From the South Orange Village:
South Orange will mark Women’s Equality Day on Wednesday, August 26, with voter registration and outreach during the Village’s Summer Movie & Dance Party at Flood’s Hill featuring The Princess Bride.
Council Member Hannah Zollman is spearheading the effort, working with the League of Women Voters of Maplewood & South Orange to bring voter registration and outreach to the event.
League volunteers and local leaders will be there during the dance party and before the movie to help residents register to vote, check their registration, get information about the November election, and ask voting-related questions.
Women’s Equality Day marks the certification of the 19th Amendment on August 26, 1920. It is also a reminder that the work of protecting and expanding access to the ballot continues.
At its August 17 meeting, the South Orange Village Council recognized Women’s Equality Day with a proclamation honoring the generations of women who fought to expand rights and participation in American democracy. The recognition carries particular meaning in South Orange this year: for the first time in the Village’s 157-year history, women constitute six of the seven members of the governing body, including the Mayor and five members of the Village Council, while the governing body as a whole reflects the generational, racial and religious diversity of the community it serves.
“Women’s Equality Day is a chance to honor the women who fought to make our democracy more inclusive, but also to remember that the work isn’t finished,” Zollman said. “One of the best ways we can honor that history is by helping more people use their own voice. Bringing voter registration into a community celebration felt like a simple, meaningful way to do that.”
“Voting rights are at the heart of the League’s work, and we want voting information to be easy to find and accessible to everyone,” said Rebecca Scheer, president of the Maplewood/South Orange League of Women Voters. “We’re glad to be out in the community on Women’s Equality Day helping people register, check their status, and make a plan to vote.”
The League’s local work will continue into the fall, including voter registration outreach to people who have recently moved to South Orange and Maplewood as part of National Voter Registration Day on September 15.
Residents are invited to stop by during the event, talk with League volunteers, and make sure they are ready for the November election.
Summer Movie & Dance Party: The Princess Bride
Wednesday, August 26, 2026, 7 p.m.
Voter registration and outreach will take place from 7-8 p.m., during the dance party and before the movie.
