VOTER NEWSLETTER
Vol. 64, No. 3 October 2024 Editor: Virginia Marsh
| | Inside this Issue
- "Why Should I Vote" Instagram Video Contest
- Social Event at Wildwood Grill
- Candidate Forum Cancelled
- November 5 Election
- Voters Guides Available Soon
- Focus on Voting
- COR Accepting Applications for Charter Review Committee
- CHIP and Medicaid Registration Help
- Update on the Central Trail
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Key Dates in October 2024
- Oct 7 Last Day to Register to vote in the Nov 5 Election
- Oct 10 Instagram Contest Entries due
- Oct 21 through Nov 1 Early Voting
- Oct 22 Social Event at Wildwood Grill
- Oct 25 Requests for absentee ballots due at the county elections office
- Oct 26 CHIP 9 a.m to noon
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"Why Should I Vote?" Instagram Contest
| |
Mark your calendar!
November 16, 2024, at 2pm, LWVRichardson will have a social to recognize
- our fabulous volunteers and
- the high school senior winners of our Instagram Contest.
Sugar Sweets and Gelato
1403 East Campbell Road, Suite 110
(northeast corner of Campbell Road and Plano Road)
Richardson 75081 | | |
Join our Social: October 22, 2024
| Our League Socials are a great opportunity to get better acquainted with other League members, as well as enjoy a night out with interesting conversations and good food. Our next gathering will be
at 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, October 22
1417 East Renner Road
Richardson, TX 75082
On Tuesdays, Wildwood Grill has a delightful special where you can get two dinners for $25 (crusty pecan chicken, grits, meatloaf, or salmon). This event is also going to be a small fund raiser for the League. So, it’s a win all around. Hope you can join us! |
Candidate Forum Cancelled
| The League of Women Voters of Richardson, along with cosponsors, the Richardson Chamber of Commerce and Richardson ISD Council of PTAs, had planned to hold a candidate forum for the Texas House District 112 race between Angie Chen Button (Republican incumbent) and Averie Bishop (Democratic challenger). Ms. Bishop accepted the invitation to participate. Representative Button's campaign did not respond.
In accordance with guidance from both LWVUS and LWVTX, it is the policy of the League of Women Voters of Richardson to cancel a forum in which only one candidate in a contested race will appear. For further information,
The League of Women Voters of Richardson believes that voters deserve the chance to hear candidates' positions on the issues. We ask voters to contact Representative Angie Chen Button and encourage her to reconsider. Contact Rep. Button at one of her campaign contacts:
|
The November 5th Election
| The website of the League of Women Voters of Richardson has been updated with information for both Dallas and Collin County voters about the November 5th Election, including:
- Important dates
- Sample ballots
- Early voting dates and polling locations
- Election Day polling locations
- Voting by mail
- Voters Guides
- Candidate Forums
| Early Voting in-person is October 21 through November 1.
| | Dallas County Early Voting
Vote in any Dallas County Vote Center
Mon, Oct 21 - Fri, Oct 25 8am - 5pm
Sat, Oct 26 7am - 7pm
Sun, Oct 27 noon - 6pm
Mon, Oct 28 - Fri, Nov 1 7am - 7pm
Click here for a list of vote centers in Dallas County.
The only two Early Voting Locations in Richardson, Dallas County, are:
- Islamic Association of North Texas (840 Abrams Road, Richardson 75081)
- Ministerios Charisma (740 Melrose Drive, Richardson 75080)
| | Collin County Early Voting
Vote in any Collin County Vote Center
Mon, Oct 21 - Fri, Oct 25 8am - 5pm
Sat, Oct 26 7am - 7pm
Sun, Oct 27 11am - 5pm
Mon, Oct 28 - Fri, Nov 1 7am - 7pm
Click here for a list of Vote Centers in Collin
County. | | |
Voters Guides Available Soon
| The League of Women Voters nonpartisan Voters Guide for Dallas County will be available soon. All candidates in a contested race were asked questions regarding their stance on issues relevant to the office they are seeking. All contested candidates were given the opportunity to respond to the questions by typing in their own answers into the League's database.
The online Voters Guide should be available Friday, October 4, at www.vote411.org for Collin and Dallas Counties.
The printed Voters Guide for Dallas County should be available the week of October 14-18 at:
- Heights & Huffhines Recreation Centers
- Richardson Senior Center
- Richardson Temporary Library
- Richardson Temporary City Hall
- Chinese Community Center
- Huffhines Harvest Fest, October 19-20
|  | September was Voter Registration Month, and our League of Women Voters of Richardson voter registration volunteers have been pulling out all the stops to register and educate voters about voting. We have been helping people verify that their registrations are active and providing them with information about the League’s upcoming Voters Guide. And we have been having discussions about the process of voting. We have encountered many people who have registered but have not voted in a while or ever.
In the last Presidential Election in 2020, the Dallas Morning News indicated that 34 percent of registered voters in Dallas did not vote. The voter turnout for the mid-term election in 2022 was 56 percent of registered voters. With the upcoming October 7th deadline to register voters, we have been trying to reach as many people as possible.
This past month our volunteers participated in The National Voter Registration Day effort with 3 events around the City of Richardson. In addition, we
- participated in the Asian American Culture Festival in DFW Chinatown in Richardson,
- participated in the City of Richardson's Senior Health and Wellness Fair,
- coordinated with PTAs to do voter registration drives at elementary school pick-ups and at evening meetings,
- registered at Richardson ISD High Schools, the alternative learning center, and the non-traditional learning campus,
- registered at a local senior living community, and
- were at Cityline's Boho Market.
One of our volunteers spoke at the Richardson Retired School Personnel meeting. That is in addition to the work being done at
- The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD),
- the University of North Texas at Dallas (UNT-Dallas),
- West Coast University, and
- Naturalization Ceremonies. (1,040 new citizens were registered at the October ceremonies!)
We have provided voter cards to local homeowner groups, provided voter registration resources for other senior communities and helped people learn how to request Ballot By Mail if they cannot go in person. We assisted elderly residents in completing the request forms.
In October, we will be helping to register voters up until the October 7th deadline and continue to educate voters right through Election Day. Our volunteer efforts have grown with several new members becoming active and even becoming Volunteer Deputy Registrars.
Our League is excited about voting and we are recognizing the excitement in the general population. Maybe this will be the year that our region will have greater participation at the polls and people will have a greater understanding that, as U.S. citizens, voting is our honor and our responsibility to participate in the process of democracy!
|
City of Richardson's Charter Review Commission
Apply now!
|
Applications will be accepted starting October 1 for Richardson's Charter Review Commission. The Commission will meet from January 2025 - May 2025.
Any recommendation for changes will go to the City Council. The Richardson City Council will then determine if an election will be called on November 4, 2025, to modify the City of Richardson Charter.
Apply here. This chance only comes up once every 10 years.
|
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
and
Medicaid for Children
| The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Children’s Medicaid have been well received by Texas families, and these programs help to assure that our children have adequate preventive care in addition to coverage for more complex medical care. It is much more cost effective to provide immunizations, check-ups, and early intervention in childhood illnesses than to wait for a problem to develop into an emergency.
The League of Women Voters of Richardson is a long-time supporter of these programs. Members can help with an application help session at
St. Barnabas Presbyterian Church
1220 W. Belt Line Road
Richardson 75080
from 9 to noon on Oct. 26, 2024.
Spanish speaking experts will be available to assist. During our abbreviated September help session, four families received assistance thanks to Marcie Salamone, Judy Tran, Patricia Marquez, and Joanna Kim.
Families who do not have coverage through their employment, such as seasonal workers, employees who work part-time, grandparents who are raising their grandchildren on a fixed income, those who are currently unemployed, and teenagers who are “on their own” are some of our neighbors who might have eligible children. Please invite anyone you think may be interested to be with us. Thank you for your support and help.
For more information, please contact
Martha Dorris.
Home phone: 972-690-4908
Cell phone: 214-973-4712 (text, please)
Email: Marthadorris1@outlook.com
|  |
Update on the Central Trail Extension
South of Buckingham
| Cathy Lawrence, LWVR's Active Transportation Committee Chair, recieved an update on the Central Trail from Daniel Herrig, Mobility & Special Projects manager for the City of Richardson. His response is summarized below.
The City of Richardson received federal funds from the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) Transportation Alternatives grant program to fund the extension of Richardson's Central Trail. Funds were awarded in December, 2022.
Receiving federal funds reduces local costs, but extends the timeline for the project because the design
- must be reviewed by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and
- requires federal environmental clearance.
The design of the Central Trail Extension is scheduled to be completed by late-2025. Construction could then begin in early 2026.
Below is a map that shows the Central Trail Extension in the context of a larger alignment connecting into Dallas.
- The red line shows the project that is funded for design. It connects the existing Central Trail to Dallas College Richland Campus and their upcoming Richland Health Center.
- The blue line shows additional connections that are planned for the future. Many of these connections have right-of-way constraints or design issues that still need to be resolved.
|  |
North Texas Giving Day
Thanks!
| |
We were thrilled to receive donations during the North Texas Giving Day event this year. We had 5 brand-new donors, as well as repeat donors. Thanks to your generosity, LWVRichardson can continue providing the nonpartisan services that you depend on. | | | | Donate
The League of Women Voters of Richardson relies solely on contributions made by local community residents and businesses. | | | | Join Us
Would you like to help provide election information, register voters, or influence public policy?
You are welcome to email our Membership chair at membership@lwvrichardson.org
if you need assistance with joining.
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