LWVNCSD Partners with Textile Arts Activists for No Kings: Vote Early National Day of Action
OCEANSIDE, Calif. – October 8, 2026 — With our democracy facing an unprecedented constitutional crisis and a pivotal election ahead, the League of Women Voters of North County San Diego (LWVNCSD) is joining with textile artists and everyday citizens to affirm, in fabric and thread, what generations of Americans have fought to protect. Throughout history, quilts have done far more than provide warmth: they have preserved stories, celebrated communities, and carried forward the hopes and struggles of the people who made them. LWVNCSD is proud to partner with United We Stitch, a nationwide community art project, and the Resistance Quilters of North San Diego, to invite our community to continue that tradition by using textile art to express a shared vision for democracy's future.
This grassroots effort invites creatives, advocates, voters, and everyday citizens to work together in communities across the country, using fabric, thread, yarn, fiber, and other artisanal materials to create 3-foot by 5-foot textile panels that answer one simple but powerful prompt: "Imagine the future of democracy."
Art has the power to evoke emotion, raise social issues, and spark dialogue. A recent study by the National Endowment for the Arts found that 72 percent of participants agreed that art enhances community engagement and brings people together.
On October 17, 2026, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m., as part of the No Kings: Vote Early National Day of Action, LWVNCSD will join United We Stitch and the Resistance Quilters of North San Diego to share fabric panels celebrating creativity, unity, democracy, and civic spirit. At the Oceanside Civic Center complex, these textiles will illustrate our community's collective hopes for America's democratic future — and stand as a reminder of why voter education and civic engagement matter now more than ever.
"Democracy, like a quilt, is sewn together by all of us," said Marian Vega Clancy, LWVNCSD President and member of the Resistance Quilters. "For the League, empowering voters through education and defending democracy itself are equal parts of that work. At a moment when our constitutional foundations are under real strain, this project is a reminder that democracy isn't just defended at the ballot box — it's stitched together by communities determined to keep it whole."
The initiative also draws on a long tradition of textile work as public storytelling, from commemorative quilts to collaborative fiber projects that document social movements, loss, resilience, and collective identity. "From suffrage quilts to the AIDS Memorial Quilt, textile art has long given voice to moments that shaped history — showing that fabric can carry emotion, memory, resistance, and meaning in ways words sometimes cannot," said Carolina Oneto, a modern quilter and quilt instructor. "That is not a small thing."
"Tapestries, embroidery, quilting, and, more recently, mixed-media works have served to illustrate our ups and downs as a country and society," said textile artist Ann Flaherty of United We Stitch, LWVNCSD's partner in this effort. "That is at the core of the United We Stitch mission, and we're grateful to bring it to North County San Diego alongside the League."
LWVNCSD continues registering and educating voters with Candidate Forums and Pros & Cons presentations ahead of this fall's election, and sees this collaboration as an extension of that mission: defending the right to vote and the democratic institutions that depend on it.
For more information
About League of Women Voters North County San Diego
Founded in 1920, The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan, grassroots civic organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. With over 100 years of experience, the League is one of America’s oldest and most trusted civic nonprofit organizations. The League of Women Voters of North County San Diego is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation encompassing North County from Del Mar north to Oceanside, and east to Escondido, and surrounding unincorporated communities. Learn more at: lwvncsd.org
On Aug 8, 2026 “Unite & Rise for Voting Rights” national day of action, The Resistance Quilters and League of Women Voters of North County San Diego (LWVNCSD) gathered at Palomar United Universalist Fellowship to collaborate in making panels for United We Stitch.
# # #
Contacts:
Ann Flaherty Marian Vega Clancy
unitedwestitch@proton.me president@lwvncsd.org
910-322-3471 760-736-1608