The League of Women Voters of Saratoga County offers voter registration assistance at the Saratoga Pride Festival, at High Rock Park in Saratoga Springs, NY.

We invite you to join us for our upcoming monthly Book Club gatherings on the second
Thursday of each month at 1:30 pm. Everyone is welcome to join our discussions, even if you have not read or finished reading the book.

Book: Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America by Heather Cox Richardson

Discussion leader: Francine

Location: Clifton Park -Halfmoon Public Library, 475 Moe Rd, Clifton Park, NY 12065

Everyone is welcome to join us for spirited conversation.

Wednesday, September 11, 2024
5:30-7:00 pm

The League of Women Voters invites current members and the interested public to a Meet & Greet. It's an opportunity to get introduced to your colleagues and to league committee activities. Food and drinks will be provided.

At this festive gathering, learn more about what we do, introduce the League to folks you know who care about making a difference, and indulge in delicious appetizers.

Orenda Pavilion, Spa State Park, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. Note that the Pavilion has only picnic tables, so you may wish to bring a chair for comfort.

Map

Please bring a friend or three!

If you are volunteering at an upcoming voter registration event, please plan on attending one of our training sessions. We will provide information on how to register voters and how to talk to people about and promote the NY Equal Rights Amendment. For more information and sign up, reach out to Pam King-Hall.

We will have two training sessions

• September 10 from 1-3 PM

• September 10 fron 6-8 PM

Location: United Methodist Church, 175 Fifth Avenue, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

For more information and sign up, reach out to Pam King-Hall. or contact us.

We can’t do this without you!

If you are volunteering at an upcoming voter registration event, please plan on attending one of our training sessions. We will provide information on how to register voters and how to talk to people about and promote the NY Equal Rights Amendment. For more information and sign up, reach out to Pam King-Hall.

We will have two training sessions

• September 10 from 1-3 PM

• September 10 fron 6-8 PM

Location: United Methodist Church, 175 Fifth Avenue, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

For more information and sign up, reach out to Pam King-Hall. or contact us.

We can’t do this without you!

Our League is partnering with Hubbard Hall, an arts center in Cambridge, NY, to support their play What the Constitution Means to Me, an entertaining one-woman show about realizing that women are not included in the U.S. Constitution. It's funny, poignant, and perfect for those of us committed to giving women a seat at the table and passing the ERA! 

Sunday, September 8th, will be Women's Vote Day!  at the theater, for which League members can order discounted tickets for the 2 pm matinee by entering the coupon code LWV-Sept 8 when you register online (Note: You can X out of logging in if you wish.) 

Hope to see our League family there! Please direct questions to thealicebrigade@gmail.com. 

Board Meetings

The Board meets the first Wednesday of the month at 7 pm. Meetings are open to all members. Currently meetings are held virtually via Zoom. Members may email president@lwvsaratoga.org for the link. Board meetings are not open to the general public.

Join us:
Monday, August 26, 2024
Women’s Equality Day
3:15 pm—5:30 pm

Susan B. Anthony State Historic Site
2835 State Route 29, Greenwich, NY
(in Battenville, just east of Greenwich)

FREE ADMISSION but Registration is Required. Make reservations at Eventbrite.com, “Continuing Susan’s Fight for Equality”

• Hear from Susan B. Anthony (via re-enactor, Linda McKenney)

• Learn about the NY ERA that will be on your ballot this Fall

• Learn about Susan’s childhood home & the Stoops Tavern/Hotel restoration process

Parking is available on site or across the road.

Please note that we will look inside but cannot enter the house because it has not yet been fully stabilized or renovated.

Flyer

The Membership Committee will hold its next meeting on Wednesday, August 15, at the home of Kathy Koebrich at 2:00 pm. Meetings are open to all members. Please contact Kathy or email the presidents at president@lwvsaratoga.org to get address for the meeting.

LWV Saratoga members are Participating in the (belated) 55th Annual Flag Day Parade!

LWVSC is marching with other social justice groups in the Flag Day Parade which is on July 4th!!

Date: July 4th, 2024

Gathering Time: 4:15 pm - parade kicks off at 5 pm. We're Division 3

Gathering Place: League members will gather at 2nd Ave on the east side of Broadway. Map

What to wear: Either your blue LWV vote shirt or Alice Paul shirt

Signs to carry: Make signs supporting the NY ERA

We will have a small pick-up truck that can transport 3-4 people if you can't walk in the parade. If you have questions, email president@lwvsaratoga.org. The parade will be held on Broadway from Route 50 to Congress Park.

We are calling upon our LWVSC Volunteers to assist our new citizens in Registering to Vote for their first election in 2024.

People from countries around the world will take the Oath of Allegiance to become new citizens of the United States on Thursday, July 4, at the Saratoga National Historical Park, 648 NY-32, Stillwater, NY.

Our role will be to assist them in filling out voter registration forms if they want help, and give them information to prepare them for voting for the first time.

It is a truly rewarding experience to witness this impressive ceremony and know that you have been a part of this milestone event in the lives of new citizens.

If you would like to help, plan to be at the park by 9 am. Email us at president@lwvsaratoga.org if you would like to volunteer to register voters.

Primary Election Day: Tuesday, June 25, 2024
6 Aam - 9 pm

Primary Ballot Certifications:

• NY State Board of Elections

• Saratoga County Board of Elections

Polling sites in Saratoga County

The League of Women Voters of Saratoga County Women’s Rights Awareness Campaign is organizing a bus trip to NYC on Saturday, June 22, to see the epic and timely new Broadway musical, SUFFS.  https://suffsmusical.com/.

SUFFS the Musical is the story of the suffragists and their endless pursuit of the right to vote. The book, music and lyrics were written by Shaina Taub, who has Saratoga Springs connections: Her grandfather, Lewis Taub, is a retired optometrist in town and her late grandmother, Sonia Taub, was a librarian at the old Saratoga Springs Public Library. The play is coming to Broadway in April after a sold out, extended run at the Public Theatre.

The showing will be a Saturday 2:00 pm matinee. We’re offering two different trip packages which include the bus trip, theatre ticket, bus driver gratuity and a small donation in support of the Women’s Rights Awareness Campaign:

• $139 with seats in Sides/Mezzanine level

  $179 with seats in Orchestra/Sides/Mezzanine or Center/Sides/Mezzanine

Space is limited!  Please respond, as soon as possible, with the number of tickets you want and theatre seating preference to long-time LWVSC member and veteran trip planner, Rhona Koretzky, at rkoretzky@yahoo.com To guarantee your seat, please follow-up with a check made payable to Rhona Koretzky and mail to her home @ 3 Longwood Drive, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.

This is not only for LWVSC members. Family and friends are welcome!!

More details concerning departure time and boarding location will be provided closer to the event.

Meet the Candidates

Democratic Primary -
NY Assembly District 107

• Date: Thursday, June 20, 2024, 6:00 -7:30 pm.

• Location: East Greenbush Community Library, 10 Community Way, East Greenbush, NY..

Sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Rensselaer County.

Location Update!!

Due to the heat index, the Annual Meeting is going to be held indoors at the

Saratoga Springs United Methodist Church
175 Fifth Ave.
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

There is a large parking lot and the building is accessible. Look for LWV yard signs.

Wednesday, June 19th from 5-8pm

If you have not already done so, please RSVP by email to President@lwvsaratoga.org

Bring your own meal/snacks. Beverages will be provided.

We’ll eat together and socialize before the business meeting at 6pm.Our

We gather in person to celebrate all the League’s work this past year. We’ll start with food, beverages, and socializing before the business meeting. Our business includes electing the Board of Directors, approving a budget, approving Bylaws updates and adopting our local positions. The presentation of the Carrie Chapman Catt and Barbara Thomas Awards will conclude the evening.

Preliminary agenda for the meeting:
• Report from the Board.
• Elections. See the Nominating Committee Report.
• Adoption of a budget. See LWVSC Proposed 2024-24 budget.
• Adopting or dropping each local position. See our Positions on Issues.
• Bylaws Amendments. See LWVSC Proposed 2024 Bylaw Amendments.
• Direction to the Board
• Presentation of the Carrie Chapman Catt Award and the Barbara Thomas Award

3rd Annual National Holiday
JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION

• The Responsibility of Freedom •

Wednesday • June 19, 2024 12:00p to 4:00p
Saratoga YMCA’s Outdoor Pavilion, 290 West Ave., Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

-1 pm to 3 pm Program, followed by Jubilee Reception
Community tabling pre- & post-program.
LWV Saratoga is tabling at this event.

Free & Open to the Public

Our Lodge Foundation, Frederick Allen Elks Lodge #609, and MLK Saratoga invite you to join their 2024’ JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION, followed by a cake and ice cream Jubilee Reception. Music, Poetry, Interpretative Dance, Historic Performance, and so much more!

With the theme, “The Responsibility of Freedom,” this year’s program contributors include Community Voices of Praise Choir, poet D. Colin, dancer Donna Boykins, musical artists Ethan Crowley and Dan Berggren, Saratoga Springs poet laureate Dr. Joseph Bruchac, actors Jocelyn Khoury and Kim Wafer, and Donald Hyman’s “Freedom Players” from Albany’s Israel A.M.E. Church (the oldest Black church in upstate NY!).

Come honor this important day and share in the joy, as we celebrate FREEDOM, together!

Thank you to our amazing community partners & co-sponsors, whose support helps us to share our enriching programs with all of our community: Saratoga Regional YMCA, MLK Saratoga, Business for Good, Ben & Jerry’s Saratoga, JUST Water, Price Chopper/Market32, Saratoga Springs United Methodist Church, UU Congregation of Saratoga Springs, and Camp Stomping Ground

FB Event: https://fb.me/e/8QmyFsYit

Flyer: PDF Download

Note: This event is not sponsored by the League of Women Voters, but we include it in our calendar because we believe it will be of interest to our members.

Online event - held on Zoom for delegates and streamed live for members. Please contact president@lwvsaratoga.org if you are a member and wish to view this meeting.

Please save the date for the LWVNY 2024 Council by zoom at 6:30pm on Tuesday June 11th . We will adopt the League budget for 2024-2025.

Meet the Candidates

Democratic Primary -
NY Assembly District 107

• Date: Friday, June 7, 2024, 7:00 - 8:30 pm.

• Location: Brieman Community Center, (aka Brieman Building), intersection of N. Park St. and Main St, .Cambridge, NY The Brieman Building of the Cambridge United Presbyterian Church, 81 East Main St., Cambridge, NY 12816, is the white building adjacent to the parking lot of the church.

• Recording- This event will be recorded, and the video recording will be made available for viewing after the event.

• Candidates: Both candidates, Chloe Pierce (D) and Kent Sopris (D), will be participating.

• Questions: The public is encouraged to submit questions for the candidates by June 2, 2024, to lwvscquestions@gmail.com. Please put “Assembly District 107” in the subject line. No questions will be taken at the event. Questions should be addressed to both candidates, represent a broad range of topics and not contain personal attacks.

Co-sponsored by the Leagues of Women Voters of Saratoga and Rensselaer Counties.

Note: There will be a second candidate forum with these candidates in East Greenbush on Thursday, June 20 - see details at https://www.lwvsaratoga.org/events/2024/6/20/meet-the-candidates-ad107

Online via Zoom

Do you keep asking yourself “I need to DO SOMETHING this election year - I have to get more involved!”? Well, here’s your chance! We're looking for more volunteers for the League's Candidate Events. No experience is necessary. Online training for members will be provided for those interested in working on Candidate Forums for School Board Elections in May, Primary Elections in June, and/or the General Election this Fall. Training will be provided for the positions of Timers, Question Vetters, Zoom Hosts, Moderators, YouTube techs, and Event Coordinators. Or maybe you have a hidden, or not-so-hidden talent or skill that the League could use, such as IT skills, public speaking or experience with Zoom webinar, just to name a few.

Don’t be shy! Join our online training, Wednesday., May 22nd, 7pm - 8:30pm - please RSVP at the link below. Meet new friends, learn new skills and see how you can help. Democracy needs you to make it work!

Please register in advance for this online training: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYtcuqpqTgjGNaeDLEJ1qRfJkJJybz7YDPg. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Any questions? Please contact us at Candidates.LWVSaratoga@gmail.com.

School Board Elections and Budget Votes are on Tuesday, May 21. Times vary by district.

Check out the 2024 Voter Guide to School Board Elections in Saratoga County for voting times and locations, and to get more info about the candidates running for the school boards.

The Membership Committee will hold its next meeting on Wednesday, May 15, at the Parting Glass at 2:00 pm. Meetings are open to all members.

The League of Women Voters of Saratoga County will moderate a “Meet the Candidates” event sponsored by the Saratoga Springs City School District on May 14, 2024 starting at 7 pm. District residents will elect three individuals to the Board of Education for three-year terms. The candidates, in the order that they will appear on the ballot, are Matt Kopans, Connie Woytowich, Joe Sabanos, Amanda Ellithorpe, and Deb Amory.

The Meet the Candidates event will be held in the Saratoga Springs High School Teaching Auditorium. The forum also will be live streamed through YouTube and a recording will be available after the event at the same YouTube link.

To view the live stream starting at 7 pm on May 14, go to the YouTube link at https://youtube.com/live/1IVa7PvWia0

We are encouraging the public to submit questions for the candidates to QuestionsLWVSC@gmail.com no later than Friday, May 10. Please put “Saratoga Springs” in the subject line of your email to us so we will know to which event the questions are directed.

Questions will be reviewed by an impartial group of League members based on relevancy to the office and topic/redundancy.

• Questions should be clear, concise and appropriate to the office being sought.

• Questions must be directed to all the candidates seeking the office, not just one candidate.

• Questions should reflect the issues of greatest interest to the entire community and cover a broad range of topics.

• Questions must not include or imply personal attacks on any candidate.

Online Streaming

The lives of everyone connected to Israel and Palestine will never be the same after October 7, 2023. With tens of thousands of lives lost, families torn apart, and children traumatized, now more than ever, we need to continue to show up for one another to mourn, remember, and call for an end to the violence and demand a political solution that brings freedom, justice, and safety for all. Israelis and Palestinians need US  - the international community - to join together around our shared grief to heal and build hope that another way is not only possible but imperative. This year will be the 19th annual joint Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day ceremony organized by Combatants for Peace and the Parents Circle-Families Forum.

The Joint Memorial Ceremony is the largest Israeli-Palestinian peace event in history. Last year 15,000 people attended the event in person, and 300,000 people participated online. The ceremony has become a focal point for the entire peace community. Nearly every peace-building NGO in the region participates in some way, and MLK Saratoga is proud to be a sponsor of the ceremony this year. It has a profound impact on everyone involved in or witnessing the event.  Please join us.

REGISTER FOR ONLINE STREAMING

Note: This event is not sponsored by the League of Women Voters, but we include it in our calendar because we believe it will be of interest to our members.

The League of Women Voters of Saratoga County will moderate a “Meet the Candidates” event for the Galway Central School Board candidates on Thurs. May 9, at 7:00 pm (following the 6:30 pm Public Hearing). in the High School Gym., 5317 Sacandaga Road, Galway, NY, 12074, The event will include all candidates who will be on the ballot in the upcoming School Board Elections in May 2024. This event is organized by the Galway Central School District and moderated by the LWVSC.

This event also will be live streamed tonight at this link: https://www.youtube.com/user/GalwayCSD/live

We are encouraging the public to submit questions for the candidates to QuestionsLWVSC@gmail.com no later than Friday, May 3. Please put the name "Galway," in the subject line of your email to us so we know which school district event to which the questions are directed.

Questions will be reviewed by an impartial group of League members based on relevancy to the office and topic/redundancy.

• Questions should be clear, concise and appropriate to the office being sought.

• Questions must be directed to all the candidates seeking the office, not just one candidate.

• Questions should reflect the issues of greatest interest to the entire community and cover a broad range of topics.

• Questions must not include or imply personal attacks on any candidate.

We invite you to join us for our upcoming monthly Book Club gatherings on the second Thursday of each month at 1:30 pm. Everyone is welcome to join our discussions, even if you have not read or finished reading the book.

Book: The Day the World Stops Shopping: How Ending Consumerism Saves the Environment and Ourselves by J.B. MacKinnon

Discussion leader: Barb

Location: Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library, 475 Moe Rd., Clifton Park NY 12065

Everyone is welcome to join us for spirited conversation.

The League of Women Voters of Saratoga County will moderate a “Meet the Candidates” event for the South Glens Falls Central School District on May 8th following the 6:30 pm budget meeting. This event will be held at the South Glens Falls Senior High School, LGI Room, 42 Merritt Road, South Glens Falls, NY, 12803 and will include candidates who will be on the ballot in the upcoming School Board Elections in May 2024.

This event is organized by the South Glens Falls Central School District and moderated by the LWVSC.

We are encouraging the public to submit questions for the candidates to QuestionsLWVSC@gmail.com no later than Friday, May 3. Please put “ SGF,” in the subject line of your email to us so that we know for which school board candidate event the questions are directed.

Questions will be reviewed by an impartial group of League members based on relevancy to the office and topic/redundancy.

• Questions should be clear, concise and appropriate to the office being sought.

• Questions must be directed to all the candidates seeking the office, not just one candidate.

• Questions should reflect the issues of greatest interest to the entire community and cover a broad range of topics.

• Questions must not include or imply personal attacks on any candidate.