VOTER NEWSLETTER
Vol. 65, No. 2 September 2025 Editor: Virginia Marsh
| | Inside this Issue
- September Social Event
- North Texas Giving Day
- September is National Voter Registration Month
- Registering New Citizens to Vote
- Voter Service
- Nov 2025: Collin County Voters Will Hand Mark Ballots
- Sign up for COR Boards and Commissions
- Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
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Key Dates in August 2025
- Sep 16 National Voter Registration Day
- Sep 18 North Texas Giving Day
- Sep 20 Children's Health Insurance Help Session
- Sep 25 Social Event at Tuscany Italian Bistro
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Join us for our September 25 Social Event
| All members and friends of the League of Women Voters of Richardson are invited to our first social of the 2025-2026 year. It will be on Thursday, September 25th at 6:30PM at the
743 Brick Row #400
Richardson, TX 75081
We will see you there. | We are thrilled to be able to participate in the North Texas Giving Day event again this year. Mark your calendars now for Thursday, September 18, 2025.
North Texas Giving Day’s goal is to be supportive of nonprofits across the entire DFW region. Our organization depends on donations from members and friends in order to further our goals of empowering voters and defending democracy. Please visit the website above, our Facebook page and our LWV-Richardson website for more information in the coming weeks.
Please share this information with your family and friends for their opportunity to help support our goals.
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September is National Voter Registration Month
| Since its creation, National Voter Registration Month has been credited with registering millions of new voters nationwide and re-engaging countless others. Although our League has voter registration drives all year long, the impact of National Voter Registration Month is especially pronounced, as the efforts help boost turnout and ensure more representative participation.
Many people are unaware of their registration status or of changes to their eligibility following a move, name change, or completion of a period of ineligibility. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Pew Research Center, millions of Americans are eligible to vote but remain unregistered—a gap that can skew the representation of communities and undermine trust in the electoral process.
Data from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and other organizations show that voter registration drives and awareness campaigns can lead to sustained increases in civic engagement, particularly among young people and new citizens.
By highlighting voter registration each September, the League of Women voters of Richardson hopes to close this gap and encourage lifelong habits of civic engagement.
Beyond the numbers, the cultural impact is profound. National Voter Registration Month and specifically National Voter Registration Day (on September 16th this year) has become a fixture in American life, fostering a sense of shared responsibility and pride in the democratic process.
In addition to the multiple events LWVR has held in June, July and August, there are several voter registration events planned for September. Multiple RISD school PTA members have agreed to encourage other parents at their campuses to register to vote this September. Our League has provided them with packets of materials and voter registration mail in applications to use at their local campuses to facilitate greater voter participation.
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Registering New Citizens to Vote
at Naturalization Ceremonies
| The LWV New Citizen Voter Registration Team has had a fulfilling first two-thirds of 2025. At the end of March, the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) changed their events from once a month, large ceremonies indoors at the Plano Event Center to six to eight smaller ceremonies in Irving. In April, our Richardson/Collin County/Dallas coalition team of volunteers redesigned our project and implemented the new outdoor new voter registration. Remarkably, we are registering even more voters than we did in Plano and in total have accepted 10,502 applications over 37 event days this year. We’re grateful for our wonderful volunteers; we appreciate our relationship with USCIS; and we invite any interested Richardson League members to join us.
Whatever your commitment availability, there’s a place for you to serve. For ways you can get involved, please email Cathy Murphree at
While Volunteer Deputy Registrar (VDR) certification is encouraged, we welcome non-VDRs as well.
| The League, at the local, state, and national levels, has been engaged with many voting issues this month. Locally, Janet Centola and her amazing team of volunteers have registered voters at New Teacher Orientations, Immunization Clinics, New Citizen ceremonies, New Student Orientations and neighborhood market fairs. Because of their efforts, numerous residents receive voter information and are registered to vote in a timely manner.
Both proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution and a bond package for the Richardson Independent School District will be voted on by Richardson residents in the November election. The State League has compiled pro and con information for the 17 Constitutional Amendments and our local Voter Service Committee is working on pro and con information for the three RISD bond proposals. If you have suggestions or an interest in working on this committee, please let us know at voterservice@lwvrichardson.org. Liz Harling is diligently working on the format for our LWV-R printed Voters Guide and also the VOTE411 online publication. Information about these elections is included throughout this newsletter and on LWVR's website. We will continue to update this information as more details are made available.
The League, at both the national and state levels, is studying how President Trump’s recent order on elections could impact voters. Focus is primarily on two areas – Documentary Proof of Citizenship (DPOC) and Voting Machine Certification. The situation is still fluid. Check the the Texas LWV and National LWV websites for more information. |
November, 2025 Election:
Collin County Voters Will Hand Mark Ballots
| In June, the Collin County Commissioners Court voted to transition to hand-marked ballots (HMB) for the November 2025 election and all future elections. This decision was made in response to Executive Order 14248 issued by President Trump, as well as public feedback from individuals expressing concerns about the integrity of our current voting systems. The completed hand-marked ballots will be scanned and tabulated using the same machines currently in use.
The Collin County Elections Administrator estimated the transition cost to be $2.3 million. |
Sign Up For COR Boards and Commissions
| The City of Richardson has Boards and Commissions that are comprised of interested citizens. The people on these boards and commissions assist the City Council in an advisory capacity
- by examining in-depth issues such as park development, planning, and zoning,
- by making recommendations to City Council, and/or
- by making decisions on variance requests from citizens.
Applications are being accepted now. The City Secretary's office keeps applications on file for two (2) years. When vacancies occur, applications on file are reviewed by the City Council and an interview may be scheduled. Board members are selected by the City Council. Applicants will be notified by City Staff.
Richardson's Boards and Commissions are:
- Animal Services Advisory Commission
- Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee
- City Plan Commission
- Civil Service Board
- Community Inclusion and Engagement Commission
- Cultural Arts Commission
- Library Board
- North Texas Municpal Water District Board
- Parks and Recreation Commission
- Richardson Improvement Corporation
- Sign Control Board
- Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Board
- Zoning Board of Adjustment / Building & Standards Commission
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Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)/
Medicaid for Children
| The Richardson Independent School District (RISD) area Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Coalition has, for at least 22 years, supported efforts that encourage families to obtain health insurance for their children and the economic security that coverage provides for. The Council of PTAs is the main essential link to publicize events to our families. The RISD nursing staff enthusiastically encourages these efforts and invites families to participate. Events are hosted at St. Barnabas Presbyterian Church which provides space free of charge and at the individual campuses of RISD when we are invited to participate in health fairs, parent forums, PTA meetings and other events.*
We have the following CHIP/Children's Medicaid application help session dates planned:
September 20, 2025
October 18 2025
November 15, 2025
January 17, 2026
February 14, 2026
March 7, 2026
April 18, 2026
Time and Location:
9 a.m. to 12 noon, Saturdays
St. Barnabas Presbyterian Church
1220 West Belt Line Road
Richardson, TX 75080
(adjacent to Richardson High School)
*We are available for on-site help sessions at the convenience of individual schools.
*Application forms in English and Spanish are available. If you need paper forms, please contact Martha Dorris at 972-690-4908 or marthadorris1@outlook.com. An online version is available at Your Texas BenefitsYourTexas Benefits.com
All information provided is kept private and secure, as required by law. | | 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 providing election information, registering voters, or influencing public policy?
You are welcome to email our Membership chair at
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