Women’s Equality Day commemorates the day the 19th Amendment was officially certified into the U.S. Constitution which granted women the right to vote. Women’s Equality Day has been celebrated annually on August 26th, since 1971.

Our League is celebrating Women’s Equality Day this year with a short presentation, remarks, games and prizes along with appetizers, refreshments, and a no-host bar at The Club Restaurant at McInnis , 5:30 -7:30pm on August 26th. Donations are welcome to defray the costs.

The LWVMC Voter Service Team Leaders meet monthly with the Voter Service Committee Chair to discuss the past months activities and to plan for future activities.

The monthly meeting is scheduled for the 4th Tuesday of each month.

Questions? Send an email to voterservice@marinlwv.org

Join California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D. and distinguished guests for an event to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The event will feature a panel discussion to honor and reflect upon this landmark legislation, followed by a special exhibit curated by the California State Archives, a division of the California Secretary of State. 

The in-person event will take place on Monday, August 25, 2025, at the California Secretary of State. This event will examine the historical and contemporary context of the 1965 Voting Rights Act with a focus on its national influence and primary impact in California. Register today! 

CAFILM Education presents a powerful evening of film, conversation, and action designed to uplift and protect Marin County's immigrant communities. This free, bilingual event invites community members, educators, organizations, and allies to come together and build a stronger, safer, more informed Marin. The event includes a resource fair, workshops, and the screening of the film "Pudiera Quedarme / If I Could Stay," with a post-film panel discussion. The program is free, but tickets are required. Get tickets here.

Democracy in Your Hands Series

June – October 2025 

Hosted by LWVUS for LWV Members

This virtual training series will include five key topics, outlining how Leagues can activate and mobilize their communities in this rapidly changing political environment and make a lasting impact. Members are welcome to attend any of the following sessions, occurring through the summer and early fall.

Find the upcoming agenda and more information on each session HERE. 

Jun. 18, 11am ET (8 am PST) | Understanding Media Literacy: How to Stay Informed, Engaged, and in the Know 

Jul. 23, 11am ET (8 am PST) | Championing Issues That Matter Most to You 

Aug. 20, 12:30pm ET (9:30 am PST) | Understand the Three Branches of Government 

Sept. 17, 11am ET (8 am PST) | Working With Local Election Officials to Anchor Change 

Oct. 22, 3:30pm ET ( 12:30 pm PST) | Building Coalitions to Amplify Action 

REGISTER NOW

The Brennan Center will present a virtual discussion with experts, advocates, and legislators who will explore the history of the Voting Rights Act, its impact on voters today, and what it will take to ensure fair representation for all. Register here.

The LWVMC Communications & Technology Committee meets on the third Friday of each month.

The meeting is hybrid: In person at our League’s office (address above) and on Zoom.

Questions? Contact: communications@marinlwv.org.

The LWVMC Education & Libraries Committee meets on the third Thursday of each month.

The meeting is hybrid: In person at the League Office (address above) and on Zoom

Questions? Contact: Education@marinlwv.org

 Marin City first welcomed families into wartime housing on August 13, 1942, a pivotal moment in the birth of this community. The legacy banners honor some of the original Marinship workers whose courage, labor, and determination helped shape Marin City's foundation. The program includes a guided banner walk, a tour of the original 1945 Greyhound bus, and a WWII military Jeep, as well as a BBQ and music. Email info@preservemarincitylegacyorg for more information.

National Poll Worker Recruitment Day

Marin County residents interested in working at a vote center during an election should contact the Marin County Elections Dept by sending an email to polls@marincounty.gov .

Marin County especially needs vote center workers who are fluent in Spanish, Vietnamese, and Chinese.

60th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965

This act was signed into law on August 6, 1965, by President Lyndon Johnson. It outlawed the discriminatory voting practices adopted in many southern states after the Civil War, including literacy tests as a prerequisite to voting.

Learn more HERE

On July 29, the U.S. Senate introduced the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (JLVRAA) to protect and strengthen our democracy by restoring the Voting Rights Act (VRA). The League of Women Voters proudly supports this critical legislation. Celina Stewart, Esq., CEO of the League of Women Voters, issued the following statement:  

https://www.lwv.org/newsroom/press-releases/lwv-supports-senate-introduction-john-lewis-voting-rights-advancement-act

You can support the expansion of voting rights HERE

In person in Conference Room F-138 at 4340 Redwood Hwy, San Rafael or on Zoom 

Susan Stuart Clark

CIVIC AND COMMUNITY DIALOGUE: MATCHING PROCESS TO PURPOSE

Susan Clark will facilitate an interactive workshop that will provide an overview about dialogue in civic and community settings as well as frameworks and examples to help you reflect on dialogue processes you think have worked well – or not so well – and whether and how they have contributed to desired long-term changes.

We will discuss the differences between civic dialogues and community dialogues, as well as the range of professional and cultural assumptions people bring to how they think about the task of gathering, the choice of process and what relationships are involved.

The session will include ways to think about:

·      The purpose for your dialogue – for example, is it for mutual learning, strengthening connections, problem solving or to help shape decision-making

·      The combination of trusted convenors and types of community participants to help you meet your purpose (and how to engage them)

·      The question(s) people are invited to explore together and how that affects what kind of shared understanding develops

·      The format of the dialogue and approach of the facilitator(s) and how that impacts what people can learn about the issue, about each other and about their own perspectives

·      What options for next steps are provided for participants after a discussion is over

This is a big topic, so we will develop some resource lists to go deeper on areas of interest. After this overview session, members may also choose to ask to focus on a particular approach with a presenter from a relevant organization.

About the workshop facilitator:

LWVMC member Susan Stuart Clark originally joined the League in San Francisco in 1992. She had started her career in consumer marketing, but her experience with multi-cultural Voter Service on the LWVSF board, combined with volunteering at library literacy programs and community-led adult education, changed the trajectory of her work in the world. Susan became an enthusiast of the power of dialogue for civic participation when she co-designed a model that doubled voting turnout among those least likely to vote. She founded Common Knowledge (www.ckgroup.org), an action research organization, known for its ability to help reframe issues and facilitate inclusive learning-oriented community conversations that change perceptions of what is possible. Susan has designed and led processes that contributed to state and local policy on health care, housing, the environment and fiscal choices. Some of her past roles include Associate of the Kettering Foundation, trainer for the Institute for Local Government and long-time board member of the National Coalition of Dialogue and Deliberation. Currently on sabbatical, Susan has been focusing on how understanding local communities as living ecosystems can expand and sustain collaboration.

Democracy in Your Hands Series

June – October 2025 

Hosted by LWVUS for LWV Members

This virtual training series will include five key topics, outlining how Leagues can activate and mobilize their communities in this rapidly changing political environment and make a lasting impact. Members are welcome to attend any of the following sessions, occurring through the summer and early fall.

Find the upcoming agenda and more information on each session HERE. 

Jun. 18, 11am ET (8 am PST) | Understanding Media Literacy: How to Stay Informed, Engaged, and in the Know 

Jul. 23, 11am ET (8 am PST) | Championing Issues That Matter Most to You 

Aug. 20, 12:30pm ET (9:30 am PST) | Understand the Three Branches of Government 

Sept. 17, 11am ET (8 am PST) | Working With Local Election Officials to Anchor Change 

Oct. 22, 3:30pm ET ( 12:30 pm PST) | Building Coalitions to Amplify Action 

REGISTER NOW

Commemorate John Lewis' life's work on this Day of Action and focus on shared democratic values.

League of Women Voters members and friends & family will meet at 4:15pm on the Larkspur Landing side of the Larkspur overpass to protest on the overpass. We will gather afterwards in the community area at Larkspur Landing where there are several food and drink choices.

No RSVP necessary. If you have questions, please contact Outreach@MarinLWV.org.

For other protest locations:  https://www.mobilize.us/john-lewis-actions/

Good Trouble Lives On: National Day of Action

Learn more HERE

The powerful 2014 historical drama “Selma” will be shown, sponsored by the League of Women Voters of San Francisco and Indivisible SF. The film honors Congressman John Lewis and the brave activists who changed history in their 1965 voting rights campaign from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.

The screening will be followed by a community discussion about John Lewis's legacy and how we can continue his work of making “Good Trouble” in our own communities today. This is an opportunity to reflect on the power of collective action and the ongoing importance of protecting voting rights for all.

More information at https://indivisiblesf.org/events/2025/7/16/honoring-john-lewis-and-the-fight-for-voting-rights

Join members of the League of Women Voters of Marin County and friends at the LWVMC office to make signs for the protests on July 17.

Bring supplies you already have, and additional supplies will be provided. We have suggested quotes from John Lewis and slogans promoting voting rights and immigrant rights.

No RSVP necessary. If you need more information, contact Outreach@MarinLWV.org.

The Three Branches of the U.S. Government

U.S. Constitution

The Founding Fathers, the framers of the U.S. Constitution, wanted to form a government that did not allow one person to have too much control. With this in mind, they wrote the Constitution to provide for a separation of powers, or three separate branches of government - Legislative, Executive & Judicial.

Each branch has its own responsibilities and at the same time, the three branches work together to make the country run smoothly and to assure that the rights of citizens are not ignored or disallowed. This is done through checks and balances. A branch may use its powers to check the powers of the other two in order to maintain a balance of power among the three branches of government.

• LEARN MORE HERE

• https://www.usa.gov/espanol/

The Transportation Land Use Housing (TLUH) Committee is meeting today on Zoom at 10am — link to join the meeting is below.

10:00 am - Guest Speaker:  Leelee Thomas, deputy director of the Marin County Community Development Agency – countywide community land trust/preservation of affordable housing

There will also be updates and discussion on other housing issues in Marin.

11:00 am - Guest Speaker: Eddy Cummins, General Manager of Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART)  who will update us on  the System's operation and future.

Send questions to TLUH@marinlwv.org

No July Member Meeting Scheduled

Blog post by LWVUS CEO Celina Steward (posted 7/3/25)

This Independence Day, Americans will likely gather for parades, fireworks, and barbeques, celebrating our democracy with familiar traditions. But while many will spend the holiday waving flags, the Trump administration and its allies are attempting to systematically dismantle the very reason for this holiday and put our country and the people in it, Americans, in harm's way.  

As CEO of the League of Women Voters of the US, it’s my professional and patriotic duty today to issue an urgent call. And while this is a rare move for our century-old organization, it is necessary.  

It is not an overstatement to say that we are in a constitutional crisis. While celebrating July 4 is part of our culture and tradition, we are in a new age, requiring us to not only pay attention but find ways to fight back — now. 

The signs are unmistakable. We've witnessed an administration that defies federal court orders, amplifies voter fraud disinformation while restricting ballot access, allows innocent people to be snatched off the streets in broad daylight without any due process, and uses government power to silence dissent. Courts have rolled back voting protections and civil rights while operating with no accountability to the public they serve. 

This isn't temporary turbulence that we can white-knuckle our way through. This is methodical erosion of our democratic values and policies. And there has been little resistance on either side of the aisle in Congress. And quite frankly, the more we stand by just watching, the more we hand over our democracy day by day.  

Please read more to learn how you can engage with your democracy at this critical time HERE:

https://www.lwv.org/blog/independence-day-democracy-needs-defenders-not-cheerleaders

Take Action Today …

Call your Congressional Representative and Senators and tell them not to gut medicaid!

Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121

You can also send an email or letter - contact information HERE

It’s PHONE CALL FRIDAY!

Call your Senators and tell them to support funding for public media - PBS and NPR!

Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121

It's TAKE ACTION TUESDAY!!

Take Action by telling your Senators to oppose the anti-voter SAVE ACT!

You can send a letter here: https://www.lwv.org/.../tell-your-senators-oppose-save-act

or call your Senators at 202-224-3121

Tour of the Elections Dept. with Lynda Roberts

 Monday, June 23, 3:15pm

starting in Rm 125 of Marin Civic Center

Reception to follow at 4:40pm in Café

Join Lynda Roberts, retiring Registrar of Voters for Marin County, on her last guided tour of the Marin County Elections Dept. This will be an interesting and informative overview of how votes are counted in Marin County. All new and long-time members who have not previously taken this tour are welcome to join us on this informative tour. Limited to 15 people.

RSVP required.

RSVP to Membership@MarinLWV.org.

Marin City Juneteenth Festival 2025

Event information HERE

Our League will have a table at this event and we need League member volunteers for two shifts (11 am -2:30 pm and 2:30 pm - 6 pm)

If you can volunteer, then please send an email to Sara at outreach@marinlwv.org