Education fund.

ELECTION REFORM

The League, in collaboration with IFES and the Pollworker Institute, is launching a yearlong research project aimed at improving pollworker recruitment and training in the United States. After research involving focus groups, surveys and pilot initiatives, we will jointly create a manual that recommends best practices for training and recruiting pollworkers. The project is funded by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, an independent bipartisan agency created by the Help America Vote Act of 2002.

We are now working on the fourth monograph in our series, Helping America Vote, scheduled for publication in 2006. It will focus on innovative management practices for polling places.

Efforts are underway to promote the reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) in 2006. Without reauthorization, various sections of the law expire in 2007 (see the Advocacy portion of League Matters and Hill Bulletin). Leagues interested in learning more about holding public forums on the VRA should contact [e-mail]. As educational materials become available, we will share them with you.

This year, the League is also undertaking a year-long program, Public Advocacy for Voter Protection, to prevent the development of processes and procedures that threaten to disenfranchise eligible citizens, particularly undeserved populations such as minorities, the poor and the elderly. The LWVEF will work with five state Leagues to undertake a range of coordinated state-based advocacy activities. The League envisions that issues related to voter registration databases and restrictive voter identification requirements are two of the most critical areas for attention.

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VOTER OUTREACH AND EDUCATION

During the 2005 election cycle, many Leagues were busy educating the voters in their states and communities. For example, the Leagues in New Jersey and Virginia worked hard on voter outreach and education for the high-profile state governor races. The New Orleans League has been working with local officials to meet the challenges of the election scheduled for February 2006. Many residents of New Orleans have relocated temporarily or permanently to other parts of the country, crating challenges for the voting process. See www.lwv.org for current information for New Orleans voters.

In the 2005 elections, Leagues provided 90 Voters' Guides that were posted on the LWVUS Web site, including one in Chinese and several in Spanish! The Leagues are committed to this vital service of providing the public with nonpartisan voter information. Our combined efforts enabled the LWV to maintain a national online presence and create a robust resource for voters.

With the 2006 elections coming up, planning is well underway here at the LWVUS. DNet will not be operational in 2006, but other online options will be available through the LWVUS Web site, and Leagues will be kept informed of future developments. We are working hard on revamping the voter outreach and education section of our Web site and plan to publish revised editions of some of our election publications. We are excited to highlight our Voter Registration Tool on our new Web site. To use it, go to www.lwv.org/RegisterToVote/.

Instead of elected officials appearing at the proposed Smackdown Your Vote! (SYV!) forums, WWE Political Correspondent Chris Nowinski will conduct interviews with elected officials and party officials on issues that affect young voters. These interviews will be posted as podcasts at www.Smackdown Your Vote.com in spring 2006.

JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE

The League project, Safeguarding U.S. Democracy: Promoting an Independent Judiciary by Defending the U.S. Constitution, has generated much interest and activity. The American Bar Association (ABA) Division for Public Education's newsletter (fall 2005) highlighted this new project. So far, 100 Leagues from all 50 states have requested information, and the LWVs of Seattle, WA; Florida; Washington-Benton Counties, AR; Hopkinsville and Christian County, KY; McLean Country, IL; and Texas have already been approved for one- or two-year programs.

The ABA's Law Day, "Liberty Under Law: Separate Branches, Balanced Powers." is May 1, 2006. To date, 45 Leagues have requested information about organizing a forum for this day.

LIBERTY AND SECURITY

The Openness in Government: Looking for the Sunshine project is underway! This new initiative, largely funded by the James L. and John S. Knight Foundation, is an outgrowth of the 2005 Local Voices: Citizen Conversations on Civil Liberties & Secure Communities project. Leagues will host forums to help communities better understand the importance of--and threats to--open and accountable government. Using the new toolkit, Looking for Sunshine, and reference materials provided on our Web site, Leagues are already planning events. Several Leagues applied for and received funding to host forums during Sunshine Week 2006, March 12-18, which highlights the need for more openness and accountability at all levels of government. For more information regarding the Openness in Government project or Sunshine Week, please contact Danielle Duffy at [e-mail].

Resources to facilitate a better understanding of how government works and connect communities to the officials charged with their security are now available in the Homeland Security project section of the Web site. The LWVUS had developed a Homeland Security toolkit and questionnaire to help local Leagues engage their communities in a conversation about how homeland security is working locally.

GLOBAL DEMOCRACY

The League partnered for the fourth consecutive year with By The People, a MacNeil/Lehrer Productions project. Six Leagues in NY, two Leagues in NM, and Leagues in VA, MO, AK and IL organized forums where citizens could discuss the health care and education issues most important to their communities and the national implication.

In fall 2005, 21 Leagues nationwide successfully conducted The People Speak forums on topics such as poverty, hunger, and health; war and conflict; weapons of mass destruction and terrorism; the environment; and peace, security and United Nations reform. The final five forums took place in November. This project was conducted with funding from the United Nations Foundation.

Fourteen Leagues hosted Women Engaging Globally forums, funded by Connect U.S. Fund and the Open Society Institute-DC Office. Forums on HIV/AIDS, international trafficking of women, poverty and trade, CEDAW and multilateralism were held in MA, CT, WA, MN, TX, FL, AR, IL, OH, ID, PA, GA, SC and VA. Most of the forums attracted more than 150 attendees. The final evaluations confirmed the goals envisioned by the partners of this project--the LWV, the Center for Women Policy Studies, and Women's Education and Development Organization. The goals were to emphasize the connection between U.S. foreign policy decisions and their impact on women around the world, and to educate women activists and leaders, including state elected officials, so they can become engaged on issues of US foreign policy.

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In November, the LWVEF's Women Engaging Globally project and The Ohio State University co-sponsored the first U.S. academic conference on the role of Afghan Women in conflict mitigation and social reconstruction efforts, Afghan Women Speak: Conflict Mitigation and Social Reconstruction. This conference brought together local, state and national levels of the League to work on behalf of Afghan women (see photo above).