November 2025  Volume 53 No.3

Welcome to November,

A huge thank you to our many members who worked as part of the Santa Clara County League to make the Candidate Forum for the Tax Assessor’s position and the Pro/Cons for Measure A and Prop 50 a success. The recording of this event can be found here:

• Pro-Cons https://youtu.be/SKB7oML4464
• County Assessor Candidate Forum https://youtu.be/oYkp_GGLdCc

We are also thankful for our members who have been working the past few weeks with the Registrar of Voters Center for the November 4th election. Those of you who missed this chance to participate, may have another opportunity for this experience. If no candidate receives 51% of the vote on November 4th, there will be a runoff election for the County Tax Assessor’s position on December 30. The ROV will be notifying us of the need for the runoff election by December 6th. Please email Nina Wong-Dobbins, membership@lwvcs.org, now if you are interested in this chance to do the hands-on work that facilitates our voting process. Given the many challenges to democracy that we are seeing every day, there is no better way to welcome the New Year than by working on Democracy in action and supporting our right to vote! 

Nationally the LWV continues to support and defend democracy and voting rights with the state and local leagues. The efforts to change Congressional District Maps and gerrymander voting areas to shift the balance of power toward one party or the other, will be a key part of the National League’s work in the coming year. In the next few months, we will begin planning for the 2026 year events and election cycle. It may seem early, but we want to be ready to fulfill our essential mission to educate and advocate in the coming year. Watch for emails asking you to pitch in and help by sharing your expertise and time.

There is a wonderful quote from the Talmud: “Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.” These words capture the heart of what drives the League of Women Voters. We know the challenges before us—threats to democracy, inequity, and division—can feel overwhelming. But progress has never depended on one person doing everything; it depends on all of us doing something. Each act of engagement—voting, learning, speaking up, volunteering—moves our communities closer to fairness and justice. The League’s mission is not only to inform but to inspire action. Together, we share the responsibility to persist, to show up, and to keep building the world we want to see. Change happens when we refuse to look away. Now is the time to step up, to do our small part.

We are deeply grateful to our members; your dedication, curiosity, and courage sustain the League’s mission every day. Your willingness to volunteer your time and to stand up for democracy embodies the very spirit of civic participation we seek to nurture in our communities. Because of you, the League continues to be a trusted voice for fairness, transparency, and voter empowerment. As we gather this Thanksgiving, we extend our warmest wishes to you and your families. May this season bring you rest, gratitude, and renewed inspiration to continue the vital work we share—together, with hope and purpose.

Sincerely,

your co-presidents Polly Bove and Tracey Edwards

Member Meetup on September 27, 2025

About 25 members gathered at the home of our former Communications Director, Marieann Shovlin, for a Member Meetup on September 27.  As we enjoyed muffins and fruit, we heard from our guest speakers (all school board members) representing the three K-12 school districts that serve students in Sunnyvale, Cupertino, and other neighboring cities: Bridget Watson from Sunnyvale Elementary School District, Ava Chiao from Cupertino Union School District, and Rosa Kim from Fremont Union High School District. The audience enjoyed the brief updates about each of these school districts. We learned about budget woes, enrollment challenges, and our mouths watered as we heard about nutritious foods served in some of these schools’ cafeterias.

The deep knowledge and understanding and the passion our speakers have for their roles on their school boards were demonstrably notable. We had a lively Q&A exchange that felt like chatting with a friend who’s on the school board about an interesting topic with 24 other friends in the room, if you can imagine that! Members also heard from our co-presidents, Polly Bove, and Tracey Edwards, and met a few other board members who were there. 

Carol W, an attendee at our Meetup reported hearing “I didn’t know you were a member of the League” several times as members met and mingled with one another and quite enjoyed experiencing such “small world” moments, discovering connections. 

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