The League of Women Voters of Connecticut has a new president, who recently took time to reflect on the group’s accomplishments working with voters over the last two years.

Laura Smits

Laura Smits, a member of the LWVCT since 1999, wrote in a letter to the membership (posted on the organization’s website) that 2020 was a tough year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but that the group “kept voters updated about the changes in primary election dates as well as the evolving safety protocols put in place by the Secretary of the State’s office to keep people safe while protecting their right to vote.”

The LWVCT worked on the 2020 Census and redistricting and used various communication tools, such as social media and virtual events, to provide important information to the voters, according to Smits.

Smits also reviewed the events of the 2021 legislative session, reporting some of the successes of its advocacy team including the “Early Voting resolution, permanent ballot drop boxes, expanded automatic voter registration, and restoration of voting rights for disenfranchised parolees.”

The LWVCT will also continue to work with other non-profit groups, “so that together we can empower every eligible citizen to vote and participate in our great democracy.”

A former corporate spokesperson and public relations specialist, Smits has served on the Weston Board of Education from 2001-2005 and as a Registrar of Voters from 2008-2016. Before serving as the LWVCT’s Voter Services VP from 2019-2021, Smits served the Weston league as secretary and moderation for election events and programs.

To see who’s on the 2021-2023 board, go here.