July 2026 Edition

In this issue:

•  Let's Keep Voting
•  Message from our Vice President of Advocacy
• Congratulations to Katherine Haskel, LWV Dallas VP of Membership
• Call for Volunteers
• LWVTX:"Let’s Talk About It: Communication Skills for Difficult Conversations"

Let's Keep Voting!

A Celebration of the Greatest Advocates of all Time

by Joan M Ridley, League of Women Voters Dallas, VP Advocacy

On the 4^th of July we have picnics, parades  and performances to celebrate the first step our country took to declare its independence from England.   Fifty-six brave men (literally) gathered in the sweltering heat in Philadelphia on that hot July day in 1776 to sign the Declaration of Independence.  This was the last sentence of this great document above their signatures: “for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our fortunes, and our sacred Honor”.   That was the beginning of the establishment of our representative democracy.  Both this document and our country have remained the envy of the world since then.  I wonder how many of us would be willing to put our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor on the line today to support and maintain this great democracy.  How many of us are willing to openly advocate for the wellbeing of all Americans and the proper care of those who come to our shores with the dream of becoming an American.

So what is “advocacy”?  Simply stated, advocacy is acting to support a cause, something you truly believe in. It can take the form of writing, speaking, testifying before our governing bodies (National, State and Local) or marching in protest. The League of Women Voters researches key issues that pertain to voting and democracy and then we create an issue statement about those issues. Our founding fathers would be very proud of the work of LWV, especially because we are non-partisan.  The signers of the Declaration of Independence were also non-partisan. Political parties didn’t exist until Thomas Jefferson, our third president, ran for that office.  So as we celebrate the founding of our country on the 4^th of July, let’s continue the commitment, courage, and resolve of those brave and visionary 56 men who declared to the world the establishment of our great representative democracy. You can do that by joining the advocacy efforts of League of Women Voters. 

Katherine Haskel, the League of Women Voters of Dallas Membership Vice President, was elected to the League of Women Voters of the United States - Nominating Committee during the 2026 National Convention in Columbus, Ohio. Over the next two years, she will serve on the committee responsible for identifying, recruiting, and elevating the next generation of national League leaders, helping to ensure the organization continues to grow and advance its mission of empowering voters and defending democracy. 

The 57th Biennial National Convention brought together League members from across the country to network, participate in leadership training, and conduct the organization's business for the next biennium. Delegates voted on the League's national leadership, budget, bylaws, and priorities while sharing ideas and best practices to strengthen local and state Leagues nationwide. The convention reflected the League's continued focus on empowering voters, defending democracy, and strengthening the organization for the years ahead.

Senior Voter Services - Call for Volunteers

League of Women Voters of Dallas

1402 Corinth Street, Room 109