Nearly all local elections in Washington use at-large voting systems. Where communities vote in blocs, slim majorities can dominate. Bloc voting and other electoral problems exclude communities from a fair chance at being heard.

The WVRA is a top priority of WWN this legislative session because it would ensure all of our communities are able to have their voices heard and to hold our government accountable. The bill would enable local governments to give all communities a fighting chance to elect some representatives who represent their viewpoint.

WWN is working with a coalition of partners across Washington State to pass the WVRA this legislative session.

For more information or to join the effort, visit the WVRA website.

Several voters’ guides are available including:

• The Washington Ballot Guide by Win/Win Network partner Fuse Washington;
• Washington State General Election Voters’ Guide; and
• King County Voters’ Guide.

Make sure to postmarked your ballot no later than Election Day (Nov. 6) or return it to a designated ballot drop box by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Below is a description that King County Elections provided regarding what they’re looking for. If this is something you or your organization and/or volunteers would like to participate in, please list your volunteer names in the shifts they’d like to work, and email to Sophia Sanders at sophia@winwinaction.org.

From King County Elections:
What we’re looking for are volunteers to assist our staff in collecting ballots from voters on Election Day, November 6 at the Elections office in Renton (919 SW Grady Way). The hours are 6:30am to 8:00pm and we’re requesting a minimum of 8 volunteers at all times. This way we can have the volunteers working in shifts, rather in than the whole day.

Just fill in your name and email address and you will be linked to the WA Secretary of State website where you can register to vote or update your registration information. All you will need is your driver’s license or state ID to register on line.

By filling out this form, you are granting permission to be contacted by Win/Win for get-out-the-vote efforts and other election-related information.

Click here to register to vote or update your voter information. It’s that simple.

The goal of the summits is to help families support their children’s success in school and for students to make a difference in their education.

The FREE, public events will feature:

• Workshops that address the cultural and diverse needs of Asian and Pacific Islander families and students in school from early learning through college;
• Culturally-relevant community resources and support for Asian and Pacific Islander students and families;
• Keynote address and presentations by Asian and Pacific Islander community leaders;
• Breakfast, lunch and parking FREE; and
• Cultural entertainment, raffle prizes and more!

Join us at one or both of these FREE, public events:

Annual Summit for Pacific Islander Resources in Education (ASPIRE)

“From Talking Story, To Taking Action”
Saturday, September 29, 2012
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Doors open at 8:30 AM)

South Seattle Community College – Jerry Brockey Center
6000 16^th Ave SW, Seattle
www.pisummit.org

UNITE Summit: You and I Together for Education
Southeast Asian & Asian American Education Summit*
Saturday, October 6, 2012
9:00 AM – 2:30 PM (Doors open at 8:30 AM)

Highline Community College – Building 8
2400 S. 240^th Street, Des Moines
www.seaaaed.wordpress.com

*Interpreters for Southeast Asian languages provided.

The summits are made possible through the support of:

• Alaska Airlines
• Asian Pacific Islander American Think Tank
• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
• Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
• Highline Community College
• Hmong Association of Washington
• Lao Heritage Foundation
• South Seattle Community College
• UTOPIA Seattle
• UW Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity
• Washington Education Association
• Washington Karate Ballard Dojo
• The Washington State Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs
• The Win/Win Network
• World Vision

For more information, contact: 206-436-0835 or mitti@winwinnetwork.org

To help achieve the goal of the Voices Initiative, please complete the Asian and Pacific Islander Education Survey below to help us gather information about communication between schools and Asian and Pacific Islander family members. The results will be showcased at two education summits in the fall, one for Pacific Islanders on Sept. 29 at South Seattle Community College and one for Southeast Asian and Asian Americans on Oct. 6 at Highline Community College.

Win/Win Network is organizing a series of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) Education Roundtable Discussions for students and families in June and July. The discussions are an opportunity to share what’s working in our public schools and to build on its strengths.

To join or help organize an API Education Roundtable Discussion, contact mitti@winwinnetwork.org.

The API Education Roundtable Discussions are part of the Asian American and Pacific Islander Voices in Education Initiative. The goal of the initiative is to prepare AAPI families, community leaders and organizations to be full partners in education policymaking in Washington State.

The AAPI Voices in Education Initiative partners include the Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs, the Asian and Pacific Islander Think Tank, the Asian Pacific Islander Coalition, and the Win/Win Network.

Why should you support Win/Win through GiveBIG? The Win/Win Network is the “invisible glue” that brings us together – we’re the data, the maps, the trainings, the voter file and the vital infrastructure that supports the civic engagement work of forward-thinking organizations across the state.

We’re invested in the success of our partners and today we’re asking you to invest in us. The more we raise through GiveBIG, the more of a match we’ll receive from the Seattle Foundation.

To count towards the GiveBIG challenge, donations must be made between the hours of midnight and midnight (Pacific Time) on May 2, and they must be made through the Win/Win page on the Seattle Foundation website.

And, if it couldn’t get any better, donors will be chosen at random to have an additional $1,000 given to the charity that received their donation!

So, please GiveBIG to Win/Win this Wednesday.

Thanks for your support!

Dana Laurent, current political director of Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest, will bring her passion for building infrastructure for the progressive movement to the Win/Win Network and its political counterpart, Win/Win Action, as their new Executive Director.

Win/Win is a large-scale civic engagement and political program bringing together socially responsible organizations to improve collaboration and communication in Washington State. Participants include organizations active in labor, environmental, reproductive health and social and economic justice issues.

In her role at PPVNW, Laurent served on the leadership team of Win / Win, helping the organization grow and develop since its inception in 2007.  Sarah Jaynes, Win / Win Action board chair noted, “She is a skilled coalition builder, and brings deep expertise in civic engagement and political change. “

At PPVNW, Laurent led the development and implementation of a wide variety of civic engagement, policy and electoral campaigns in Washington, Alaska and Idaho.  In 2009, the organization and Laurent played a leadership role in Approve Referendum 71 and No on 1033; and in 2010, PPVNW helped re-elect U.S. Senator Patty Murray by contacting 500,000 female voters around the state. PPVNW has had a great many legislative successes with Laurent as well, including this year’s budget passage with no additional cuts to family planning.

Dana Laurent will take over the Executive Director position from George Cheung, who left Win / Win to lead civic engagement programs at the Joyce Foundation in Chicago.