Past Activities
Check out what LWVTV has been doing since 2020. See the pre-2020 activities using the menu bar on the left.
2022
Image by Robson Machado from Pixabay
Winter Conversations with the Interior Delegation Nov - Dec 2022
We hosted both in-person (at old University Park School) and online opportunities for members to talk with the Interior Delegation. We had overviews and time for questions with Reps. Prax, Carrick, Stapp, Tomaszewski, and Dibert, and Sens. Bishop and Kawasaki (Joe Hayes). We missed hearing from Sen. Myers and Rep. Cronk.
Ghoul Out the Vote - October 29, 2022
GO Winter! Expo
October 21 - 22, 2022
Thanks to everyone who participated in LWV's practice ranked choice voting demonstration at the Go Winter! Expo. We offered voter information and voters ranked their preferences for favorite winter activity: dog mushing, sledding, hockey and cross country skiing.Among kids, the clear winner was dog mushing with 2/3 of votes in the first round. Because one option had a majority of votes (50% + 1 vote) in the first round, there was no need to further process ballots.
Among adults, there was an exact 50/50 split between the top two candidates, dog mushing and sledding. In an actual election, Alaska law states that the winner will be selected by coin toss. Similarly, if the ranked choice voting process were used and any round had a tie for least popular candidate, a coin toss would be used to determine which candidate continues to the next round.
The Alaska Division of Elections website, elections.alaska.gov, has many helpful resources to explain ranked choice voting if you'd like to learn more.
Image by Alexa from Pixabay
Register Wolfpack Students
September 28, 2022
Members Shari George and Martha Raynolds registered students to vote at West Valley High School. There are students who will be old enough to vote in November and can register in time but miss the PFD automatic registration. Lots of energy at the school! It was also the same day as their School Board Candidate Forum which is available here.
2022 Online Candidate Pamphlet FINAL.pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [5.5 MB]
New Citizen Ceremony
September 9, 2022
Morris Thompson
The Literacy Council hosted a wonderful New Citizen Ceremony at the Morris Thompson Building. Eleven new citizens were celebrated in the auditorium with certificates and flowers.A few recipients told us heartwarming stories about their paths to citizenship, like the young mother who delivered twin preemies in Fairbanks but still kept her citizenship testing & interviewing appointment by driving down to Anchorage three days later.As you may know the Fairbanks Federal Courthouse no longer hosts citizenship applications, so Interior residents now have to travel to Anchorage at least twice for fingerprinting and tests.Another young woman gave League members more information than we dispensed to her, by explaining to us how the application process can vary from three years to 10 depending on the applicant’s circumstances. She said she chose her pathway to citizenship through enlisting in the army because she felt she “wanted to give this country something in return for everything the country gave me, and to make my mother proud”.After the short ceremony everyone enjoyed an excellent array of delicious foods prepared by Literacy Council staff and board members.Carol Ann Varner brought the famous League Suitcase filled with beautiful decorations as well as Voter Information and Registration applications. Sue McHenry, David Weissman and Phyllis Tugman-Alexander assisted with Voter Registration, food sampling and clean-up.
Straw Poll Results LWVTV at the Tanana Valley State Fair 7/29 - 8/6, 2022
Over ten days at the Fair, LWVTV members helped voters with information on the upcoming elections, had educational information on Ranked Choice Voting, offered applications for mail-in voitng for both the Borough and the state elections, had new information for voters with disabilities, registered new voters, and changed addresses, shared Get Out the Native Vote SWAG and answered many questions. Kids Vote offered the younger set an opportunity to rank their favorite candy. We ran a straw poll using official sample ballots for the upcoming Primary and the Special General Election. (see the results at left).
FREEDOM DAY
Saturday, JUNE 18, 2022
LWVTV was there with information on voting and the upcoming elections and to register voters or update voter information. Members Gayle Garrigues, Shari George, Cathy Hanks, and David Weissman enjoyed the celebration and the great weather.
Ranked Choice Voting Education
Using presentation material put together by LWVTV based on the Division of Elections information, LWVTV offered sessions for the Fairbanks Retired Teacher Association, NAACP, Kiwanis, Rotary and others.
Alyeska Pipeline supported our efforts by providing a grant to purchase a laptop, and projector, and offering travel assistance.
Saturday, APRIL 2, 2022
10 am - 2 pm
Pioneer Park
FREE Family Event
LWVTV members Shari George, Bernardo Hernandez, Janna Miller and David Weissman offered information and gave kids and adults a chance to try Ranked Choice Voting.
2021
Winter 2021 Chats with the
Interior Delegation
Over the course of several weeks in November and December, we held Zoom chats with most of the Interior Delegation. Beginning on November 29, we spoke with Reps. Kowasaki, LeBon, Hopkins and Prax and Sen. Myers.
REDISTRICTING with a focus on Interior Alaska
On October 12, 2021, we hosted a forum on redistricting in Alaska with a focus on the Interior and the FNSB. We had speakers from all four 3rd-party map creators.
There was a live presentation of all the maps at the Carlson Center on Oct. 18, 2021, from 5:30 - 7:30 pm.
Municipal Candidate Forum ~ Sept. 24, 2021
Candidates for the FNSB School District School Board, the FNSB Assembly, the City of Fairbanks City Council, and the mayors for the FNSB and the City of North Pole gathered at the FNSB Assembly Chambers.
The forum was presented by a partnership among the LWV of Tanana Valley, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and KUAC FM 89.9. The FNSB Clerk's Office provided logistical and technical support.
Alaska's Suffrage Stars
Sept. 1- 30, 2021
Noel Wien
Public Library
Alaska's Suffrage Stars, a LWV-sponsored exhibit from the Alaska State Museum tells the story of the first steps toward Alaska's women's right to vote and spotlights early Alaskan women's voting-rights activists. The exhibit was placed all around the library. LWVYV mounted an exhibit at the entrance to the library highlighting the history of voting rights activists and the Suffrage Movement in the United States.
Carnival-2570021_640_QK from Pixabay
Tanana Valley State Fair
July 31 - August 8, 2021
Almost 1,000 Fair-Goers tried
Ranked Choice Voting
We practiced Ranked Choice Voting, registered citizens to vote, updated addresses, and offered voting information. Thanks to the tireless efforts of Bernardo Hernandez, Diane Lyon, and Sue Sherif we had a simplified and informative booth that was staffed by members for the entire Fair. Information and take-aways from the Division of Elections, Vote Local and Get Out the Native Vote offered encouragement and voting calendar reminders.
Our Ranked Choice Voting practice using fun Fair food as candidates was a big hit. 993 votes were cast. Ice Cream won the election for both adults and kids. Elephant Ears were a close second for adults while Cotton Candy was the kids' second choice. See the results and the tabulations just below.
June 19, 2021
LWVTV Supports Juneteenth Celebration with Greater Fairbanks NAACP Unit #1001
We joined other advocates in the Virtual Vendor Booths and online for an enlightening, engaging and celebratory itinerary of spirituality, history, discussion, readings, financial literacy,
farm-to-table insight, healthy lifestyle ideas, poetry, our education system, voting, and a tribute to
Ms. Esther Cunningham.
Book Group
2021- 2022
- JULY ~ Free Lunch by Rex Ogle
- SEPTEMBER ~ Climate of Hope: How Cities, Businesses and Citizens Can Save the Planet by Michael Bloomberg & Carl Pope
- OCTOBER ~ Garbology: Our Dirty Love Affair with Trash by Edward Humes
- NOVEMBER ~The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World by Melinda Gates
- JANUARY ~ Conflict in Ukraine: The Unwinding of the Post-Cold War Order by Rajan Menon & Eugene Rumer
- FEBRUARY ~ The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism by
Andrew Bacevich - MARCH ~ How Civil Wars Start and How to Stop Them by Barbara Walter
- APRIL ~ Life on the Line: Young Doctors Come of Age in a Pandemic by
Emma Goldberg - MAY ~ Go Back Where You Came from and Other Helpful Recommendations on How to Become American by Wajahat Ali
- JUNE ~ Book selection for the upcoming year
- JULY ~ White Identity Politics by Ashley Jardina
Image by David Mark from Pixabay
LWVTV Annual Meeting
May 22, 2021 9:30 AM-Noon Zoom
It was a very busy 2-1/2 hours! We heard reports from the president and treasurer, on membership and the Diversity Committee. We adopted a program for 2021 - 2022. We also amended our Bylaws and policies and we elected new officers and Board members. We were privileged to be joined by Leah Edwards, Treasurer of the LWVUS, who gave us an update on LWVUS activities and influence over the past year, a reminder of the lead priorities for the national organization and what to be watching over the coming year.
2021_0413_League of Women Voters-ARodell[...]
Adobe Acrobat document [3.8 MB]
Brought to you by The League of Women Voters of Tanana Valley, the League of Women Voters of Juneau and the Fairbanks Branch of the American Association of University Women
210201 LWVTV There Oughta Be A Law! with[...]
Adobe Acrobat document [2.1 MB]
2020
LWVTV Supports
NAACP Position Statement on
Policing and Our Community
City of Fairbanks City Council
November 23, 2020
The League of Women Voters of Tanana Valley is committed to diversity, equality, and inclusion in principle and in practice. We are committed to equal justice and social equity and support the fight against systemic racial injustice and inequality. But more than words, we need change. We come as an ally in support of the NAACP Position Statement on Policing and Our Community as a step forward that promotes constructive change while endorsing the indisputable contribution that law enforcement brings to the safety and well-being of the people and property in our community. The statement simply advocates for reasonable inclusion in the selection of police leadership, pertinent training of officers and administrators, the undeniable need to include community mental health experts on public safety teams and a transparent, citizen-led mechanism to consider police actions. The real potential for change lies with local government. The actions outlined by the NAACP Position Statement on Policing and Our Community offer sensible steps to move our community ahead and begin to rekindle public trust and support for those who serve and protect.
Greater Fairbanks Branch NAACP 1001 Posi[...]
Adobe Acrobat document [120.9 KB]
LWVTV and Others Hit the Streets to Encourage Voting
Oct. 26 - 30, 2020
Organized by LWVTV member, Bernardo Hernandez, members, friends and family covered streets all over the FNSB encouraging citizens to exercise their right to vote. Lots of honks, thumbs up and waves were enjoyed from the passing vehicles. It was plenty cold out there but waving signs keeps you warmed up.
LWVTV & Get Out the Native Vote Meet Young Voters
October 22 and 29, 2020
Partnering with Black Spruce Brewing Company, LWVTV member Nicky Eiseman had precinct maps, Division of Election election pamphlets, sample ballots, and access to search for polling stations available for voters and would-be voters visiting this craft beer business. Ballots and Brews provided a convivial atmosphere for meaningful conversations on voting, why it's important and how your vote makes a difference for you and democracy. Specialty beers, "I Voted Today DDH Pale Hazy Ale" and "People Power Triple IPA" were available.
- Round 1 featured House candidates Jeremiah Youmans,
Kevin McKinley, Adam Wool, Mike Cronk, Elijah Verhagen,
Vernon Carlson, and Julia Hnilicka.
- Round 2 introduced Senate candidates Evan Eads, Robert Myers and Marna Sandford and House candidates Bart LeBon, Christopher Quist, Mike Prax, Keith Kurber, and Grier Hopkins.
League members Shari and Tom George, Diane Lyon, Janna Miller, Martha Raynolds, Rich Seifert and Valerie Therrien asked questions, timed candidate responses and kept the forum moving. All the questions were submitted by League members and FNA.
Thanks to KUAC FM 89.9 for broadcasting and recording the forum, the FNSB Clerk's Office for setting up the Assembly Chamber and Get Out the Native Vote for providing voting encouragement.
League Members Worked
Early Voting and Election Day Polling Sites
for the 2020 Municipal Election
League members assisted both with Early Voting at Shoppers Forum and at Election Day polling locations. Early voting ran from Sept. 21 - Oct. 1. Election Day was October 6, 2020.
Voter turnout was 22.4% for the FNSB, 17.7% for the City of Fairbanks and 15.4% for the City of North Pole. Sad turnout for our community and our democracy.
943004_840 image by kalhh from Pixabay
News Desert: Why Local Journalism Matters
A Free Public Webinar
September 22, 2020 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Zoom and Facebook Live
More than 80 participants joined Dermot Cole (reporter, columnist, and author),
Virginia Farmier (Snedden Foundation) and, Melissa Harter (Director of the FNSB Public Library) for a lively and enlightening webinar on the scary place local journalism is in today, the perils and
effects of mis- and disinformation and some potential ways forward. There were many questions posed to the panelists by attendees on Zoom, Facebook and the phone. LWVTV member, Janna Miller,
organized and moderated this very informative session. The webinar was hosted by the LWVTV and the Fairbanks Branch of AAUW.
A recording of the webinar is here.
Important Dates
See the section below the dates to understand the difference among Early Voting, In person Absentee and By Mail or Electronic Absentee voting and where you can vote.
Sept. 21, 2020 8:00 am – In Person Absentee Voting begins. You do NOT need to apply for an absentee ballot to vote In Person absentee.
Sept. 21, 2020 9:00 am Mon - Sat, 10:00 am on Sunday – Early Voting begins at Shopper’s Forum (1255 Airport Way, Fairbanks). Check the Borough Clerk’s website for hours.
Sept. 29, 2020 5:00 pm - deadline for vote By Mail Absentee Ballot Applications
October 1, 2020 6:00 pm – Early Voting ends at Shopper’s Forum
Oct. 5, 2020 Noon - deadline for vote by Electronic Absentee Ballot Applications
Oct. 5, 2020 5:00 pm – In Person Absentee Voting ends (You do NOT need to apply for an absentee ballot to vote absentee in person)
Oct. 6, 2020 7:00 am - 8:00 pm - Regular Municipal Election Day. Go to your polling location. Find your polling location at Polling locations or call 1-888-383-8683. You may also vote a questioned ballot at any polling location that is not your own. Mail-in Absentee ballots MUST BE POSTMARKED NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 6 and must be received by the Borough Clerk’s Office by no later than the Tuesday following Election Day.
For the most current official information visit or call the Clerk Offices at
City of Fairbanks 459-6702
City of North Pole 488-8583
Fairbanks North Star Borough 459-1401
Image by Gerd Altmann from Picabay
Local Municipal Election
Different Ways to Vote
- Early Voting – You physically go into a voting booth to cast your ballot. Early voting is available at Shoppers Forum (1255 Airport Way, Unit 5, Fairbanks), NOT at any of the Clerks’ Offices. Your ballot is counted on Election Day for unofficial results. The Canvass Board meets the day following the election to canvass all election returns.
- Absentee Voting - There are three types of Absentee voting: In Person, By Mail and By Electronic means. The Canvass Board has until the
Tuesday following Election Day to determine all properly voted ballots for counting.
- In Person Absentee – You do NOT need to apply for an absentee ballot to vote In Person Absentee and no ballot is sent/emailed/faxed to you. You may vote In Person Absentee at the City of North Pole and the City of Fairbanks Clerks’ Offices or at the City of Fairbanks outside voting trailer. The FNSB has a drive-by option at the front portico of the Juanita Helms Administrative Center. Once at the FNSB drive in site, you will call the Clerk’s Office and a staff member will bring you a ballot, wait for you to vote and then return the ballot to the Clerk’s Office.
- By Mail Absentee – You do not go into a voting booth. You must apply for a By Mail Absentee ballot (directions below). A ballot is mailed to you. After filling out the ballot, you can mail it using the USPS, deliver it inside to one of the Clerk’s Offices or deliver it to the outside voting trailer at the City of Fairbanks. Neither City nor Borough staff will come out to your vehicle to pick it up.
- By Electronic Means Absentee - You do not go into a voting booth. You must apply for an Electronic Absentee ballot (directions below). A ballot is emailed or faxed to you. If you received your ballot by email, you print the ballot, complete it, scan the completed ballot, and email it back to the FNSB Clerk’s Office. If you received your ballot by fax, you must fax it back to the FNSB Clerk’s Office after completing it.
- Election Day Voting in person. Find your Polling locations or call 1-888-383-8683.
Call the borough clerk’s office at 907-459-1401 for additional information about all the ways to vote. Please remember -- if you requested an absentee ballot for the Primary and/or General Elections to the State of Alaska YOU WILL NOT GET A MUNICIPAL ABSENTEE BALLOT AUTOMATICALLY. They are different systems; YOU MUST APPLY SEPARATE FOR EACH.
Municipal Candidates Forum
August 31, 2020
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Livestreamed on KUAC FM 89.9
Candidates for the FNSB Assembly, the FNSB School Board and the City of Fairbanks City Council were present at the FNSB Assembly Chambers to answer a series of short answer and lightning round questions. You can listen here.
LWVTV members Phyllis Darrah, Shari and
Tom George, Janna Miller and Valerie Therrien asked the questions, kept the candidates on time and sanitized the Assembly Chamber following FNSB COVID-19 protocols.
League Members Assisted with the
Primary Election on August 18, 2020
LWVTV was on station to assist the Division of Elections with Special Needs voting during the Primary
~~~~ Book Club ~~~ Aug. 2020 - July 2021
,
August 8
Salt by Mark Kurlansky
September 12
Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson
October 10
Give Us the Ballot by Ari Berman
November 14
Fascism by Madeleine Albright
December
No Book Discussion
January 9
What Does It Means to be White and White Fragility, both written by Robin DiAngelo
February 13
North To the Night by Alvah Simon
March 13
How the Post Office Created America by Winifred Gallagher
April 10
Fate of Food: What We'll Eat in a Bigger, Hotter, Smarter World by Amanda Little
May 8
Death and Life of the Great Lakes by
Dan Egan
June 12
Book Selection for 2021-2022
July 10
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari and The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt
Safe and Secure Voting
A Free Public Webinar
August 7, 2020 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Zoom and Facebook Live
Division of Elections Supervisor Jeremy Johnson, April Trickey (Clerk of the FNSB), Dani Snider (Clerk of the City of Fairbanks) and Aaron Rhoades (Clerk of the City of North Pole) led this informative discussion about ways to vote, dates, new equipment and measures inplace due to the COVID-19 pandemic. League members Phyllis Darrah, Shari George, Mary Lee Guthrie, Helenmarie Matesi, Gael Murakami and Sue Sherif were joined by AAUW president Margaret Soden, FNA Coomunications Director, Diana Campbell, and Get Out the Native Vote/Doyon Ltd. lead Sharon Hildebrand to keep the webinar on track. Many questions from the attendees were fielded by Jerermy and the Clerks.
Image 434897_640 by Gerd Altmann for Pixabay
LWVTV submits letter of support to adopt Fairbanks North Star Borough Resolution 2020-29
The resolution was in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, and civil rights for all people, notably those individuals from historically marginalized groups. The resolution passed unanimously after amendments.
Image by Th G from Pixabay
Running for Local Office
June 27, 2020
LWVTV members Shari George, Phyllis Tugman-Alexander and
Linda Witt were on hand in the FNSB parking lot with all the Clerks from the City of Fairbanks, the City of North Pole and the FNSB. We provided information
and encouragement to potential candidates for local office. LWVTV also hosted a website with how-to's for local candidates.
LWVTV Members Support Juneteenth
June 19 & 20, 2020
LWVTV members participated in NAACP Juneteenth celebration affirming Juneteenth and celebrating moving forward. LWVTV VP Helenmarie Matesi
helped organize the event and served as moderator for much of the commemoration. Music, poetry, history and discussion brought the celebration to life. Juneteenth memorializes the June 19, 1865,
announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas. Congress recognized the day in 1997.
Spring 2020 Hot Topics
Spring 2020 Hot Topics were organized - we had the speakers, the dates and the location. Then COVID-19 hit and all was off. The first two will be decided in the November 3, 2020 election so other means of educating ourselves were offered. Let's Talk Trash stayed on the list.
Ranked Choice Voting & the Alaska Better Elections Initiative
A ballot measure to create nonpartisan primaries and ranked-choice voting in Alaska is collecting signatures for this fall's election. The stated goals of the initiative are to:
- End "Dark Money" in Alaska Elections
- Open Our Primaries to All Alaskan Voters
- Form Ranked Choice Voting Elections
Do you know how Ranked Choice Voting works? Let's talk about it and give it a try.
Alaska Revenue Recap and the Oil Tax Initiative
One of the functions of government is to provide services. Services cost money and take people. Opinions on the PFD diverge. The numbers show we cannot cut our way to a balanced budget and provide the services needed for a modern society. The end of our savings is in sight. What to do? Let's talk about the revenue stream for Alaska's future
Let's Talk Trash - Recycling in the FNSB
Hear our panel and ask questions. Experts from Alaska Waste, Green Star, the Borough and Costco will give us insight and talk about how it works and the future. The 50th anniversary of Earth Day is on April 22; let's do all we can to help our planet.
State Board Members
Alex Koplin, President
(Central Kenai Peninsula) 2024
Marianne Mills, Vice-President
(Juneau) 2024
Sandy Garrity, Secretary (Central Kenai Peninsula) 2024
Shirley Pittz, Treasurer
(Anchorage) 2025
Sue Sherif, Past President
(Tanana Valley) 2024
Directors
Judy Andree
(Juneau) 2024
Gayle Garrigues
(Tanana Valley) 2025
Shari George
(Tanana Valley) 2024
Gail Knobf
(Central Kenai Peninsula) 2025
Therese Lewandowski
(Central Kenai Peninsula) 2024
Pat Redmond
(Anchorage) 2024
Local League Presidents
Shirley Pittz
LWV of Anchorage 2024
******
Cathleen Rolph
Central Kenai Peninsula League of Women Voters 2024
*****
Marna Sanford & Sue Sherif
LWV of Tanana Valley 2024
*****
Sarah Moore
LWV of Juneau 2024
Register to Vote
If you are a U.S. citizen and you are at least 18 years old, you can vote. In most states, before you can vote you need to register. Registration must be completed 30 days before Election Day.
Register to Vote now! Make sure you fill out the form completely; then print, sign, and mail it to the address given.
Below are the Facebook pages for Alaska.
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