Vote Nevada Supporters,

As we slide into 2024, I wanted to share a timeline of election and interim legislative session events. 

Judicial candidates file for office between January 2^nd and January 12^th.  If you’re thinking, “Wait? What? We elect judges?” No worries, Vote Nevada’s “Why we elect judges” presentation will be posted on the Vote Nevada Blog by Tuesday. 

We are also putting together a coalition of nonpartisan organizations to host a “Meet the Judicial Candidates” forum in late February or early March.  This hybrid event will allow voters to learn more about our judicial branch of government as well as the best questions to ask judicial candidates. 

On January 6^th Vote Nevada is hosting our Interim Legislative Strategic Planning Session from 9 to 10 am, via Zoom.  Join us to plan our strategy for the interim legislative session.  You can RSVP here: https://vote-nevada.news/Interim-Strategic-Planning-2024

On January 13^th, 9 to 10 am, via Zoom, Vote Nevada is celebrating legend Shirley Chisholm, who was the first woman to run for president under one of the major parties and served for many years in Congress.  Her autobiography is titled Unbought and Unbossed.  Let’s chat about that title and head into 2024 with Shirley Chisholm energy! RSVP here: https://vote-nevada.news/Lets-Chat-Shirley-Chisholm

The Presidential Preference Primary is coming up soon.  Mail-in ballots will be sent to voters registered as Democrats and Republicans before the beginning of early voting on January 27^th.  Voters who use their mail-in ballots can drop ballots in the mail or in a secure box at any in-person voting site. 

If you use your mail-in ballot, please be sure to sign the back of the envelop. 

Early in-person voting runs between January 27^th to February 2^nd. Voters can drop off their mail-in ballot or vote in-person on election day as well, which is February 6^th.

If you are not registered as a Democrat or a Republican, you will need to change your party registration to be able to vote.  You can do so here: https://registertovote.nv.gov/  You can change your registration up to election day.

If you are registered Republican, you can also participate in the Republican caucus on February 8^th.  The primary is managed by the state, while the caucus is managed by the Republican Party.  You can read the caucus rules here: https://nevadagop.org/2024-presidential-caucus/ 

The reason this primary is called a preference primary is because the results inform the parties who their members would like the party to endorse as their nominee.  In the case of the Democrats the winner of the primary will be the voters’ preference, but it will be the winner of the caucus who will be the Republican voters’ preference.

The Democrats will not have a separate caucus.

Here is a list of additional resources for the Presidential Preference Primary: https://vote-nevada-blog.org/election-2024-information/

I am doing a presentation about Nevada’s 2024 elections, including the Presidential Preference Primary, for the American Association of University Women of Nevada on Friday, January 12^th, at 1 pm, via Zoom.  You can RSVP for the event here: t.ly/YAioc

Looking forward to the June primary, which covers all other elected offices, Vote Nevada is putting together a coalition of nonpartisan organizations to host candidate forums for city council and county commission races.  These forums will cover what our city councils and county commissions do as well as introduce the candidates.  We are looking at April dates for these hybrid events, so, stay tuned!

Please stay safe this New Year’s weekend and thank you for being Nevadans with me.

Sondra

Vote Nevada: Solving Problems with Civics

Vote Nevada is now qualified to receive donations through Smith’s Inspiring Donations, you can read more about how to donate to Vote Nevada each time you use your Smith’s loyalty card here: https://www.smithsfoodanddrug.com/i/community/smiths-inspiring-donations

Vote Nevada is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit civic engagement organization.  Anyone can become a supporter by emailing info@vote-nevada.org, we have no membership dues.  We do, however, accept donations Here

Vote Nevada Supporters,

We had a wonderful discussion with University of Montana Professor Wade Davies about the role basketball played for Native American women in boarding schools. 

The boarding school experience was a tragic government-driven attempt to strip Native Americans of their culture, but the embrace of basketball by both Indigenous young men and women while at the boarding schools demonstrated their resilience and strong dedication to their culture and identity.

I am sure you will enjoy listening to Professor Davies’s presentation and answers to participants’ questions.  You can view the recording here: https://vote-nevada.news/Indigenous-Women-Basketball

If you would like to read the article I referenced during the Zoom recording, it is here: https://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/2020/04/15/how-native-americans-made-basketball-their-own/ideas/essay/

If you would like to purchase his book, you can do so here: https://www.amazon.com/Native-Hoops-American-Basketball-1895-1970/dp/0700629092

And if you would like to ask Professor Davies any questions, his contact information is here: https://www.umt.edu/history/people/?ID=676

Sondra 

Vote Nevada Supporters,

Thanks to everyone who attended the Advocacy During the Interim Zoom session.  You can find the Zoom recording, our PDF Guide to the Legislature’s Interim Session webpages, and a Google form for sharing issues you would like to work on during the interim session here: https://vote-nevada-blog.org/advocacy-during-the-interim/

Thanks for being Nevadans with me,

Sondra

Vote Nevada: Solving Problems with Civics

Vote Nevada is now qualified to receive donations through Smith’s Inspiring Donations, you can read more about how to donate to Vote Nevada each time you use your Smith’s loyalty card here: https://www.smithsfoodanddrug.com/i/community/smiths-inspiring-donations

Vote Nevada is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit civic engagement organization.  Anyone can become a supporter by emailing info@vote-nevada.org, we have no membership dues.  We do, however, accept donations Here

Vote Nevada Supporters,

I hope everyone is enjoying the Nevada Day weekend! (I voted against changing Nevada Day to the last Friday in October!!) 

We have two important upcoming events:

Saturday, November 4^th, from 9 to 10 am, via Zoom, Vote Nevada is offering an Advocacy During the Interim Training Session.  Join us to learn about how interim legislative committees work, how the Governor builds the state budget, and the bill creation process for the 2025 legislative session. A lot happens during the interim while most Nevadans are not engaged, we need to change that dynamic.  You can RSVP here: https://vote-nevada.news/Advocacy-During-Interim

Monday, November 13^th, from Noon to 1 pm, join Vote Nevada and the CSN Native American Alliance for a discussion with University of Montana Professor Wade Davies about how Native American girls used basketball to cope with the boarding school experience.  You can RSVP here: t.ly/ut8BD

Thanks to those of you who reached out to me about the questionable information circulating about ranked-choice voting, especially assertions that voters simply cannot understand the process.  To address this, I am creating an online simulation of Alaska’s 2022 election cycle, which used a process identical to Ballot Question 3, so voters can evaluate ranked choice voting for themselves.

And, to celebrate my and Nevada’s REAL birthdays on October 31^st, I’m doing a Facebook fundraiser to bring in a few dollars to keep Vote Nevada running for 2024.  If you would like to participate, you can contribute here: https://www.facebook.com/donate/317621261002355/

Thank you for being Nevadans with me,

Sondra 

Vote Nevada Supporters,

The topic of today’s Vote Nevada meeting was Assembly Bill 400. The bill allocates $140 million dollars in grants to address early childhood literacy.  We reviewed the bill’s language as well as information about the grant process on the Department of Education website. We concluded by discussing concerns about possible outcomes.

The three entities that can apply for an AB 400 grant are school districts, sponsors of charter schools, and education-related nonprofit organizations.  So, our discussion focused on whether every school will have an equitable opportunity to receive help from one of the grants.  And if some schools are excluded, how many Title One schools could be excluded?  Are parents and students at the mercy of school administrators who may not file to receive part of a grant?

You can view the meeting recording here: https://vote-nevada.news/Recording-Review-AB400

You can read AB 400 here: https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/82nd2023/Bill/10344/Text

You can review the grant process here: t.ly/z_1ux

I am reaching out to the State Superintendent to ask for some clarifications regarding the distribution of the bill’s funds.  When I have more information, I will share it with you all. 

We have three more upcoming events, so, please attend if you can.

Tuesday, October 24, 6 to 7 p.m., via Zoom.  Join Vote Nevada as we welcome Scott Youngs from the UNR Assistive Technology Resource Center.  We will discuss how assistive technology can bridge the gap between an exclusionary society and an inclusive society that removes barriers for disabled Nevadans. RSVP here: https://vote-nevada.news/Bridging-Disability-Gap

Saturday, November 4, from 9 to 10 a.m., via Zoom.  Join us for our Advocacy During the Interim Training to review what happens during the interim legislative session and how to advocate for future legislation.  You can RSVP here: https://vote-nevada.news/Advocacy-During-Interim

Monday, November 13, from Noon to 1:00 p.m., via Zoom, the CSN Native American Alliance is offering a Lunch and Learn session with Professor Wade Davies about the connection between women’s basketball and indigenous culture. You can RSVP here: t.ly/jGHQC

Looking forward to seeing everyone, thanks for being Nevadans with me,

Sondra Cosgrove

Vote Nevada: Solving Problems with Civics

Vote Nevada is now qualified to receive donations through Smith’s Inspiring Donations, you can read more about how to donate to Vote Nevada each time you use your Smith’s loyalty card here: https://www.smithsfoodanddrug.com/i/community/smiths-inspiring-donations

Vote Nevada is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit civic engagement organization.  Anyone can become a supporter by emailing info@vote-nevada.org, we have no membership dues.  We do, however, accept donations Here

Vote Nevada Supporters,

Upcoming events:

Tuesday, October 17, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the East Las Vegas Library.  Come hear the City of Las Vegas Mayor Candidates answer questions ranging from economic development to solutions for homelessness, and the role of our cities in managing education.  The public is welcome.  The address is 2851 East Bonanza Road, LV, NV 89101. No RSVP is required.

Saturday, October 21, from 9 to 10 a.m., via Zoom.  Join Vote Nevada to review Assembly Bill 400, which provides additional support for early childhood literacy education. You can RSVP here: https://vote-nevada.news/Review-AB400  

Tuesday, October 24, 6 to 7 p.m., via Zoom.  Join Vote Nevada as we welcome Scott Youngs from the UNR Assistive Technology Resource Center.  We will discuss how assistive technology can bridge the gap between an exclusionary society and an inclusive society that removes barriers for disabled Nevadans. RSVP here: https://vote-nevada.news/Bridging-Disability-Gap

Saturday, November 4, from 9 to 10 a.m., via Zoom.  Join us for our Advocacy During the Interim Training to review what happens during the interim legislative session and how to advocate for future legislation.  You can RSVP here: https://vote-nevada.news/Advocacy-During-Interim

Monday, November 13, from Noon to 1:00 p.m., via Zoom, the CSN Native American Alliance is offering a Lunch and Learn session with Professor Wade Davies about the connection between women’s basketball and indigenous culture. You can RSVP here: t.ly/jGHQC

Looking forward to seeing everyone, thanks for being Nevadans with me,

Sondra Cosgrove

Vote Nevada: Solving Problems with Civics

Vote Nevada is now qualified to receive donations through Smith’s Inspiring Donations, you can read more about how to donate to Vote Nevada each time you use your Smith’s loyalty card here: https://www.smithsfoodanddrug.com/i/community/smiths-inspiring-donations

Vote Nevada is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit civic engagement organization.  Anyone can become a supporter by emailing info@vote-nevada.org, we have no membership dues.  We do, however, accept donations Here

Vote Nevada Supporters,

It’s time to plan for the interim and to discuss how to combine ensuring bills passed in the 2023 session are implemented with engaging in advocacy work on bill draft requests for the 2025 legislative session.

You can view a Zoom meeting to review bills passed into law in the 2023 legislative session that connect education, restorative justice, mental health, and disability rights, here: https://vote-nevada.news/Education-Bills-Implementation  with the meeting’s annotated presentation here: https://vote-nevada.news/Education-Bills-Implementation-PDF  

Vote Nevada is hosting a second meeting to review AB400, which provides additional support for early childhood learning.  You can read the bill here: https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/82nd2023/Bill/10344/Overview

This second meeting is on October 21^st at 9 a.m. via Zoom, you can RSVP here: https://vote-nevada.news/Review-AB400

Soon after, will be our Advocacy During the Interim Training to review what happens during the legislative interim session and how to advocate for future legislation.  This meeting will be on November 4^th, at 9 a.m., via Zoom.  You can RSVP here: https://vote-nevada.news/Advocacy-During-Interim

Information about the interim legislative session is here: https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/InterimCommittee/REL/Interim2023

Once we complete the advocacy training, we can start establishing priorities.   Currently, the identified bills to track for implementation include AB37, AB72, SB72, SB282, AB285, AB330, AB54, SB225 (2017), and AB400.

Thank you for being Nevadans with me and Go ACES!

Sondra

Vote Nevada donation options:

For a one-time donation, you can donate here: t.ly/LU_WM  

You can also sign up for a monthly donation here: t.ly/6cEnZ

Vote Nevada is now qualified to receive donations through Smith’s Inspiring Donations, you can read more about how to donate to Vote Nevada each time you use your Smith’s loyalty card here: https://www.smithsfoodanddrug.com/i/community/smiths-inspiring-donations

Vote Nevada Supporters,

To ensure laws that passed in the 2023 legislative session are implemented, we must follow some local governing bodies during the interim.  Anything related to higher education will go to the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents.  The Regents have quarterly and some special meetings, so you’ll want to receive emails announcing NSHE events.  You can sign up for NSHE notifications here: https://nshe.nevada.edu/regents/subscribe/

Emailed NSHE notifications include links to the meeting agenda, which you can find on this page along with any accompanying documents https://nshe.nevada.edu/regents/upcoming-meetings/

You will see information on the location of the meeting as well as options for providing public comments:

You will notice committees are also included.  This is where things can get a little tricky.  For example, AB37, the behavioral health workforce center, will be heard for acceptance at the September Regents meeting. 

But you will need to know where it will be heard if you plan to provide public comments in person or if you will be watching that meeting online.  AB37 creates a healthcare academic program, so, it might be heard in the Academic, Research, and Student Affairs Committee or it might be heard in Health Sciences System Committee. 

After clicking on both committees, you will see that for this vote, AB37 will be heard in the Academic, Research, and Student Affairs Committee. The committee meeting agenda provides all the details for watching and/or participating through public comments.

On the day of the meeting, you can watch the meeting live stream on the NSHE homepage.  The video will appear at the top of this page: https://nshe.nevada.edu/

If you would like to review past Regent’s meetings, you can click on Board of Regents on the home page: https://nshe.nevada.edu/ 

Select Meeting Archive from the dropdown menu.  The Meeting Archive page provides audio and video recordings as well as meeting documents and written public comments.

We need to ensure that the Regents know that we support the speedy implementation of AB37.

Some of you have asked about ways to donate to Vote Nevada, so here are the options:

For a one-time donation, you can donate here: t.ly/LU_WM  

You can also sign up for a monthly donation here: t.ly/6cEnZ

Vote Nevada is now qualified to receive donations through Smith’s Inspiring Donations, you can read more about how to donate to Vote Nevada each time you use your Smith’s loyalty card here: https://www.smithsfoodanddrug.com/i/community/smiths-inspiring-donations

Thank you for being Nevadans with me,

Sondra

Vote Nevada Supporters,

If you haven’t already RSVP’d for next week’s The Young Vote documentary showing, please do so now so we can purchase enough food.  You can watch a trailer here: https://www.theyoungvotefilm.com/

Vote Nevada is flying in Director/Producer, Diane Robinson, as well as the film’s cast, so if you attend, you can meet them during the reception and then participate in the panel discussion with them after the film’s showing.

We will be in Vegas at the CSN North Las Vegas Campus on August 25^th, from 4 to 7 pm, RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-young-vote-meet-the-cast-watch-the-movie-tickets-692045425497?aff=oddtdtcreator

We will be in Reno at UNR on August 26^th, from 4 to 7 pm, RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/viewing-of-the-young-vote-tickets-664284933117?aff=oddtdtcreator

Las Vegas

Reno

On Thursday, August 17^th, at 1 pm, I am presenting at the Board of Regent’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access Committee about the Supreme Court’s Affirmative Action ruling and about the importance of civics education. You can see the agenda here https://nshe.nevada.edu/regents/upcoming-meetings/ and you can watch the live stream from the NSHE website’s homepage the day of the meeting https://nshe.nevada.edu/

Thank you for being Nevadans with me,

Sondra

Vote Nevada: Solving Problems with Civics

Vote Nevada is now qualified to receive donations through Smith’s Inspiring Donations, you can read more about how to donate to Vote Nevada each time you use your Smith’s loyalty card here: https://www.smithsfoodanddrug.com/i/community/smiths-inspiring-donations

Vote Nevada is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit civic engagement organization.  Anyone can become a supporter by emailing info@vote-nevada.org, we have no membership dues.  We do, however, accept donations Here