Letter from the AAUW Interim CEO

Dear all AAUW leaders,

I’ve met with quite a few of you during this busy time of state conferences and so enjoy hearing about the wonderful things that are happening across the country. It’s energizing to be able to share these great ideas with other leaders at AAUW and I thank you for that opportunity. I know I will see many of you at our upcoming national convention in Washington, D.C., and am excited about the opportunity to reconnect.

This email is to inform you about the opening of AAUW’s 2017 National Election. On April 17, AAUW members in good standing with up-to-date email addresses at our national office will receive an email with instructions to vote online. Just like with our 2015 election, this email will contain a unique, personalized link that will allow members to vote online without having to provide their member ID or voter pin. Because the personalized email is unique to each member, it CANNOT be shared.

Members can also navigate to the online ballot from the AAUW homepage and then enter their member ID and voter PIN. Those numbers will be included in the voter email and on the back of your Spring Outlook magazine.

So what can you, as leaders in the AAUW community, do to increase voter participation?

  1. Inform your members that this email is coming and should not be deleted. They can then vote at their leisure until voting closes on June 15.
  2. Encourage your members to vote. Hold a forum at one of your meetings so members can watch the candidate videos and read their bios. Discuss and debate proposed changes such as the membership requirement and the public policy platform. Informed voters are engaged voters!
  3. Turn one of your meetings into a polling place. Members find it easy (and fun!) to vote with others.
  4. Watch this short video at your next meeting about the importance of voting in the AAUW election.
  5. Vote! It’s hard to encourage others when you haven’t done so yourself.

If members encounter any difficulties, they should email connect@aauw.org or call 800.326.2289 on weekdays between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET for assistance.

Every two years AAUW members have a unique opportunity to shape the future of this storied organization. What will be our focus? Who will be our leaders? These questions are too important to let someone else answer for you.

Thank you for all you do,
Mark Hopkins
AAUW Interim CEO