Christine Stuart (l) including mp3 link, and prior to her presentation, Urania Petit (r).  "Picture Story" for both addresses and the question and answer sessions below.

Are you Election Ready? 
LWVCT Fall Leadership Luncheon
Saturday, September 24, 2016, 9:45 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Jewish Community Center of Greater New Haven
369 Amity Road, Woodbridge

Speakers and topics (underlined):

Are you ready to meet the press? 
Christine Stuart, Editor, CTNewsJunkie

Are those you are registering ready to vote?
Urania Petit, LWVCT Director, Social Policy


Following is a link to a sound file of Christine Stuart's address and q&a session:

www.lwvweston.org/LWVCTLeadersMtg9-24-16.mp3




On a lovely autumn day, in Woodbridge, the 2016 Fall Leadership Luncheon offered insights on voting from the Fourth Estate and the experience of Registrars who conduct the electoral process.

  
FROM SEC'Y OF THE STATE'S OFFICE - RED WHITE AND BLUE AS WELL AS GREEN COLOR SHOWING!
Internet connectivity to almost all voters - methods in Spanish and English - displayed above by our President.  A good way to begin this meeting!


HOW TO RELATE TO PRESS/MEDIA IN TODAY'S ENVIRONMENT

           
I GOT ONE RIGHT;  ANIMATED AND THOUGHTFUL FIRST SPEAKER ADDRESS...
Brain teaser questions to make sure we are all awake!  And this particular room, at the JCC of Greater New Haven, has mirrors on the long wall opposite the wonderful real windows and awesome shades, FWIW.


                   
DID YOU KNOW THE CONNECTICUT CONSTITUTION EXPLICITLY PROVIDES FOR THE PRESS ROOM AT THE CAPITOL? 
Just like press room in this movie...LWVCT Leadership Luncheon was filled with an audience who especially came to hear about the topic "Are You Election Ready?" And it is no joke to League!


DELIGHTED TO ANSWER TOUGH QUESTIONS AND ACTUALLY ENJOYED EXCHANGES!!!
If you want to hear what was said in her introduction, presentation as well as the full "Q&A" period, please listen to sound recording HERE.
 

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THEN A COMMERCIAL...

  
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS IN THE YEAR 2016: 
Three important documents distributed - and  others about League Leadership, etc. - document covers only below.  Please visit LWVCT website.  For those in League:  Titles you've got to read right about now...
Registration, Voting and Voters' Guides
Debates and Forums Planning
Debates, Forums Formats

Before we heard from our Social Policy Director, a report on new website for LWVCT...and how our Election efforts to turn out informed voters and reach candidates for Legislative Office will be an online only VOTERS GUIDE. Above, the covers of a few long-established LWVCT documents on voting details for local leagues...

Then...a fabulous talk on what it really means to vote and be "voting ready!!!"  And also, these insights for those involved in future-think for League in general, must have been breathtaking!

    
I HAD BEEN THINKING ABOUT THE LONG ELECTION NIGHT AHEAD REPORTING RESULTS TO A.P., AND VOTES BY MINOR PARTIES...
Our second speaker, LWVCT Social Policy Director, was a fabulous presenter!  Posing a question:  Are you ready to vote on November 8th?  The answer - if you wait until Nov. 8th you've missed the boat.


RELATING HOW IMPORTANT THE DETAILS ARE - ESPECIALLY TO NEW CITIZENS
A naturalized citizen herself, coming from a location with strong democratic traditions of Parties and Presidential voting, she notes the differences in the actual shape of the ballot and how unprepared voters don't know what to do when they actually are faced with a ballot!!!  She recalled her first vote behind a voting booth curtain, and admitted she was challenged to figure it out!  (I did not mention this, but the first time I voted in N.Y.C. all there was to vote for, if memory serves, after the big races, were judges.  I'm so  old, however, there was a Party Lever - although I don't recall if I used it!)

   
The further exploration into how the League can help get voters ready "to exercise the franchise"...an idea not new but needing a new slant perhaps?

   
RAISING AWARENESS.  RAISING PARTICIPATION
Sounds like a plan as a former First Selectman of Westport used to say!!!  And then we did lunch - awesome takeout from the kitchen of the oldest form of democracy - Greece!

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