Dear friends,
As 2020 draws to a close, I think we can all agree that this has been a year like no other. Yet I have strong hope for 2021, drawn by inspirational people and events:
- In less than three weeks, the first female Vice President of the United States will be sworn into office. Keep your shoes on -- there's broken glass everywhere.
- Colorado's elections systems and officials continue to pass every challenge and display integrity, civility, and nonpartisanship, maintaining our state's ranking as the safest state in which to cast a vote. We have every reason to be proud, and we have a lot of current and former elected officials and workers to thank.
- We experienced record turnout for the primaries -- our first in 20 years! -- and the November election.
- Momentum is solid in the movements for both racial justice and climate change.
In each of the above, the League played a starring role. Since our founding in 1928, LWVCO board and membership continually serve as drafters, lobbyists, and watchdogs over legislation and actions aimed to strengthen or weaken our democracy. Our 2,300 members across the state registered almost 2,500 citizens to vote and educated and motivated voters through more than 270 events this year alone. Our volunteer Legislative Action Committee advocated for 100 bills during a highly unusual legislative session. VOTE411.org usage climbed through the roof. Delegates to the 2020 LWVUS Convention voted to include racial justice and the climate emergency as areas of high priority, and national and state task forces are mobilizing.
In 2021, we'll continue this work that's clearly needed more now than ever. In Colorado, we'll be promoting alternative voting methods, multi-lingual ballots, fixing inequities in healthcare, and civil discourse, while remaining nimble to handle other issues as they arise. We'll be overseeing the redistricting process to make certain each legislative and congressional district has fair representation. We'll mobilize voters to advocate for passage of H.R. 1, the For the People Act, and the Equal Rights Amendment at the federal level. We'll work with voters across the state to ensure their voices are heard and that our elected leaders are listening.
I hope each of you will join us on February 11 for Leader of Democracy 2021, where we'll celebrate the League's many impacts and those of three extraordinary Coloradans: Sen. Polly Baca, Lauren Casteel, and Elizabeth Piper Ensley. Prepare to be inspired! Watch your inbox for an invitation soon.
I'm grateful to each volunteer, partner, and supporter of this important work, and I'm continually inspired by you and the suffragists who came before you. The League of Women Voters is an excellent funnel for righteous indignation to action, and there's much work left to be done. I look forward to working with you in 2021, standing strong and united for the defense of democracy for all.
To those of you who have lost a loved one or a livelihood to COVID, my heart goes out to you. Every one of us has been impacted by this pandemic, but some have suffered much more than others, and I pray for our individual and collective strength.
Happy New Year!
Beth
Beth Hendrix
Executive Director
League of Women Voters of Colorado
P.S. If you haven't yet donated to LWVCO this year, there's still time to make your tax-deductible gift -- just click here. Thank you! |