May 21, 2026
7:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Register

Topics:

Have you focused yet on voting in Maryland’s June 23 primary election? Your participation at the polls matters. 

Join us on May 21 from 7:00-8:00 p.m. for the LWVMC’s free Trending Topics webinar as we investigate aspects of low voter turnout (27% in Montgomery County’s 2022 primary) and what we can do to improve involvement in this fundamental right and civic duty in our democratic society.

This Trending Topics webinar will include three speakers on:

• Why more people don't vote in primary elections: barriers to participation, characteristics of low voter populations, societal risks of not voting, and
• What can be done, and is being done, to improve voter turnout at the county and state levels through different methods of voting and voter education and engagement strategies. 

Sam Novey, Chief Strategist at the Center for Democracy and Civic Participation, University of Maryland, will discuss how county and state citizens feel about different voting methods and the policy tradeoffs and implications for election administration and future turnout.
Ralph Watkins, Co-chair of the LWVMC’s Making Democracy Work Committee, which manages voter services products and activities that reach more than 100,000 people in a typical election year, will address local trends and what the League is doing to promote and inform primary voter participation.
Dr. Gilberto Zelaya, Montgomery County Board of Elections Community Empowerment/Public Information Officer, will address what the Board is doing to educate voters on the importance of the primaries and outreach efforts in place to improve voter turnout. 

The League of Women Voters of Montgomery County is sponsor of this Trending Topics program along with Montgomery History.

February 12, 2026
7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Speakers:

Earl Stoddard, Assistant Chief Administrative Officer, Montgomery County, Maryland
Ama Frimpong, Legal Director, CASA  
Stephanie Wolf, Director of Immigration Services Division, Maryland Office of the Public Defender 

Topics:

Do you know the status of civil and human rights for immigrant and refugee populations in our county? To learn more about this critical topic, join us on February 12 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. to hear perspectives from our three speakers.

The program, presented in partnership with Montgomery History, will be moderated by Maria Sprehn-Malagón, a professor of anthropology at Montgomery College who focuses on oral history, immigration, and Latino culture in the Washington, D.C. area. 

Learn more about the immigration policies of the League of Women Voters of the United States by visiting the League's Immigration webpage.

November 8, 2025

Speaker:

Commissioner Ellen Weintraub, Esq., 2002-2025 former Federal Election Commission member and former chair

Topics:

 

How can we collectively confront the challenges facing future elections? Ms. Weintraub will address looming threats to our election laws and structures and how to hold power accountable in a time of constitutional crisis.

June 11, 2024
7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Speakers:

Taylor Barr, Senior Policy Associate for The Digital Chamber, will present on Cryptocurrencies, CBDCs, and the impact new technology will have on wealth creation and personal finance.
Traci Richmond, Branch Manager, Financial Advisor and Co-Founder & President,The Meakem Group, on impacts on consumers in the behavioral psychology area – leading to fear and worry that may stem in part from a lack of understanding that can impair logical decision-making.
Nicholas Anthony, Policy Analyst in the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives and a fellow at the Human Rights Foundation, on potential impacts of a CBDC on our democracy, FedNow’s role, legislation, potential impacts on privacy, and a short intro on how BRICS fits into all this.

Topics:

Digital money is not tangible like a dollar bill or a coin. It is any means of payment that exists in a purely electronic form and is accounted for and transferred using online systems.

We have questions! What are the different types of digital currencies and what are the outlook and implications for their widespread adoption? How might a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) impact our democracy, and what legislation is being proposed?

If you’d like to become more savvy about emerging financial platforms such as Central Bank Digital Currency and FedNow or about Cryptocurrency, please join us for this free Trending Topics Webinar.

Audience Q&A session will follow the presentations.

December 5, 2023
7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Speakers:

Lisa Govoni, Housing Policy Coordinator at the Montgomery County Planning Department, part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
Matt Losak, Executive Director of Montgomery County Renters Alliance, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to renters’ rights and security
Robert Goldman, President of Montgomery Housing Partnership, a non-profit advocacy organization that preserves and expands access to affordable housing

Topics:

When League members were asked which subjects they preferred for our informational events, housing and public accommodations topped the list. To meet that demand, our next Trending Topics webinar will investigate the latest efforts to address the need for housing in the county from a variety of perspectives.

According to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, Montgomery County needs to add 41,000 housing units by 2030 to meet demand. In an article describing Montgomery County’s efforts, The New York Times noted, “In the Washington region, as in every other high- growth metropolitan area, the demand for affordable housing is way beyond what federal housing programs can provide. So, the county tries to make up the gap.” How is the gap being addressed? Tune in for a look at:

• Progress toward reaching the housing goals stated in Thrive Montgomery 2050, the county’s General Plan.
• How the rent stabilization measure passed in July is working.
• What is being done to address the “missing middle” housing gap.
• Related topics.

September 18, 2023
7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Speakers:

Dr. Gilberto Zelaya, Community Empowerment/Public Information Officer, Montgomery County Board of Elections
Ms. Nile Bass, LWVUS DMV Community Organizer
Ms. Schnell Reed Garrett, Montgomery College Service Learning/Civic Engagement Coordinator and Takoma Park/Silver Spring faculty member.

Topics:

Voters age 18-29 are poised to be a major force in the 2024 Presidential Election and beyond. Learn more about their potential impact on the electorate and what is being done locally to harness their power.

Will voting participation for Gen Zs and Millennials continue to increase? Who are Montgomery County’s young voters, and how are they being engaged in civic life? What issues are driving them, and what sources are they using to cast an informed vote? How can the youth voting cohort be broadened to a more equitable and representative electorate? 

For current findings on young voter participation click here: Circle Report Executive Summary.