Welcome back to your exclusive, bi-weekly newsletter of the League of Women Voters of Wake County. If someone forwarded this to you and you'd like to become a member, or are interested in learning more, just click here. |  | Dear~~first_name~~,
Welcome to the new year!
Thank you for the many ways you invested your time, energy, effort, and resources in 2025 to make a difference in our community. Whether you volunteered with a committee, attended an event, showed up to protest, made a donation, or simply sent words of encouragement—every action mattered. Because of you, the League ended 2025 with strong momentum and a successful fundraising finish. Your support is tremendous, and we’ll share a final report in our next newsletter.
As we look ahead to 2026, this will be a year for the League to double down on our “bread and butter”: defending democracy through action and empowering voters across our state and county so every voice is heard.
In a time when unprecedented news seems to arrive daily, it can feel overwhelming to know how—or where—to plug in. The most important step is simply to start. This newsletter includes several opportunities to get involved, whether you have an hour a day or an hour a week. There is meaningful work to be done, and there is a place for you in it.
Thank you for standing with the League and for all you do to strengthen our democracy.
In solidarity,
Gaye
President, LWV–Wake County
|  | | Register now and mark your calendar for an incredible start to 2026 with Timely Topics featuring Lynn Bonner, Senior Reporter at NC Newsline, Ms. Bonner will bring us her thoughts on the urgent and evolving challenge of misinformation and disinformation from her vantage point as an investigative political reporter!
This event is free and open to the public.
These events are great opportunities to get to know members and invite a friend. Attendees are encouraged to bring a lunch.
Thursday, January 29, 2026
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Highland United Methodist Church
1901 Ridge Rd Raleigh, NC 27607
| Mark your calendar for these important 2026 LWV events.
January 31st: LWVNC Central Regional Meeting (Durham, see more info below)
February 7th: Reproductive Healthcare Education Symposium
April 21st: LWVNC Advocacy Day (Raleigh) Check our LWV-Wake calendar for more specific information when available.
May 2-3: LWVNC Council (Durham) Let Gaye Williams know if you would like to attend.
June 25-28: LWVUS Convention (Columbus, OH) More information coming this month. |  | | LWV Orange-Durham-Chatham (ODC) informational event
LWVODC’s Hot Topic: Understanding the Crisis of NC’s Antiabortion Centers
Gerrie Richards, President of Chapel Hill – NOW, will discuss Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs) and misinformation they promote about Reproductive HealthCare. Gerrie has been investigating CPCs for years and is a member of the CPC discussion group along with members of LWVODC and Interfaith Voices for Reproductive Freedom (IVRF). Gerrie is also a member of the planning committee for the Feb 7th Reproductive Healthcare Crisis Symposium.
Date & Time: Thursday, January 15, 2026 - 7:00 pm
Location: Zoom
Register by January 14th at 5 pm
REGISTER FOR LWV-ODC EVENT | REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE EDUCATION SYMPOSIUM
An event co-sponsored by LWV-Wake
NC’s Reproductive Healthcare Crisis: Misinformation, Misdirected Funding
Members of LWV-Wake, LWVODC, Interfaith Voices for Reproductive Freedom (IVRF), and other allies have been meeting to strategize how to address NC’s Crisis Pregnancy Centers (CPCs). These are anti-abortion centers that engage in manipulative tactics with women at critical points in their lives. In NC, these organizations receive over $20 million in state funding. This educational symposium will discuss what CPCs are and their impacts on Maternal Healthcare in NC.
Date: February 7, 2026
Time: 8:15am to 2pm (program begins at 9, coffee and pastries will be available 8:15 am to 9 am)
Location: Chapel Hill, NC
Lunch: provided
In addition to an afternoon panel discussion, current speakers include:
- Amy Bryant, MD, MSCR, Division Director, Complex Family Planning, Associate Professor, Complex Family Planning, and Adjunct Associate Professor, Maternal and Child Health of UNC-Chapel Hill's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
- Tara Ramono, Executive Director of Pro-Choice NC
- A representative from Planned Parenthood.
We’ll take direct action by filling out postcards calling for an audit of State funds and signing an online petition.
There will be opportunities to meet and network with partner organizations, including League of Women Voters (LWV), and IVRF.
Registration is required for attendance; specific location to be sent with registration confirmation.
The last day to register is February 1st. To register and for up-to-date information visit the Symposium site.
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EMPOWERING VOTERS is a key part of our mission and Vote411 plays an important role. Vote411 is a valuable resource for voters all year long to register to vote, find Voter ID information and much more. As elections draw near, we begin to focus on the Voter Guide within Vote411. That's where we need your help!
The elections before us in 2026 include Federal, State, and County partisan races, and nonpartisan municipal races in Raleigh. For the Wake County Vote411 volunteer team, we will have about 40 primary candidates to contact for our voter guide (we cover local and county elections; the statewide and high-level judicial races are tracked by the statewide VOTE411 team).
Here are a few important dates to keep in mind for the upcoming Primaries:
- Jan 30 (approximate) - VOTE411 goes live
- Feb 6 - Voter Registration deadline (before early voting)
- Feb 12 to 28 - Early voting at 12 locations in Wake County
- March 3 - Election Day
Volunteer needs:
- Five (5) Volunteers are needed to contact candidates after they have been sent the invitation to participate in VOTE411 as well as a few reminder "nudges" to those who are slow to respond. These contacts are made primarily via text messages and sample scripts are provided. Each volunteer will contact a small group of candidates several times between Jan 18 - Jan 30. If you are willing to do this, contact Sandy Hutchinson, lwv.shutchinson@gmail.com.
- Ten (10) volunteers are needed to pick up Vote 411 signs at the League office between Feb. 9 - 11, place them at or near one of the early voting sites, and monitor them during the early voting period. Sign up for the early voting site you will cover on Volunteering tab on lwvwake.org or simply click here: Vote411 Yard Signs at Early Voting Sites.
It's important for us to remain active and visible to candidates and to the voting public. Share Vote411.org with your network!
|  | | Wondering what you can do to make a difference? Consider these opportunities:
Board of Elections Observer. Attend and take notes at a Wake County Board of Elections Meeting. Observers are needed and noticed. Long-time observer, Marian Lewin, was recently able to share public comments verbally at the Wake County BoE meeting. This was recognized by the Board chair as unusual and is due to her long-time presence as a highly respected non-partisan observer. The next meeting is January 7 at 3:30 PM., 1200 N. New Hope Rd. Arrive 15 minutes early. It's easy to submit your written notes to Marian Lewin using the Reporting Form linked below.
VOTE411 - this is a critical tool that is so much more than a voter guide! See below for many ways you can help voters get the information they need to make informed decisions in the critical upcoming primary elections.
LWVNC Central Regional Meeting - January 31: All members welcome. We do not have a final location, but it is likely to be in Durham and include representatives from the Granville, Wake, ODC, Moore, and Piedmont Triad Leagues. We expect to have up to 10 available spots for our members, please register here LWVNC Central Regional Member Meeting if you would like to attend.
|  | | Volunteering with LWV-Wake can be scaled to fit the time you have to commit to help us meet our mission. If you have an hour a week, we will help you find an impactful way to be involved. If you have more time, great.
Our committees are open to all members and work across several key areas. Attending a meeting is a great way to see if you are interested in getting involved. Give a committee a try or attend an event and see what you think. We will not over commit you and we will work with you to find the right way for you to engage.
The LWVWAKE.ORG calendar is the best way to see what is happening.
Currently scheduled January Committee Meetings:
|  |  | The League of Women Voters of Wake County is a designated 501(c)3 nonprofit charitable organization by the IRS. Donations and membership dues are fully tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. | |