Lunch & Learn and Election Forums on Zoom
Here are “Youtube” Links to the Programs:

Lunch and Learn with Kari Utterback- “Be Inclusive Every Day” – Held Tuesday, May 12, 2020
https://youtu.be/YhntVf9uxNk

Columbia City Council Ward 1 Forum – Held Tuesday, May 12, 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Cy-Fbqledg

Columbia Public School Board Candidates Forum – Held Wednesday, May 13, 2020 https://youtu.be/wNZMdrhOl5I

Due to the pandemic, we have moved these three events to an online setting instead of our usual location at the Columbia Public Library. This will be on Zoom. There will be a limit of 100 individuals able to log in to each program. The detail for login information is provided below for each event.

Many people have already used Zoom and have the software loaded on their computers. If you haven’t used Zoom before, when you click on the link to enter the Zoom session, you should get a prompt to download the software. It only takes a few moments to download. 

“Be Inclusive Everyday with Everyone”
“Lunch & Learn”
May 12, 2020
12:00-1:00 p.m.
Zoom – Invitation to L&L – May 12

Guest Speaker:
Kari Utterback
Senior Administrative Supervisor
Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health & Human Services

The topic this month is Inclusivity and it is the first program in a two-part series titled “Diversity & Inclusion”. The guest speaker is Kari Utterback who has worked at promoting social diversity and cultural understanding in our community. She is a leader in the “Building Inclusive Communities” training program at the City of Columbia. 

TWO CANDIDATE FORUMS ON ZOOM

Tuesday, May 12 – 7 p.m.
Columbia City Council Ward 1

Zoom – Invitation to CityCouncilForum-May 12

Wednesday, May 13 – 7 p.m.
Columbia School Board Candidates
Zoom- Invitation to School Bd Forum – May 13

The candidates’ and moderators’ pictures will appear on the screen along with their names. Candidates will present opening statements followed by questions from the moderator and finish with closing statements. The forums will last 35 to 45 minutes. No questions from the viewers will be accepted since this is our first experience with the format and we want to see how well it works. The forums will be recorded and a link will be provided for those who want to view them later.

LWVMO Joins in Lawsuit to Protect Missouri Voters

  To protect the right to vote in 2020, the League of Women Voters of Missouri has joined the NAACP and several individual voters in filing a lawsuit in Cole County Friday that seeks a declaratory judgment that physical distancing and fear of contracting COVID-19 are valid reasons to request an absentee ballot in Missouri. The suit also seeks injunctive relief preventing local election officials from
refusing such ballots or requiring them to be notarized.

   “Missouri must expand and protect access to the ballot in these unprecedented times,” says LWVMO President Evelyn Maddox. “We want any Missouri voter who is social distancing in compliance with CDC guidelines to be able to request an absentee ballot in 2020 and return it without a notary seal.”

   “Inconsistencies between voting jurisdictions violate the equal protection clause,” says Denise Lieberman, General Counsel for the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition. “Fear of contracting the coronavirus should be a valid reason to request an absentee ballot. Since election authorities can verify voter signatures, they should be told to accept all ballots without a notary seal this year. Absentee voting either by mail or in person will reduce the crowds at polling places and make them safer for other voters in 2020 elections.”

   The state has a new electronic notary system, but the Secretary of State’s office indicates that it won’t work for absentee ballots. Here is a link to the LWVMO Press Release. 

Recommendations to Ensure Voting in Missouri amid the Corona-19 Crisis

As part of Missouri’s response to the COVID-19 crisis, the state legislature should vote this week to use up to $20 million in federal funding to prepare for a significant increase in early voting.

The League of Women Voters is part of a coalition calling on Governor Mike Parson and Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft to make several policy changes to advance voting in the June 2 municipal election, the Aug. 4 primary and the Nov. election.

Here is what the statewide coalition is asking for—
1. Expanded voting by mail
2. Expanded in-person absentee voting options.
3. Expanded voter registration particularly online.
4. Polling place modifications to ensure public safety and to protect voter accessibility.
5. Robust voter education.