The Annual League of Women Voters Meeting for Door County was this evening. A little notable because I had to briefly speak as DEI Committee chair, but HUGELY notable because my mom got inaugurated as the Chair of the organization. She’s been on the leadership team for a couple of years and now she has the helm for at least a two-year term. So for those of you keeping track, she’s now chair for two major nonprofit organizations (the other one being 100+ Women Who Care of Door County which she founded and now has nearly 400 members and has raised over half a million dollars for local nonprofits).
She’s awesome.
The meeting tonight focused on the outgoing chair and all her contributions, including a very moving tribute video that my brother edited together. It also included keynote speakers from the Wisconsin League to talk about the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (the agreement between states to ensure the election of the President of the United States by the national popular vote). This is a movement the National League is leading in collaboration with multiple organizations. They talked about their “Moonshot” plan to eventually amend the Constitution to abolish the Electoral College. But sadly that can’t happen overnight so it starts with the Interstate Compact.
I’m generally familiar with the compact, but I hadn’t realized the League’s involvement or position on it. I learned they’ve had a formal position on this since 1970 and are actively organizing across the country to make this happen. And state by state, it’s gaining momentum. 17 states have passed legislation for the National Popular Vote. The U.S. needs 61 more electoral votes and we’ll have the 270 majority needed for Presidential elections. There’s a whole host of information and resources in their toolkit online.
That’s actually where I got most emotional this evening — there is optimism and organizing and people fighting for a better world. The extreme gerrymandered maps that Wisconsin has had for over a decade are gone now, and this fall’s elections give us a much better chance to have elections that actually represent the people. But fair maps didn’t happen by itself. It took a lot of people and organizations, including the League, fighting for it, relentlessly. It made me proud to be part of it. And again, even more proud of my mom.
With Love,
Natalie