The Charlottesville Area League of Women Voters stands with millions of Americans in grieving the senseless murder of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Sean Reed, and countless other Black lives at the hands of law enforcement officers.

These past few weeks have served as a stark reminder of this country’s pervasive systems of oppression and inequality. It’s also worth noting that these protests come in the midst of a pandemic that is affecting African-American communities at a drastically disproportionate rate.

However, it is not enough to simply grieve and mourn—we must all work to remove racist policies and continue to educate ourselves. We will continue to work to amplify Black voices and empower voters.

In addition to advocacy and protesting, voting is a very powerful tool that we must all exercise. Not only is voting everyone’s civic duty, it is also a forceful way of making our voices heard. The League urges every citizen of Charlottesville and the surrounding counties to:

1. Make sure your voter registration is up to date so you can vote. Either contact your local Registrar’s office or visit the Virginia Department of Elections at elections.virginia.gov/citizen-portal to view your current registration information or register to vote.
2. Vote in the June 23 Primary Elections either in-person or by absentee ballot. June 16 is the deadline for applying for an absentee ballot. See lwv-cva.org for further information.

Founded in 1920, the League of Women Voters works to encourage informed and active participation in government and to influence public policy through education and advocacy.  The League is dedicated to empowering voters and defending democracy. We are proud to be nonpartisan, neither supporting nor opposing candidates or political parties at any level of government, but always working on vital issues of concern to members and the public.