November-December 2000 Home   Newsletters

March 2001

March-April 2001

Sandy Beach Open Space to be Preserved
Vote Count (Arlene Ellis)
President's Message (Pearl Johnson)
Action Alert
Committee Reports (Charles Carole)
Annual Meeting
Highlights of the Election
Welcome Returning Members
Confronting the CHAD (Jean Aoki)

Highlights of the Election

We have some interesting highlights of last November's election from the National League of Women Voters.

Most of us know that 4 new women were elected to the US Senate for a total of 13 female senator. But did you know that state legislatures only held steady with just 21.9% seats held by women, no change from 1999?

School vouchers are being considered by our legislature. Michigan and California both considered them and rejected them. Nebraska and Nevada followed Hawaii's lead and voted to prohibit gay marriages. Campaign finance reform was defeated in Oregon by 60% - 40% and in Missouri by 65%-35%.

Hawaii put the Board of Education candidates on the Internet, via dnet.org. Nationwide dnet experienced over 289,000 page views on Election Day alone. Since mid-September it experienced 2.5 million page views.

The overall turnout as a percentage of voting age population increased only 1.6% in 2000 over 1996, which was the lowest since 1924. Considering the closeness of the election, that increase is paltry indeed. In 2000, 50.7% voted and in 1996, 49.1 % voted. In contrast, 1992 had 55.1 % voting. Voter turnout for women in 2000 was 52% while it was 48% for men.

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