LWVR COMMITTEES - You Are Always Welcome To Join Us!
Voter services: The League’s founding principle and raison d’être. The Committee registers voters, gathers
candidate information for the Vote 411.org website, organizes Get Out The Vote (GOTV) activities, and plans
and moderates candidates’ forums.
Advocacy: In collaboration with other single-focus committees such as Environment and Health Care Reform,
(see below) the Advocacy Committee monitors and promotes current League issues and positions by making written
and in-person statements to village boards, local newspapers, and at public hearings; lobbying elected officials;
and developing contacts with other non-partisan organizations with similar goals.
A few examples are women’s issues such as reproductive choice, equity in employment laws and practices,
equal pay for jobs of comparable worth, domestic violence and human trafficking; land use planning which increases
fair and affordable housing, and provides for open space and waterfront access that balances local land use,
environmental and revenue-generating concerns; universal broadband access; campaign finance reform;
and greater equity in education financing.
Events: We plan, conduct and, when possible, record for future viewing, educational and social programs for
members and the general public. Recent programs included visits with NYS and Federal legislators;
the pros and cons of Medical Aid in Dying legislation; and the impact of recent Supreme Court decisions
on gun control, reproductive choice and climate change.
Environment: Join us to take action to mitigate the effects of climate change on our air, water and soil through
education, advocacy and action in our Rivertowns communities. We track and promote environmentally-conscious
local, County and Statewide legislation. We are monitoring the decommissioning of Indian Point and the plans of
the Army Corps of Engineers to protect the NY-NJ harbor from storm surge and sea level rise.
In keeping with our name, “Rivertowns,” we are dedicated to protecting the health of the Hudson River, imperiled
by leakage from sewage treatment plants, stormwater runoff, and plastic residue.
Healthcare Reform: The Healthcare Committee attends monthly meetings of the NYS League's Healthcare
Committee, held via Zoom. We monitor, review and disseminate information about legislative actions that pertain
to the healthcare of all New Yorkers. We collaborate with other groups to provide programming and events of an
informative and educational nature, particularly the advancement of a statewide healthcare insurance plan known
as the New York Health Act, similar to Medicare For All.
Membership: The Membership Committee works to increase league membership through a DEI lens; adds LWVR
links and messages on village websites and public access stations; welcomes and communicates with new members to
determine and to channel interests; issues calls-to-action to members; maintains members’ contact information
and oversees annual renewal drives and fund raising.
Publicity: We distribute the LWVR president’s monthly newsletter to members; design flyer; and write and
distribute press releases.
Social Media: We post information and events on our own social media sites (Facebook and Instagram),
and also on local online outlets.
Youth Outreach: We are especially committed to recruiting student members aged 16 and above for League projects
such as voter registration drives in high schools and special annual events. Some recent examples are “Vote Like a Girl,”
held at Washington Irving’s Sunnyside; “Running & Winning,” a day-long workshop at Manhattanville College providing
the opportunity to explore public service as a career with elected officials; and “Students Inside Albany,” an intensive
four-day event designed to introduce students to the workings of NYS government where they observe Assembly and
Senate sessions, and shadow their Assembly members and Senators.
College student members are encouraged to join the LWV of Westchester’s Youth Engagement Committee and to
participate in the Inter-League College Campus Program, focussing on teaching students lobbying, voter registration,
and “get out the vote” messaging.
Photography/Videography: We need help from time to time - if you have this skill, please let us know!