| October General Meeting: Ballot Issues Presentation
Monday, October 5
6:30–8:00pm
Foothills Senior Center
Ballots will be arriving soon. Our October General Meeting is a chance to get ready. The League will present this year's ballot issues in clear, nonpartisan terms. We'll explain what each measure would do and what a "yes" or "no" vote means. You'll also have time to ask your questions.
The presentation is open to the public, so please invite friends, neighbors, and family who would find it useful. You can attend in person at the Fort Collins Senior Center, watch the livestream, or view the recording later at a time that suits you.
Can't make the presentation? Printed ballot issue pamphlets will be available at local libraries and at other League presentations. See the League’s website for more information.
Informed voters make stronger communities. Register now! | | Mission Accomplished!
Volunteers reach 4000-voter postcard goal
MANY thanks to the nearly 100 volunteers who helped our League achieve the bodacious goal of writing 4000 Larimer voters who did not vote in 2024 to not sit out the upcoming midterm. An extra shout to members Nancy Garcia, Jane Everham, Jeanette Meyer, Jane Hamburger, Becky Peters, Ann Keith and Beth DeHaven, who hosted writing parties.
(pictured: Postcard writing action at Jane Everham's house in July.)
| | | | Share Your Creative Talents!
Volunteers needed for PR roles
Can you share your talents with the League? We're currently looking for members to take on the following PR/marketing roles:
Graphic & Content Creation – Design graphics in Canva as requested by League members, including flyers, bookmarks, and similar items for members to print.
Public Relations Development – Build relationships with local media and identify the best ways to share information about the League's work.
Newsletter Support – Help produce one of the League's newsletters. You can volunteer monthly or every other month, for one or both newsletters. Training provided.
| | | | Voting Confidently in Larimer County
Election safeguards discussion with County Clerk
Monday, October 5
6:30–8:00pm
Foothills UCC, 1815 Yorktown Ave., Fort Collins
VOTING CONFIDENTLY IN LARIMER COUNTY, a conversation with Tina Harris, Larimer County Clerk and Recorder, Monday, October 5, 6:30–8:00 p.m. at Foothills UCC, 1815 Yorktown Ave., Fort Collins. Learn about the safeguards that protect the election process. Sponsored by Together Colorado, the Fort Collins Interfaith Council, and the League of Women Voters of Larimer County.
Learn about what we are doing to make our elections this fall safe and secure. Seats are limited - register here to reserve your spot.
| | | | Communities United Against Amendment 81
Community forum opposing ICE notification amendment
Oct 4th, 2026
4:00 - 5:30PM
The ballot issue on Amendment 81 would change the CO Constitution to require state and local law enforcement to notify ICE within 72 hours after charging a Coloradan with certain crimes – before evidence is heard and before a court decision. This community advocacy forum features local leaders and people directly impacted by this proposal. Co sponsors with the LWV include ISAAC, FC Interfaith Council, Church World Services, and Together Colorado. Space is limited; register on our calendar.
| | |  | | The Voter Girl Project – Fall 2026
Empowering Girls Through Civics and Voting
Saturday, November 7
9:30–12:30pm
Front Range Community College in Fort Collins
Being a good citizen starts long before you turn 18!
We are excited to host our third annual Voter Girl Project on Saturday, November 7 at Front Range Community College in Fort Collins from 9:30–12:30. The Voter Girl Project is sponsored by the Larimer League in partnership with Girl Scouts of Colorado. The event is open to all girls and young women – you do not have to be a Girl Scout to participate!
Attendees will participate in fun, engaging workshops about civics, citizenship, leadership, and voting. Participants will also practice voting in a mock Vote Center with real voting booths, ballot box, and I Voted stickers. All attendees will earn a Voter Girl Patch and Girl Scouts can earn citizenship badges.
New This Year: High School Workshop!
Do you have a high school daughter, granddaughter, or niece? Our new high school workshop features dynamic speakers from New Era, Ranked Choice Voting for Fort Collins, and Senator Janice Marchman. Young women will learn how to register themselves and others to vote and how to advocate for changes in public policy locally and statewide.
Flyer attached to share with others.
AND if League members are looking for a fun volunteer activity, we still have a few slots left for volunteers to help with the Voter Girl Project. To help, contact Linda Thomas at lindamthomas669@gmail.com
| | | Save The Date – Oct. 21st – For Our Joint Event With LWVLC And The Institute For Justice
Advocacy Session On Mass Surveillance
October 21st
5:30–7:00pm
Chilson Center Cherry Room
700 E. 4th, Loveland
(registration link coming soon!)
The Civil Liberties & Rights Teams will be hosting Alasdair Whitney, Legislative Counsel for the Institute for Justice, for an informative session on Automated License Plate Readers, the upcoming legislative session, and how to be an informed and effective advocate on the issue of mass surveillance.
The Institute for Justice is a national nonprofit civil liberties firm that protects Constitutional rights, including the right to be free from warrantless mass surveillance. The CL&R team has been working closely with their policy team, and will continue to do so in conjunction with LWV of Colorado through the legislative session.
Please save the date, a calendar entry and registration information will be made available. We will send out an email blast as soon as registration information is available. We hope to see you there.
| Great Decisions, October
Future of global multilateral cooperation
Monday, October 5, 2026
11:30am
Monday, October 5, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. We will discuss: Multilateral Institutions in a Changing World Order, Chapter 6, in the 2026 Great Decisions book.
Can multilateralism survive amid shifting global power and rising nationalism? This chapter examines the future of global cooperation across trade, health, and finance.
Great Decisions is on the LWVLC calendar and you can register there. A Zoom invitation will be sent to all previous participants If you are new to GD, and wish to participate, contact Annette DeMartine at ademartine@prolynx.com.
For more information about Great Decisions, please contact Karen Heckman at keheckman@gmail.com.
Upcoming meetings are always announced in the League Lines, and you can find us at http://www.lwv-larimercounty.org, under “International Relations” in the “Our Work” tab.
Great Decisions meetings are held on the first Monday of each month from February to June and October to December.
| | Three League Collaborative Event in Longmont
County Clerks Panel at Longmont Museum
Those who attended the September 23 event at the Longmont Museum enjoyed a lively reception followed by an extremely informative panel featuring our three County Clerks. From left to right above: Tina Harris, Larimer; Molly Fitzpatrick, Boulder; Carly Koppes, Weld. The panel was moderated by Elizabeth Crowe of the Boulder League. The discussion, including Q & A from the audience, was filmed by Longmont Public Media and will be available soon (in English and with Spanish subtitles) on the three Leagues' websites, as well as on our YouTube channel.
| | | October Health Care Team League Lines
Attention: October meeting cancelled for election activities
Next meeting: November 11, 2026
11:30am–1:00pm
Care Communities Meeting Room, 6514 Brittany St, Fort Collins, CO 80525
The October 8th Health Care Team Meeting has been cancelled. The next HC Team meeting will be on November 11, 2026, 11:30 AM–1:00 PM.
September HC meeting highlights:
• The team made submissions for social media postings on FB, Blue Sky and Instagram about Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
• Announcements:
Discussion about how to talk to kids about school lockdown drills.
Please contact Suzanne Kinney (kinney822@aol.com) if you have any questions.
We look forward to seeing you at our November meeting!
| Voter Services Team News
October voting resources and events
Tuesday, September 29
7:00–8:30pm
Loveland Civic Center
As you get ready to vote, the Voter Services Team has resources to help you learn about the candidates, understand the ballot issues, and make a voting plan. Please use them and share them with friends, family, and neighbors!
Candidate Forums - Hear directly from Larimer County Commissioner District 1, Treasurer, Assessor, and Clerk and Recorder at our upcoming forum on Wednesday, October 7th, at Fort Collins City Hall from 7:00-8:30pm. You can attend in person, watch live, or view the recordings later. Visit the LWVLC website for viewing information.
VOTE411 and the eBook Voter Guide - Beginning October 5, enter your address at VOTE411.org to find candidate responses, ballot issue explanations, and voting information specific to your ballot. It’s a helpful resource to keep open as you work through your ballot at home.
Our eBook Voter Guide will provide the same information through Libby and the League website. Please help others find these resources by sharing them with your own networks.
GOTV Member Action Plan - A personal reminder can help someone follow through on their intention to vote. Our new GOTV Member Action Plan offers practical ideas for reaching out to five people you know, sharing nonpartisan resources, and helping them make a voting plan. You can get a copy of the guide here: https://bit.ly/46IeTPs
Use the guide in whatever way feels natural to you, whether that’s a text, a phone call, or a conversation with a neighbor. It’s an optional resource for your own get-out-the-vote efforts, and no contact lists will be collected.
Bike to the Ballot Box - Saturday, October 24, 2:00–4:00 p.m.
On Early Voting Day, LWVLC volunteers will be hosting the inaugural Bike to the Ballot Box! We need volunteers to applaud voters and celebrate civic participation. At this open-house style event, community members can ride, walk, roll, or drive to a participating drop box location, return their ballot, and stop by for a cheer.
Would you like to volunteer to cheer for civic participation? Contact Janet Schultz.
Our Next Meeting: October 13th, 6:30–8:30 PM (virtual)
Thank you to all the volunteers preparing voter information, organizing events, and helping us reach voters throughout Larimer County!
| Affordable Housing Notes
Continuum of Care and SafeLot updates
Oct. 8, 2026
1:30 - 3:00PM
virtual
NoCO Continuum of Care Director Sandra Wright and Homeward Alliance Director David Rout will be guest speakers at Oct. 8 meeting. They will share what the Continuum of Care does, the Larimer County need, what funding looks like and how to advocate for the work happening in the region. All members are invited to attend! Register on calendar for the zoom link.
Loveland SafeLot program is celebrating three years of providing a safe place to sleep at two local church parking lots. It has grown from six parking spaces to 10. Fort Collins is taking final steps to create a similar program with two church communities along with Catholic Charities and The Family Network non-profit organizations.
| Citizen Observer Updates – September 28, 2026
Local education, civics, water, AI
Overview:
A brief roundup of recent local education, civics, water, and AI-in-work discussions. The items highlight board-related updates, civic engagement prompts, Wellington's water saga, and AI's influence on work practices.
| IC Book Club October
October book club discussion
October 14, 2026
10:30am–12:00pm (in person)/ 7:00–8:30pm (virtual)
Epic Egg, 1477 E. Eisenhower Blvd, Loveland, CO 80537
Morning regular attendees will meet at Epic Egg, 1477 E. Eisenhower Blvd, Loveland, CO 80537
Please join us for a lively discussion of our October book on October 14, 2026: Stand by Cory Booker (2026)
In Stand, Senator Cory Booker offers a hopeful and practical path forward, weaving together powerful stories and stirring personal reflections to remind us that our country’s shared ideals can serve as a North Star to guide us, even when our journey feels especially dark and perilous. He argues that our principles are not luxuries; they are vital, strategic keys to our survival and success. By wielding these tools, we can reclaim our sense of common cause and change the course of our country’s history.
Stand takes readers on a trip through America’s past and present, showcasing moments when individuals and communities – in unexpected situations and against staggering odds – prevailed by embodying the best of our nation’s virtues. Through the stories of leaders from President George Washington and Congressman John Lewis, to suffragist Alice Paul and Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, to environmental justice advocate Ron Finley and disability rights activist Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins, Booker offers inspiring and actionable insights for Americans from all walks of life.
Please join us on the second Wednesday of each month.
Morning contact: Annette DeMartine: ademartine@prolynx.com
Evening contact: Pat Skrentny-Lamb: pskrentnylamb@gmail.com
Next IC Book Club Meeting:
November 11 – Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering by Malcolm Gladwell (2024)
| Put Informed Voting On Your Lawn!
VOTE411 yard signs available now
With Election Day approaching, one of the easiest ways to help your neighbors vote with confidence is right outside your front door. The League of Women Voters of Larimer County is offering VOTE411 yard signs for just $30 each, and only nine remain.
VOTE411.org is the League's nonpartisan, one-stop election resource. Voters can enter their address to see what's on their ballot, check their registration, find voting deadlines and locations, and more! It's the kind of tool many people don't know exists. A yard sign draws their attention!
With so few signs left, don't wait! You can find more information here:
| Two LWVUS Resources You May Not Be Using Yet – But Should
Underused LWVUS tools for local Leagues
Running a local League takes a lot of behind-the-scenes work. The good news is that LWVUS has built two resources that can make this work easier. If you're on our board, chair a team or committee, or just want to get more involved, these are worth a look.
Groups.io: A Direct Line to Leagues Across the Country
Ever wish you could just ask another League, "how do you handle this?" Groups.io makes that possible. It's the platform LWVUS uses to connect Leagues nationwide so members can trade questions, ideas, and best practices — either by email or through an online forum, whichever you prefer.
There are topic-specific groups for different roles, including treasurers, membership, communications, presidents – and most recently, League Activities! League Activities is a group with a variety of subgroups, including advocacy, voter services, and partnerships.
The Membership Toolkit: Practical Help for Growing and Keeping Our Membership
Membership is the lifeblood of every League, and LWVUS's membership resources are designed to give local Leagues like ours real, usable tools rather than just general encouragement.
Explore both resources here:
| Photo Reminders
Submit photos of League events
The League wants photos of all the happenings – large and small! Please take photos of these events and submit them using the "Submit a Photo" form under Member Resources/Forms tab. Make sure you are logged in as a member to be able to access the Member Resources. As they say "a picture is worth a thousand words"! Photos can convey a story better than a written description. Thanks for your help in telling the League stories!
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