Stay up to date on LWV happenings in Topeka and Shawnee County!
Calendar of Events
Tuesday | June 2 at 12pm | Brown v Board of Education National Historic Site
Tuesday Topics: Summer Field Trip Presentation “The Walk to Voter Rights”
Friday | June 12 at 11am | Anton Room, Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library
Book Club: In the Time of Butterflies, by Julia Alvarez. View more information.
Tuesday | July 7 at 12pm | Constitution Hall in Downtown Topeka
Tuesday Topics: Summer Field Trip Presentation & Renovation Tour of this Historic Site
Monday | July 13 5:30-7:30pm | Marvin 101 at Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library
Primary Candidate Meet & Greet. View more information.
For dates of upcoming Voter Education, Voter Registration, Board Meetings, and more, please view the events calendar on our website.
Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities
with the Voter Services Team
It’s that time of year!! We’re gearing up to educate voters across Topeka and Shawnee County in preparation for the Primary Election in August and the General Election in November. We are looking for League members to help with that effort.
We use POINT, an online platform to let our volunteers know about volunteer opportunities. You can join us on POINT from the League’s webpage or sign in there if you’ve used POINT in the past.
Right now we need volunteers for three upcoming events. Keep checking back. New opportunities are posted as arrangements are finalized.
Presidents Perspective
This month’s message comes from Co-President Elect Lissa Staley.
Summer is almost here! As you just read above, this time of year brings us fun ways to take action by getting out in our community. Speaking of Voter Services: We are looking for 2-3 members to take on leadership roles with the Voter Services Committee until April 2027. This is a great opportunity (there’s that word again!) for a few members to learn more about the League and make a real impact in Shawnee County by sharing nonpartisan voter education. Contact us today if you might be interested!
Read the full President’s Perspective for more on the latest member updates and summer events.
Local Observer Reports
This month’s reports includes more on local government sustainability action (or inaction) and a new addition to the Noxious Weeds list.
LWV observers keep you informed about what is happening in local government. The Local Observer Corps volunteers attend city, county and school board meetings and take notes.
Observer Reports will be posted on our website to help get our members this useful and actionable information in a more timely manner.
Tuesday Topics Summer Field Trips are Back!
Meet us at the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site for a presentation titled, “The Walk to Voting Rights.” The address is 1515 SE Monroe St. Parking is available on site. Please arrive a few minutes early; the presentation will begin at 12pm. If the weather is nice, we encourage you to spend some extra time exploring the site and the 2018 mural across the street. All the details are on our Facebook page and website.
For the July 7 field trip, mark your calendars for a presentation and tour of the recent renovations at Constitution Hall!
Save the Date: Primary Candidate Meet & Greet
Our local league is continuing the tradition of co-hosting candidate “Meet & Greet” events before each primary and general election. Mark your calendars for the next one!
Date: Monday, July 13
Location: Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library (Marvin Auditorium)
Candidates Invited to Attend: Primary candidates for state offices representing Topeka/SNCO and for Shawnee County Commission District 1
All are welcome to attend this free, nonpartisan voter education event! More details to come.
Adopt a Duck!
It’s time to adopt your little swimmers for the Great Topeka Duck Race! The ducks are in training getting ready to race, September 26 at 10:00 AM. Support Topeka charities and the LWVTSC and have fun doing it. Adopt a Duck online from the League’s team. Help the League beat it’s 300 duck adoption goal!
In addition to supporting the League, the Duck Race benefits Topeka Sertoma Clubs’ programs & beneficiaries, including Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters in Shawnee County, Capper Foundation, Children’s Miracle Network, The Villages, The Marian Clinic, Meals on Wheels, Head Start Programs, LULAC and East Topeka Sr. Center, Safe Streets, KVC, LifeHouse Child Advocacy Center, Ronald McDonald House, TARC, Boys & Girls Clubs, Sole Reason, hearing health missions, and many other worthy causes. More details on the Duck Race homepage.
Join the LWVTSC Book Club
The LWVTSC book club meets at 11 am on the second Friday of every month. We’re currently meeting in the Anton Room on the 2nd floor of the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library. Lunch in the Millennium Café following the discussion is optional. Anyone is welcome. Contact Carole Jordan for more information.
Upcoming titles:
June 12 – In the Time of Butterflies, by Julia Alvarez
July 10 – One Nation Under Guns, by Dominic Erdozain
August 14 – Dark Money, by Jane Mayer
Full list on our website.
LWV Board Updates
- Volunteer to be a member of the newly-created fundraising committee.
- Sign up on POINT to help with the May 28 naturalization ceremony.
- Help address Vote NO postcards in June.
- Attend the July 13 Meet-and Greet for primary candidates at the library. Bring your friends.
Email us or check out the Point App. Info at https://www.lwvtsc.org/get-involved/volunteer/.
Unite and Rise 8.5: A LWVUS Initiative to Defend Democracy
Unite & Rise 8.5 aims to build a movement of 8.5 million individuals to unite and rise up against the anti-democratic actions of this administration. Launching in May 2025 and running until the 2026 midterm elections, this initiative is part of our Women Defend Democracy campaign.
Unite and Rise 8.5 will fight for our democracy on multiple fronts, from the courts to the streets. More actions will be outlined in the future, but there are several actions along with more information at https://www.lwv.org/uniteandrise.
State League Action Alerts & Newsletter
Stay informed of State League of Women Voters activity.
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