In the lead-up to the November elections, the Benicia/Vallejo branch held several educational events for the local community. On August 24, 2024, the branch hosted “Voting Matters: Stories from the Mississippi Freedom Summer that Resound Today” in partnership with the Solano County League of Women Voters and the Benicia Public Library. Mary Susan Gast, Benicia poet laureate, shared memories of Freedom Summer, and Linda Youngblood Wright, a Benicia storyteller, shared a dramatic presentation. At the event the branch handed out 200 postcards for Reclaim our Vote. (Reclaim Our Vote is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that targets previously registered voters in several states, usually people of color who might not be reached by other means, to encourage them to check their registration and to vote.) The event was attended by 100 people from the branch and the community, and many participants were inspired to get out the vote.
On October 7, 2024, the branch, together with the Solano County League of Women Voters, co-hosted a State and City Issues Forum to discuss California and Benicia ballot propositions. The event was attended by 65 people from the branch and the community.
On October 14, 2024, the branch held a Benicia City Council candidate forum, again co-hosted with the Solano County League of Women Voters, which was attended by 80 people from the branch and the community.
Attendees of the events commented that they felt more informed about the propositions and the candidates as a result of their participation.
In the months leading up to the election, the Benicia/Vallejo branch held four postcard writing parties and distributed postcards organized by Reclaim Our Vote. Kudos to the members of the branch for their work to promote civic participation, to Geri Kahn for organizing the Reclaim the Vote activities, and to Teresa Chupp, branch public policy chair, and Janet Leventhal and Chris Stevens, branch co-presidents, for their leadership!