Bestow the annual Making Democracy Work Award (winner to be announced soon)
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Bestow the Carrie Chapman Catt Award to a League member (winner to be announced soon)
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Recognize members with the “You Make Us Proud” Award
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Elect officers and board members for the next year
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Discuss and approve our budget for the next year
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Receive reports from all of our committees on the past year’s work
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Hear from President Barbara Grosh on where we are and where we’re going
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Enjoy delicious appetizers and drinks while we meet up with old friends and make new ones
Materials for the meeting (proposed slate of the Board of Directors, proposed budget, awardees) will be available for download in the members-only section of the website by May 6. An email will be sent when they are available. You will need to be logged in to access them.
The meeting will be held at The Lutheran Incarnate Word Church, 597 East Avenue, Rochester, NY from 5:00 P.M.- 7:00 P.M. There is a $10 fee for this event. A registration link will be sent by email along with the link to the materials.
What if We Used Final Five Voting in New York?
In recent years several states have been experimenting with some innovations in voting systems combining use of nonpartisan primaries with ranked choice voting in the general election. Both California and Washington have been doing it for a while and Alaska first tried it in 2022. In 2023 LWVNYS commissioned a committee to study whether we should support it's use in New York. To support the work of the state study committee, the Rochester League commissioned a study of what the effect would be in New York.
In brief, it would have a big effect, eliminating a lot of primaries. That would mean that most important electoral contests would occur in November, which would probably mean more voters would participate. It would also enfranchise both the large number of unaffiliated voters and voters whose party isn't holding a primary when it's time to winnow down the field. You can read the report here.
CAST YOUR VOTE
The League was founded on the principle that everyone has the right to vote, and encourages all citizens to exercise that right. Find out everything you need to register to vote, and to the polls.
BE INFORMED
The League has information to help you understand important issues of the day through our forums on topics such as climate change, health care and redistricting. We also sponsor candidate debates to help you decide which candidates deserve your vote.
GET INVOLVED
Volunteer with the League! We have opportunities to register voters and to help get underrepresented citizens to the polls. Help us provide the programs and events that help the League make democracy happen.
LWV-RMA Resources
Join our mailing list to get events updates, and opportunities to get involved.
Read the current or past issues of our newsletter, The Voter, or subscribe to receive a link to The Voter each month in your email.
Check out our YouTube Channel to see all of our past educational events and candidate forums.
Get to know Vote411, a national resource that has all the election information you need:
- Register to vote, or verify your registration
- Find your polling place
- See what's on your ballot and find information on Candidates
Find out Who Represents You, at every level of government and how to contact them.