League of Women Voters of New Jersey                        60th Biennial State Convention

Please join us Saturday, May 4, 2013 at the Conference Center at Mercer for the 60th Biennial State Convention of the League of Women Voters of New Jersey! 

We are honored to announce that Elisabeth MacNamara, President of the League of Women Voters of United States will be our distinguished guest at Convention. Ms. MacNamara joined the League in 1983 and has since served in leadership roles at all levels - local, state, and national. As President, Ms. MacNamara is a frequent blog contributor for the Huffington Post, appears on national news shows, has testified before Congress on multiple issues, created a Young People Task Force to attract the next generation of League leaders, and frequently visits Leagues all around the country.

Convention will also feature Steve Kornacki, co-host on MSNBC's ensemble show "The Cycle" and senior political writer at Salon.com. His work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, New York Daily News, New York Post, Boston Globe, Daily Beast, and at Capital New York. Mr. Kornacki spent three years in New Jersey, chronicling the state's political world and co-hosting a weekly show on News 12 New Jersey.

Our keynote speaker is Myrna Perez, League member and Senior Counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice. Ms. Perez works on a variety of voting rights related issues, including redistricting, voter registration list maintenance, and access to the ballot box. Most recently, Ms. Perez was present when the United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments from Shelby County, Alabama that a key provision of the Voting Rights Act is unconstitutional and should be struck down. Ms. Perez represented the Brennan Center, which has filed a brief urging the Supreme Court to keep preclearance. She believes that the Voting Rights Act "remains a vital piece of our national moral commitment to never permit racial discrimination in elections again" and will discuss the Voting Rights Act and the case at Convention.

In addition to these marvelous speakers, Convention will feature:

• An awards ceremony honoring the service of local Leagues and the contributions of outstanding individuals and 50-year members;
• A raffle drawing with the chance to win an iPad, Kindle, or giftcard;
• Caucuses focused on League issues;
• Networking with other League leaders;
  
• And the business of voting on program, nominations, bylaws, and the budget.

The evening before Convention, Friday, May 3, 2013, the League of Women Voters of New Jersey will host a cocktail reception at The Westin Princeton at Forrestal Village, 201 Village Boulevard, Princeton, NJ 08540 at 6:00 pm honoring "Hurricane Heroes" - individuals and organizations who worked tirelessly to make Election Day run as smoothly as possible in the midst of Superstorm Sandy.

We hope that you will attend both the cocktail reception and Convention. We are offering a special price (a $50 savings) when you register for these events together using the option available during the registration process (click Register Now below).

We have secured a courtesy group room block at The Westin for attendees that wish to spend the night. However, rooms are limited and reservations must be made before April 4, 2013. The discounted group rate is $109.00 (Kings and Doubles available) per room. Reservations can be made by calling                  1-800-WESTIN 1 (1-800-937-8461). Be sure to mention the "League of Women Voters" for the group rate.

We look forward to an energizing and productive state Convention!

Register Now! The deadline to register for Convention is Friday, April 26, 2013.

A late fee will apply after that date.