The League in Action — October 2026

DEI / Voter Services / Peninsula conducted voter outreach all over our area including tables with Divine Nine and Alpha Phi Alpha at W&M, at James City County Recreation Center, Second Sunday Arts Festival, and more. We also had a wonderful panel at Back to League (with refreshments!).

CITIZEN OR SUBJECT

“Democracy is on the ballot” is a worn-out phrase. Few finish the thought. If democracy is on the ballot, what is it running against?

One answer has a name: civilizationism. Leonard Schuette, a foreign policy scholar at Harvard, writes in Foreign Affairs that this ideology defines the West by territory, ancestry, and Christianity. Blood, soil, and faith.

Democracy works differently. We belong because we believe in self-government, liberty, and equality. Anyone, from anywhere, can join by believing. Civilizationism says you belong by bloodline and birthplace.

Americans know what sorting by blood looks like. In the 1950s, eight-year-old Howardena Pindell finishes a root beer at a roadside stand in Kentucky and finds a red dot on the bottom of her mug. Her father explains that mugs with red dots are only to be used to serve colored people. As an adult painter, Pindell returns to that red dot again and again.

Democracy is forward looking. Civilizationism looks backward.
Democracy confers citizenship. Civilizationism reduces people to subjects.

Election Day has passed. The choice has not. We make it again and again at every town meeting, every school board session, and every time the polls open.

Citizen or subject?
That is the choice.

-- Harry Chancey, League Member

Postcard designs courtesy of the Center for Common Ground (Reclaim Our Vote). Art by Amir Khadar, Chuck Sperry, and the Center for Common Ground design team.

THANK YOU!!

A heartfelt thank-you to the 118 individuals and groups who participated in the Reclaim Our Vote postcard campaign for the November 3 election! Together, postcard organizers distributed 7,590 nonpartisan postcards to volunteers who committed to writing and mailing personal messages encouraging Virginia voters to make their voices heard.

This community effort was funded by the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists (WUU) with great support from members of the League of Women Voters of Williamsburg Area, using materials from the Center for Common Ground's Reclaim Our Vote program.

Postcard writers included members and friends of WUU, the League of Women Voters of Williamsburg Area, YJCW NAACP, Grace Episcopal Church in Yorktown, Williamsburg JCC Indivisible, Bruton Parish Church, All Together Williamsburg, Voices of Faith in Action at KirkWood Presbyterian Church in Yorktown, and many individual volunteers.

Thank you to everyone who wrote postcards, helped organize the campaign, and encouraged voter participation!

FILM SERIES

Dates: Selected Sundays through April 2027; dates vary by film.
Time: 3:00 PM
Location: Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, Main Sanctuary, 3051 Ironbound Road, Williamsburg

Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists (WUU) is hosting a six-film series exploring migration, displacement, and the experiences of people seeking freedom and a better life. The series features documentaries by award-winning PBS filmmaker Laura Seltzer-Duny.

Immigration enforcement, the treatment of immigrants, and the impact of these policies on families and communities are issues of growing public concern. The League shares these concerns and welcomes opportunities, such as this film series, to encourage greater understanding and informed community discussion.

The next screening, The Gate: The Story of America's First Contraband Community, is Sunday, November 15. This documentary follows descendants tracing the stories of ancestors who escaped enslavement and joined America's first Contraband community.

Each screening is followed by a reception and discussion with the filmmaker and guest speakers. The series continues through April 2027.

Registration is recommended but not required. Register here or view the complete film schedule and descriptions.

PENINSULA UNIT

Introduction to LIS — Legislative Information System

When: Monday, November 23, 2026
6:00–7:30 PM

Where: Main Street Library
110 Main Street
Newport News, VA

Contact: peninsula.lwvwa@gmail.com

The Peninsula Unit of the League of Women Voters of the Williamsburg Area invites you to its November monthly meeting on Monday, November 23, featuring an introduction to Virginia's Legislative Information System (LIS).

LIS is a searchable database used to track new legislation, stay current on bills and resolutions, and follow the activities of Delegates and Senators in the Virginia General Assembly. This training will introduce participants to LIS as a resource for following legislation and legislative activity.

VOTER OUTREACH 

🇺🇸 Voter Services and DEI: A Busy Election Season

From August through the November 3 election, the League's Voter Services and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committees were busy helping people across our communities register to vote, understand their ballots, and find the information they needed to participate in the election.

Voter Registration and Community Outreach

League volunteers staffed voter registration and information tables at more than 39 events since August, including the REPO Backpack Giveaway, Little Zion Community Day, Nottoway Pow Wow, senior living communities, William & Mary, and the three Williamsburg-James City County high schools. Many activities were organized in cooperation with the DEI Committee and the Peninsula Unit.

In October, DEI volunteers continued reaching voters at the NAMI Walk, Parker Peony, Grove Christian Outreach Food Pantry, James City County Recreation Center, Second Sunday Arts Festival, Back to the League Day, and the Regional Jail. A last-minute invitation to Second Sunday brought volunteers together on short notice to make sure the League could participate.

Helping Voters Get the Information They Needed

At these events, League volunteers:

• Registered voters and helped people understand registration requirements, including seniors who had recently moved and students considering registering locally.
• Distributed sample ballots, information about Virginia's proposed constitutional amendments, and directions to early voting locations.
• Explained weekend early voting hours and provided information about restoring voting rights to people with felony convictions.
• Encouraged six students to register locally and participate in Williamsburg elections.
• Shared information about League membership and upcoming programs, including Back to the League and Great Decisions.

Voter Services also participated in an October vendor fair at the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail, providing information about constitutional amendments and voting rights restoration for returning citizens. The committee hopes to continue this work in the spring by coordinating with the appropriate state agencies to help eligible returning citizens register.

Thank You to Our Volunteers!

This extensive outreach was possible because of the many League volunteers who contributed their time throughout the election season. Special thanks to DEI volunteers Laura Hertzler, Goldie Duggan, Anne Allen, Jane Banfield, and Susan Bivins, along with everyone who helped staff Voter Services events, prepare materials, and respond to last-minute requests.

Together, these efforts demonstrated the League's commitment to providing reliable, nonpartisan voter information and helping every eligible voter participate in our democracy.

PRIORITIES 2027

Legislative Priorities — League of Women Voters of Virginia

As Virginia prepares for the 2027 General Assembly session, the League of Women Voters of Virginia has identified its legislative priorities for the coming year.

These priorities translate the League's established policy positions into specific areas for legislative advocacy. They help focus the efforts of League members and volunteers on issues where the organization seeks to make a difference.

The Williamsburg Area League works within the legislative priorities established by the League of Women Voters of Virginia. These priorities provide a common framework for advocacy across the state's local Leagues, helping guide our work, inform our educational programs, and identify opportunities for members to participate in the legislative process.

The 2027 priorities address a wide range of issues, including voting rights and election administration, affordable housing, public education, environmental protection, healthcare, reproductive health, civil rights, and government transparency.

We encourage members to become familiar with these priorities as we approach the 2027 legislative session.

Read the Full 2027 Legislative Priorities on the LWV of Virginia Website

Get election information at the League’s