Every Vote Counts:
Celebrating the Voting Rights Act of 1965
LWV Hays County held "Every Vote Counts: Celebrating the Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965" at the San Marcos Public Library, August 8, 2026 as part of the League of Women Voters Unite and Rise for Voting Rights to mobilize voters ahead of the midterms. The program included the history of voting rights in America with advances and retreats, until finally the VRA was enacted in 1965. Since 2013, the Supreme Court has considered and issued some rulings that struck down key sections of the VRA. Joyce LeBombard, Vice President of Election Law for the League of Women Voters of Texas discussed the history, impact on civil rights, of the VRA as well as those SCOTUS rulings.
The program continued with Valerie DeBill, Director of Voter Registration and Turnout of the Austin Area LWV (and until recently VP of Voter Services), who spoke on registering, voting, updating voting information when moving, and on voting by mail.
A video of an address by Luci Baines Johnson on the lessons she learned from her father, President Johnson, as a 17-year-old when the Voting Rights Act was signed into law was the final section of the program.