Meet Caitlin Constantine

By Bonnie Hough

Meet Caitlin Constantine, one of the leaders of LWVSPA’s Voter Services work. Caitlin has been involved with the League in various capacities since 2017. Get to know Caitlin a little bit more through this month’s Member Spotlight!

How long have you been involved with the League? How did you get involved?

I have a history of political activism, but had worked in local media for the past several years which required me to be less politically engaged publicly. I connected with the League in 2017 when I went to the local Women’s March. The League smartly offered discount memberships for those at the March, which is how I initially joined. 

When I first got involved with LWVSPA, I was working with the reproductive justice team as well as the media and publicity team. Eventually, I made my way over to Voter Services. I was most interested in voter protection, an action team I started with Stephanie Owens (that has now merged back with the Voter Services team!) I love the Voter Services work because it is providing support to the voter at every stage of the voting cycle. LWVSPA is making sure that voters have the information they need to vote successfully (both about candidates and about the voting process itself) and that they have an advocate and support system to make sure their vote is counted. Whether it is hearing from candidates on the issues or helping voters advocate for themselves at polling places, I am passionate about the service that LWVSPA’s Voter Services team offers our community.

What are you most passionate about/proud of in your work with the League or in the League’s accomplishments generally?

My proudest moments with the League came out of our work in the 2020 election cycle. Alongside my fellow Co-Chair Amy Keith, the Voter Services team was successful in recruiting and training 100+ volunteers to provide poll monitoring and voter support at all 5 voting locations throughout early voting and on election day. These nonpartisan poll monitors provided guidance and information to voters who needed it to ensure their vote was cast and acted as objective observers to ensure fair and safe voting practices –  ensuring no aggressive electioneering, voter harassment, suppression, etc. All of this was done in coordination with the Election Protection Coalition (866 Our Vote) to track voting environments across the country. The fact that we were able to mobilize such a team in the midst of record turnout and a pandemic is something that I am extremely proud of. 

If the answer above was about a specific issue or action team, any good books, articles, podcasts, etc to highlight for others interested in learning more? 

If people are interested in learning more about voting protection specifically, here are some great books and documentaries to check out: 

All In: The Fight for Democracy

One Person, No Vote – Carol Anderson 

Give Us the Ballot – Ari Berman 

And of course, I encourage them to join our Voter Services team, too!

What League initiative, event, or program are you most excited for/looking forward to?

First and foremost, I am excited for the day when we can meet in person for League-wide events again! The other major event that is on my mind is the upcoming redistricting that will be happening for the state of Florida during the 2022 legislative session. The League was a lead plaintiff in the fair districts lawsuit involving gerrymandering during the last redistricting process, which ultimately amended the Florida constitution. This upcoming redistricting process is one I encourage everyone to keep an eye on to ensure it is accomplished fairly and accurately.

What do you like to do outside of volunteering with the League? Are there any other local clubs, groups, or organizations you’d like the League’s membership to learn about? Favorite businesses?

One of my favorite things about living in St. Petersburg is our vibrant arts and literary community. The Dali Museum and so many wonderful smaller galleries are amazing community assets for St. Pete. I am a season ticket holder at American Stage – I love live theater and find it to be a great way to connect with a broad swath of our community. I also love our local independent bookstores – Tombolo Books, Cultured Books, and Book & Bottle, to name a few! Even if I am not as engaged or contributing as much to our local arts and creative community, it is something I’m extremely proud of about where we live.