1-16-2025 11:35pm

League of Women's Voters Seeking Nominations for 2025 Democracy Awards

Chris Edwards Editor

LWVSNM

In 2024, Health official Kayla Blanchard of Alamogordo was the League of Women Voters of Southern New Mexico’s choice for its Making Democracy Work award, an annual honor with a $250 cash prize.

Blanchard is the health equity specialist and coordinator for the Otero County Community Health Council, according to a news release, who underwent a seven-month training program in the nonpartisan Vot-ER initiative. Vot-ER is a project enhancing voter access at health care institutions.

For 2025 the League of Women Voters of Southern New Mexico(LWVSNM) is accepting nominations for the 5th annual Making Democracy Work Award. The award is given annually in February to recognize individuals involved with outstanding projects or activities thatsupport democracy, said the League’s president.

“The League wants to honor the efforts of individuals in Southern New Mexico who strengthen the democracy and are engaged with activities that have a positive and lasting impact on our communities,” said Jo Galván Nash, president. “We also want to recognize projects that incorporate the principles of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.”

The nomination submission should include a description of how their project of activity has strengthened democracy. Nominations are being accepted through February 7, 2025. The honoree(s) will be recognized by the League and will receive a $250 cash prize. Small groups of individuals are also eligible; if a group is selected, the participants will share the prize, Nash said. The nominee and the nominator must both reside within one of the following Southern New Mexico counties: Doña Ana, Otero, Sierra, Luna, or Grant.

The award nomination form and the award’s criteria are located on the League’s website at www.lwvsnm.org. The completed form can be downloaded and emailed to lwvsnm@gmail.com or mailed to LWVSNM, P.O. Box 15142, Las Cruces, NM 88004. Current members of LWVSNM may nominate someone but are not eligible to receive the award, officials added.

The 2025 winner, selected by the LWVSNM Board of Directors, will be announced by February 14, the anniversary date of the creation of the League of Women Voters in 1920.

Other past honorees also include

2023 — Robyn Holmes, Otero County Clerk; 2022 - Mary Carter, Executive Director of the Women’s Intercultural Center located in Anthony, NM; and

2021 - Jamie Patterson and Josie Miller, academic content specialists from the Las Cruces Public Schools (LCPS), and Jamey Rickman, former community engagement manager for the City of Las Cruces.

The national League of Women Voters began the “Making Democracy Work” campaign in the late 1990s, to maintain the strength of our representative democracy in the hands of the people at every level of government. It focused on voter participation, campaign finance reform, diversity of representation, civic education and knowledge, and civic participation.

For more information, click on www.lwvsnm.org/ or email lwvsnm@gmail.com.