Date: 10/22/2026
Subject: LWV of Denver VOTER - November
From: League of Women Voters of Denver

The LWVDenver Newsletter

November 2026

November Briefing
Religious Freedom and Democracy

A Colorado case coming before the U.S. Supreme Court in November is described by the Washington Post as a “potential blockbuster.” It is one among a series of cases over the past decade dealing with religious freedom to come before the court. In this case, St. Mary Catholic Parish has sued to be able to join Colorado’s universal prekindergarten program even though the parish will not accept the children of gay and transgender parents because it would interfere with its teaching about “true marriage.” The State argues that excluding these children violates the requirement that participating schools sign an agreement not to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.

This current Colorado case follows other federal court decisions that make such changes as allowing Bibles and the Ten Commandments in public schools, supporting businesses that refuse services to LGBTQ+ people based on their religious beliefs, and granting exemptions to religious institutions to pay unemployment taxes. This blurring of the long-held precedent of separation of church and state as well as the rise of the religious nationalist movement have concerned League members. Several years ago, a Colorado LWV Task Force on religious freedom began to study the accumulation of federal court cases that are reshaping how religious liberty is interpreted in public life and its impact on the rights of non-Christian and nonreligious people.

In 2025, the Task Force’s efforts led LWVCO to add a position on separation of church and state to the League's Program of Study and Action - Positions for Action 2025-2026. Last June at the National Convention of the LWVUS, our Colorado contingent proposed that the organization’s position that supports the Constitution should be modified to include specific language highlighting the First Amendment’s establishment and religious freedom clauses. Our proposal was adopted by consensus from the national body. This strengthens our position and enables all Leagues to lobby on this topic and the League’s legal staff to participate more fully in lawsuits about the separation of church and state.

On Tuesday, November 17 at 5:30-7:15 p.m., the Denver LWV will hold a virtual briefing to discuss this newly adopted position. Gunnison LWV member, Jeff Oster, who chairs the Religious Freedom Task Force will present League’s new position and discuss the ongoing work in our state related to upholding government neutrality in matters of religion as well as Colorado LWV’s plan to form coalitions with other organizations around this issue. Other speakers will address the cultural impact of the religious nationalist movement and the legal landscape in this area of civil rights.

Zoom Link

Susan Stark, Co-Director of Program and Advocacy

Vote Baby Vote!

If you’re already voted - Congratulations!
If you’ve not voted yet - Remember to submit your ballot before Election Day, November 3 and use a drop box, if possible. If using the US Postal Service, your ballot should be mailed by October 26. If you still need voting information, we’ve got you covered!

Ballot Issues

Listen to our ballot issue research team present the main provisions, background, and what a yes/no vote means on each of the seven Denver measures on the ballot. Mary Parker, President of LWVCO, also explains the state ballot issues.

Information on the 14 Colorado ballot measures can be found on the LWVCO website. You can also watch the virtual presentation of the state issues here.

See the zoom briefing on Amendment 87 and Proposition NN, the two ballot measures that the League is supporting, to have the facts to share with others.

Find out Where the League Stands here:

Denver: English or Spanish
Colorado

Candidates

Links to Denver Decides Candidate Forums
Denver City Council At-Large Seat
Colorado Congressional District 1

Find Colorado State Senate races for District 2 and 34 here.

We also encourage all voters to use Vote411.org where you will find side-by-side comparisons of candidates.

Where and How to Vote

Visit JustVoteColorado.org for locations of Drop Boxes and Voter Service and Polling Centers (VSPC) nearest to you and anywhere in the state. You can also find this on the Denver Clerk and Recorder’s webpage.

Remember -- In Colorado, eligible voters can register and vote at a VSPC up until 7:00 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, but we don't recommend waiting that long!

Voter Support Hub

League of Women Voters and Just Vote Colorado are joining forces to have Voter Support Hubs on Election Day at Voter Service and Polling Centers (VSPC). We are looking in to having a tent, some music, and a generally good time on Election Day. We would like to have one in a neighborhood that may be fearful about voting and need the uplift - location to be determined, but likely in West Denver. We would have the tent up on Monday, November 2 and Tuesday, November 3 for most of the day.

But to make it happen we need volunteers! We will have shifts of 2 hours to share the fun. Please contact Lisa Haddox at lisa.m.haddox@gmail.com if you are interested.

Meet Our 50-year Members

Editor’s Note: We are starting a series of articles highlighting 50-year members by Janet Imhoff. We thought you’d like to know a little more about their backgrounds and what League means to them.

Elizabeth Richardson
Elizabeth joined soon after moving to Denver in 1963, when her husband took a job teaching at the University of Denver. She had two small children and loved the League for the friendships and intellectual stimulation. She had several jobs with the League, including lobbyist at the State Legislature, Environmental Committee Chair, Budget Chair, and Unit Chair. She was also active politically and ran for the State Legislature twice.

She became active in the Denver Metropolitan Area League when it was formed in 1966. This was an Interleague Organization (ILO) that included Leagues from Denver, Jefferson, Adams, and Arapahoe counties. The Denver Metro League was active doing regional studies until 1991 when it was dissolved.

Elizabeth moved to California for health reasons in 2007 where she joined the LWV Los Angeles. She has lived in Walnut Creek, CA, since 2021. She said, “League is incredibly good training – I learned how to run a meeting, how to think through an issue, and it was wonderful to be involved in Denver and Colorado government.”

Janet Imhoff, Director of Organization

Voter Service in Action

Denver Ballot Issue Guides and Presentations

Our very informative Denver Ballot Issue Guide is the result of hard work by Denver League members and volunteers. Thanks to Katie Brennan, Rosie Hartman, Charley Haddox, Christine Jensen, Gwen Murdoch, Diane Young and Justin Shultz. They put in many hours researching information about each issue and reaching out to many sources to get it ready for our printed pamphlet. They also did the presentation to the membership at our October briefing. Diane Young guided the overall process. Anne Duncan helped with editing and Pearlanne Zelarney formatted it all into a printable document, getting the information on our website and a slide show for our Speakers Bureau. Nora Kimball assisted by preparing a script for our speakers. To date, League members have presented the ballot issues to over 25 different groups.

Voting is People Power - VIPP!

Bus Shelter Ad at 26th and Federal 2026 Have you seen our yard signs around town? We’ve got radio spots running on La Suavecita and La Tricolor, as well as The Drop and KS107.5. Look for signs at bus shelters in west and northeast Denver. You can see our ads in El Comercio de Colorado, El Semanario, La Voz, and Urban Spectrum. Thanks to the donation from the First Unitarian Society of Denver we are Getting Out the Vote!

Media Mentions!

Front Porch - Denver Voters Face a Season of Election Uncertainty "The nonpartisan Denver League of Women Voters also finds itself trying to tamp down fears while acknowledging there are concerns. 'It’s a delicate balance,' said the league’s Pearlanne Zelarney. 'We need to pay attention and tell people that if they see anything that seems wrong, they should call the election commission. But on the other hand, we want to continue to acknowledge that we’re lucky to be in Colorado because we have such a good system that has been developed over the years with bipartisan support.'”
KGNU Radio - Bucket List Community Cafe with Toni Tresca
For listeners looking for guidance before voting, Pearlanne Zelarney of the League of Women Voters of Denver discusses the organization’s nonpartisan voter education efforts, resources for researching candidates and ballot measures, and important election deadlines.
CBS - "No Kings" events across Colorado encourage voter registration, early voting
Check out the photo - A voter information table set up by the League of Women Voters of Denver near the Colorado State Capitol.

You can also find them on our VIPP Toolkit webpage.

Voter Registration and Engagement Events


Sam Robinson and the Bruce Randolph High School Grizzly	Little Man Ice Cream with Maryll Dauphinee, Christine Jensen, Jane Potts, and Rosie Hartman

Indigenous Peoples Day at City Park, with Anne Ercolani, Brian Heider of the Denver Indian Center, Pearlanne Zelarney, and Leah Wiggins-Marshall	No Kings Day at Locales Taco and Tequila - LWV Denver together with Health Workers Speak Out

Lisa Haddox and Mariam Bouricius, Voter Service Co-Chairs

We Need Your Volunteer Hours!

These are important for getting grants at the local and national level. You can use the form to enter any hours you have spent on League activities.

Volunteer Hours Form

Welcome New and Returning Members

Everleigh Adams, 885991@dpsk12.net, 80231
Bridget Baird, bbbai@conncoll.edu, 80246
Hazel Baur, hazeljobaur@gmail.com, 80231
Marcy Bonnett, mjbonnett5@gmail.com, 80120
Julie Bush, julie.bushes@gmail.com, 80222
Lauren Choate, laurenchoate@aol.com, 80238
Jan Douglas, jjdouglas51@gmail.com, 80218
Anne Gittings, acgittings@icloud.com, 80210
Nancy McKenzie, doctornan@aol.com, 80222
Meghan ODonnell, meghan.b.odonnell@gmail.com, 80204
Darla Sergeant, darla.sergeant@gmail.com, 80222
Lori Simmons, jsimmons.lori@gmail.com, 80205
Luna Tesfay, 821454@dpsk12.net, 80237
Shannon Tyson-Poletti, shannon14p@outlook.com, 80222
Jane Williams, 887984@dpsk12.net, 80012
Richard Woodruff, richard_woodruff@hotmail.com, 80239

LWV Denver Units

A great place for meaningful conversations

Units are small groups that meet after briefings to discuss the topic further and whatever else is on the minds of the attendees. This is a great way to get started in League and exchange ideas with others. All are welcome!

Unit's Choice:  In December, since we do not have briefings, the units usually choose something to do together. Check with the Unit leaders if you would like to join them!

Cheesman Unit
Usually Meets the fourth Tuesday of the month
Next Meetings: October 27, 9:30 a.m. and November 24, 9:30 a.m. at the home of Bobbie Heisterkamp, 766 Milwaukee St
Leader: Bobbie Heisterkamp (303-333-6818)

Cherrington Unit
Meets on the third Thursday of the month
Next Meeting: Thursday, November 19, 1:00 p.m. at home of Marty Sloven, 2990 E. 17th Ave. Apt. 2307
Leader: Peg Oldham (720-220-3988)

Highland/Woodbury
Meets the third Wednesday of each month
Next Meeting: Wednesday, November 18 at 1:00 p.m. at Sassafras American Eatery, 32nd and Perry
Contact Sally Augden (303-455-5800) or Joan Friend (303-596-1022) for more details

Observatory
Next Meeting: TBD
Contact Jeanette Scotland (303-479-4368) for more details