Mayor Nirenberg congratulates the League for a Job Well Done
The League of Women Voters of the San Antonio Area was recognized at the City Council meeting on November 9 for our work. Mayor Ron Nirenberg introduced the League as “the organization fighting a good fight for democracy for over 100 years.”
In recognizing the League, District 7 Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito cited the 11.34% voter turnout for the November 7 state amendments election that far surpassed the 6.9 % voter turnout average of the last six comparable elections. She commented that this is “quite a leap and testimony to you all and the work that you all did.” She mentioned the 21,000 Voters Guides distributed across the city to inform voters.
Madhu Sridhar, president of the San Antonio League, thanked the mayor and all the members of the City Council on behalf of the LWVSA, the scores of volunteers who dedicate countless hours to the League, and all the supporters who help fulfill the League’s longstanding commitment to promote an active and informed electorate. She pointed out the need for League’s Voters Guides to reach every household to help increase voter turnout and offered to work with the council to help make that happen. She emphasized that voter education will remain League’s focus. The League will continue to encourage political responsibility, help build inclusive democracy and remove barriers to voting.
District 1 Councilwoman Sukh Kaur expressed appreciation and said, “Thank you for all the work you all are doing. Thank you, Madhu, for your leadership. We will support any way we can.”
Councilman John Courage commented, “I just want to commend the League. I think all of us up here do. I have seen the work constantly and consistently and I want all of us in the community to be more supportive of the work that you do.” He said 20,000 Voter Guides are not enough for a million voters in Bexar County. He continued, “I will make a commitment to help next time around so that we can continue to educate people in our community. I think that this is the most valuable work that the League does. Thank you very much for that work. Continue please.”
Nirenberg thanked “the entire League: membership, supporters and volunteers. I know you do a lot of work behind the scenes but I appreciate Councilwoman Alderete Gavito bringing you in here because I do think you deserve a lot of praise and credit for a great turnout, relatively speaking, in one of the lowest turnout election cycles! Thank you very much for the work you do. If anybody is noticing our municipal turnout, while still embarrassingly low, is on an uptick as well and you do a lot of that grinding work. Thank you for that. Let us know how we can be helpful. Congratulations again for a job well done.”
