VOTER September Polling Expert G. Terry Madonna to Speak about Election Sept. 30. Voter Registration Sept. 21& 22

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1 League of Women Voters-Central Delaware County VOTER September 2016 LWV-CDC Officers 2015 Joanna Nealon President (610) Marita Green 1 st V. Pres. (610) Helen Klussman 2 nd V.Pres. (610) Diana Bastable Secretary (610) Olivia Thorne Treasurer (610) Board Members Barbara Amstutz (610) Jane Brennan (610) Patricia Cimino (610) Joyce Ellis (610) Rose Marie Lord ( ) Jodine Mayberry, Voter (610) Katherine Miller (610) Anne Mosakowski (610) Dora Preston (610) Gloria Rabinowitz (610) John Shaw (610) Polling Expert G. Terry Madonna to Speak about Election Sept. 30 Our Hot Topics Luncheon with Terry Madonna will be held on Friday, Sept. 30, at noon so please make a reservation, as this is one of our most popular speakers. He will share his observations about the upcoming election and the effect of polling on the political process. Dr. Madonna is a well-known and respected political pollster, commentator and educator. He is currently Professor of Public Affairs at Franklin and Marshall College, the founder of the oldest political opinion poll pro- duced exclusively in and about Pennsylvania (the "Keystone Poll"), and the host of "Pennsylvania Newsmakers. He is a dynamic speaker and always entertaining. You really don't want to miss his presentation. The cost for the luncheon is $18 per person and will be catered by "Margaret Kuo" from Media. You can make a reservation by calling Hank Thorne at (610) or hthorne@verizon.net. You can mail your check to LWVCDC at PO Box 131, Wallingford, PA or you can pay at the door. We ask only that you please make a reservation and let us know if you need to cancel. This has always been a "sold out" presentation, so you are encouraged to make you reservation as soon as possible, if you have not already done so. We look forward to seeing you on Friday, September 30th. As always friends are welcome, so be sure to let them know. Voter Registration Sept. 21& 22 The LWV-CDC will be registering people to vote and urging them to change their addresses if they moved since they last registered at Delaware County Community College. We may also go out to a place to be announced on Sept. 27, National Voter Registration Day. Watch for our s and volunteer to help. Registration deadline is Oct. 11. If you want to help, please call Marita Green, or her at maritag6@gmail.com. Anyone can register or change their registration or address online at or at Encourage people to do so. It takes two minutes.

2 President s Message September is here and we have a busy Fall ahead of us, especially during the weeks leading up to the Election. Not that summer hasn t been busy. On July 18, Olivia Thorne, President of the LWV of Delaware County, testified at a rally outside the Media Court House in support of an Open Space Bond Referendum for the County on the November Ballot. Thank goodness we were all under a very large tree because it was one of the hottest days of the summer. Two days later, Olivia testified again, this time inside at an air conditioned County Council Meeting. We had joined a coalition of 15 groups including Save Marple Greenspace and the Sierra Club. Unfortunately, we were unable to persuade Delaware County Council to agree to put the referendum on the Ballot. Basically, Council Members were in favor of preserving Open Space but felt that additional taxes would be a burden for many residents of Delaware County. However, testifying increased our visibility and is exactly the type of action we should take when an issue comes up on which we have a local, state or national position. We also had our Summer Film Series in Media, showing the movies STINK! in July and Iron Jawed Angels in August. This month, our most important activity is Voter Registration. If you would like to help on September 21 or 22 at Delaware County Community College or on National Voter Registration Day, Sept. 27, place and time to be announced. Please contact Marita Green at maritagreen6@gmail.com. There are two candidate forums scheduled for October. See page 3 for details. In September, we have not just one, but two, Luncheons with Hot Topics related to the election. On Friday Sept. 16, our seaker was James Vile, associate professor of political science at Widener University. Turnout was excellent. On Friday, September 30, our speaker will be popular political scientist and pollster Terry Madonna. See page 1. Not satisfied with just two meetings about the election, we will have a third one in October. On Thursday, Oct. 13, we will have an evening Hot Topics event at 7:30 PM at the Inn at Swarthmore. Our speaker will be Richard Aregood, retired Pulitzer winning editor. His topic will be Media Coverage of the Presidential Race. Dessert and coffee will be served. T he cost will be $10. Since this will be an evening meeting, please invite friends, family members and students who are unable to attend our luncheons. Last, but definitely not least, we have a bus trip to the Alice Paul Institute in Mt. Laurel, N.J., scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 19. Details can be found on page 4 and a reservation form can be found on page 5. Hope to see you at some of our events! Joanna Nealon

3 LWV Candidates Forums in Local Races Election season means Candidate Forums and voter registration events to LWV. Other groups might plan back to school nights and fall leaf watching, but we are working and planning around the election. This year, in addition to the amazing presidential race, there are many other contests. In Delaware County, PA House members are up for re-election, and have vigorous opponents. The Delaware County LWV has organized two debates, District 161 and District 165. Rep. William Adolph has decided not to run again, so there is an empty seat in District 165. Two new candidates, Republican Alexander Charlton and Democrat Elaine Schaefer have agreed to meet at the Springfield Township building on October 18. There will be a preview planning session for the campaigns so the candidates are familiar with our procedures, October 4 at the Furness Library at 3:45. Anyone who would like to attend is welcome. In District 161, candidate Leanne Kreuger-Braneky (Democrat) is the incumbent, and Republican Patti Rodgers Morrisette is seeking her seat. The candidates have agreed to take part in a candidates forum on October 20 at the Brookhaven Borough Hall. The planning session for this forum is October 6 at The Furness Library at 3:45. If you would like to attend this meeting, please let me know. Because Sen. Dominic Pileggi (PA Senate Dist 9) retired this year to become a Delco Judge, his seat was contested in July by Republican Tom Killion and Democrat Marty Molloy. Rep. Killion won that special election to fill out the term in the spring. In November the seat will be again contested by the same men. This district covers part of Delaware County and Chester County. LWV Chester County is trying to arrange another debate, this time in Chester County. The Republicans have not agreed to take part. When the discussions are settled, we hope people in that District will be able to see both the candidates together. ~ Marita Green How Has the Media Been Covering the Election? Our Hot Topics speaker for October will be Pulitzer Prize-winning editor and journalism professor Richard Aregood, formerly editorial page editor of the Philadelphia Daily News and the Newark, N.J., Star-Ledger, who will speak to us about the job that the media newspapers, television and social media have been doing covering the presidential Election. Mr. Aregood was also the Charles R. Johnson Professor of Journalism at the University of North Dakota and most recently taught at Rutgers University - Camden. This Hot Topic event will be an evening event, Thursday, Oct. 13, at 7:30 p.m. at the Inn at Swarthmore, 10 S. Chester Rd. Cost will be $10 for dessert and beverage. To make reservations call Hank Thorne at or hthorne@verizon.net. You may also mail your reservations to: LWVCDC, Box 131, Wallingford, PA

4 Join Us as We Learn about Alice Paul By Barbara Amstutz Please join us to learn about one of America s leading suffragists, feminists, and women's rights activists Alice Stokes Paul. League of Women Voters of Central Delaware County invites you to participate in our fall fundraiser on Oct 19th to visit the Alice Paul family home and Institute in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey. Alice Stokes Paul ( ) was the main leader and strategist of the 1910 suffrage movement which led to the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920 and guaranteed women the right to vote. Paulsdale, her home is a National Historic Landmark and the Institute in her name honors her legacy as a role model of leadership for women and girls in the continuing quest for equality. Most people are unaware of the pivotal role Alice Paul played in women s ability to participate in the political process today. But through original photographs from her personal collection, you will explore Alice Paul s life, her roots in the New Jersey Quaker community, her advocacy for equal rights and her work for women around the world. The trip features a 2-hour docent led tour of the family home and Alice Paul institute followed by lunch. Cost of the trip is $75.The trip departs by motor coach from the Players Club of Swarthmore at 9 a.m. and returns at 3 p.m. Lunch will be held at the Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar in Moorestown, N.J., in close proximity to the Alice Paul Institute. Included in the cost of the trip are bus transportation, entree; dessert, ice tea, sodas, coffee/ tea/decaf and the docent-led tour of the Alice Paul Institute. Time to renew your membership We continue to lose members by distance or death. At the moment we are at 123 members with about one-third renewed. We have four new members since May: Margaret Williams, Gwen Armstrong Barker, Megan Milligan and Rose Grelis. Welcome aboard! If you misplaced your renewal form please feel free to send a check for $55 for the first member + $27.50 for spouse or student and any extra for a donation to: LWV-CDC Box 131 Wallingford PA Note any changes in your address, phone or ! In the meantime, I am going to make an effort to contact each member by phone over the next several months. If you have questions, by all means feel free to call me, I'll do my best to answer League questions, or tell you what to cook for dinner, etc. Give me a try. In the meanwhile, remember if you bring in a new member you get a free Hot Topic luncheon. Talk to you soon. Joyce Ellis, Membership Chair. Important 2016 Election Dates: Last day to REGISTER before the November election...oct. 11 Last day to apply for a civilian absentee ballot...nov. 1 Last day for County Board of Elections to receive voted civilian absentee ballots..nov. 4 Election Day.. Nov. 8 Last day for Election Board to receive military and overseas absentee ballots..nov. 15

5 THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF CENTRAL DELAWARE COUNTY INVITES YOU ON A BUS TRIP TO THE ALICE PAUL INSTITUTE, MT. LAUREL, NJ Alice Paul Celebrating Passage of the 19 th Amendment in 1920 ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016 TIME: 9 AM BUS DEPARTS FROM PLAYERS CLUB OF SWARTHMORE, 614 FAIRVIEW AVENUE, SWARTHMORE 3 PM BUS RETURNS TO PLAYERS CLUB OF SWARTHMORE COST: $75 (INCLUDES TRANSPORTATION, GUIDED TOUR OF THE INSTITUTE, AND LUNCH AT HARVEST SEASONAL GRILL) For more information, call For reservations, please make checks payable to LWV-CDC and mail with the form below to LWV-CDC, P.O. Box 131, Wallingford, PA BY OCTOBER 3 Reservation(s) for Bus Trip to The Alice Paul Institute Name(s) Phone No. No. of Reservations Amount Enclosed

6 League Gears up for Election Law Review By Lora Lavin Should 17 year olds be allowed to vote in a primary if they will be 18 on the corresponding Election Day? Should Pennsylvania discontinue the straight party voting option? Could political polarization be reduced by adopting open primaries? Would alternatives to the current winner-take-all system of casting and counting votes ensure that every vote, including those of minor and minority party voters, can help elect a winner? These are among the questions that will be asked of League members in an Election Law Position Review and Update approved by the 2015 Convention. Study materials are now available online at The review will cover both familiar territory, such as voter registration and Election Day procedures, and break new ground with a study of alternative election systems and primaries. This is the first comprehensive review of LWPA s Election Law position since the early 1960s. Changes in registration and voting technology and elections administration over the past decades make this update necessary. Using our current positions we have lobbied for many improvements in Pennsylvania election laws that would make voting more accessible, such as allowing citizens to both register and vote on Election Day, no-excuse- necessary absentee voting, and early voting. This study will fill some holes in our current positions. In addition, we will consider whether to advocate for radical changes in how we cast and count votesmethods other major democracies have used for years to help make their legislative bodies more representative of the composition of their electorates. These alternatives, including instant runoff voting, the mixed member proportional system and the single transferable vote, could mitigate the effects of gerrymandering, eliminate wasted votes cast by minority and minor party supporters, help minor parties win representation, and, most important, reduce polarization by ensuring that every vote matters. We will also look at how these alternative systems might be applied to county, township council or school board elections. An introduction to the consensus will be presented at our Nov. 17 membership meeting. Consensus meetings will be held in January and February Volunteers are needed to help present the consensus to the full membership. If you are interested please contact Lora Lavin at (lavin@steuber.com). We Mourn our longtime member, Mary Curran Mary Curran, one of the founders of the Springfield League, has recently passed away. Mary was a vital part of the Springfield League serving on the board in many different capacities and also on the Delaware County League Board. She was especially interested in the environment and worked hard to get recycling in Springfield. Mary helped make league a positive place because of her welcoming outreach to all newcomers. Those of us from the Springfield League will remember many meetings in Mary s living room followed by wonderful refreshments and pot luck dinners. Mary was an excellent cook. (Her beef stew and dried fruit compote are still the best!!). She had a great sense of humor and fun, coupled with an incisive intelligence with which she could quietly cut to the heart of an issue with penetrating clarity. She was a very special lady and will be greatly missed. People Asking You about Hillary? Here s what to Say The U.S. League of Women Voters has sent out talking points for you to use when people who don t know the League s principles ask you why it is not supporting Hillary Clinton, the first woman presidential nominee of a major political party. You know what to say: While we celebrate this historic first, we are non-partisan. We do not support any candidate or political party but rather the right of everyone to participate in our democratic process. The link: