Hamblen County Federation of Democratic Women

08/19/2026

Today marks the anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment—a milestone in the fight for voting rights, but not the end of that fight.

The amendment prohibited denying the right to vote on the basis of s*x, but in practice, it did not give all women the right to vote. Women of color continued to face discriminatory laws, intimidation, and other barriers to the ballot. It took decades of organizing and advocacy—and the Voting Rights Act of 1965—to strengthen federal protections against racial discrimination in voting.

That history matters today.

As the SAVE Act threatens to create new barriers to voter registration, we have to remember the lessons of our history: when access to the ballot gets harder, the people most affected are often those who have had to fight the hardest to gain that access in the first place.

The fight for voting rights continues. Tell your senators to vote 'NO' on the SAVE Act!

08/18/2026

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On August 18, 1920, Tennessee became the final state needed to ratify the 19th Amendment.

By the summer of 1920, thirty-five of the forty-eight states had ratified the amendment, with thirty-six needed for it to pass. Eight states had rejected it, and three others refused even to consider it. That left as a possible 36th only North Carolina — where defeat was all but certain — and Tennessee, which had extended presidential voting rights to women in a bitterly contested battle the previous year.

On August 18, the suffrage measure moved to a vote in the Tennessee House of Representatives. By the time they got to 24-year-old Harry Burn, the youngest member of the legislature, they were two votes shy of the required majority.

Burn represented a strenuously anti-suffrage rural district, but that morning, a page had handed him a letter from his mother, in which she asked him to "be a good boy and help Mrs. Catt," referencing suffrage leader Carrie Chapman Catt.

To the astonishment of all, Harry Burn voted "aye", bringing the tally dead even. At the last possible moment, Representative Banks Turner, professed opponent of ratification, announced he wished to be recorded as having voted "aye."

A rush wire from Nashville with the news soon reached a waiting Alice Paul, who hastily stitched the long-awaited 36th star to the flag she used to track ratification in the states. Eight days later, the 19th Amendment was certified, enfranchising 26 million women of voting age.

📸: Alice Paul, national chairman of the Woman's Party, unfurling the ratification banner from suffrage headquarters, Washington, DC, August 18, 1920. (Library of Congress)

08/13/2026

Join us at 5PM Thursday, August 27 at the Hamblen County Courthouse to watch Joyce Cotner be sworn in as the Commissioner of District 3! 🎉🎉🎉

¡Acompáñenos el jueves 27 de agosto a las 5:00 p. m. en el Palacio de Justicia del Condado de Hamblen para presenciar la toma de posesión de Joyce Cotner como comisionada del Distrito 3! 🎉🎉🎉

08/11/2026

If you missed our meeting last night, your next chance to join some local Dems is the Hamblen County Democratic Party meeting Tuesday, August 18 at 6:30PM at Talley Ward.

Both of our groups have leadership and volunteer opportunities available!

Unlike what some people in our area may think about "Democrats", we don't take orders from DC, there is no loyalty test or oath, and we are not scary people. We are your neighbors, coworkers, fellow church members, and more. Come meet us!

Si te perdiste nuestra reunión de anoche, tu próxima oportunidad para unirte a otros demócratas locales es la reunión del Partido Demócrata del Condado de Hamblen, que se celebrará el martes 18 de agosto a las 6:30 p. m. en Talley Ward.

¡Ambos grupos ofrecen oportunidades de liderazgo y voluntariado!

A diferencia de lo que algunas personas de nuestra zona puedan pensar sobre los "demócratas", no recibimos órdenes de Washington D. C., no exigimos pruebas de lealtad ni juramentos, y no somos gente que dé miedo. Somos tus vecinos, compañeros de trabajo, compañeros de congregación y más. ¡Ven a conocernos!

08/08/2026

💙 HCFDW August 10 Meeting 💙

08/07/2026

Congratulations to Joyce Cotner and all of our fearless female candidates for Governor, TN House District 11, US Senate, and US House District 1! 🎉💙🎉💙🎉

¡Felicidades a Joyce Cotner y a todas nuestras valientes candidatas a Gobernadora, Representante Estatal de Tennessee por el Distrito 11, Senadora de los Estados Unidos y Representante de los Estados Unidos por el Distrito 1 de Tennessee! 🎉💙🎉💙🎉

08/06/2026

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07/30/2026

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Polls are open 8am-4:30pm today and tomorrow, then 8am-noon on Saturday!

2 and a half days left to Early Vote at the location most convenient to you! 🗳

Have you voted yet? 🤔
If not, what questions do you have before you go?

¡Las urnas están abiertas hoy y mañana de 8:00 a. m. a 4:30 p. m., y el sábado de 8:00 a. m. a 12:00 p. m.!

¡Quedan solo 2 días y medio para votar de manera anticipada en el lugar que te quede más conveniente! 🗳

¿Ya votaste? 🤔
Si no, ¿qué preguntas tienes antes de ir a votar?

07/29/2026

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🚨UPDATE🚨
We are not able to take any more specific requests for supplies!

We will be open Wednesday 10am-4pm and Thursday 10am-6pm at 412 W 1st N

If anyone would like to donate any more basic supplies, bring them on!

🚨ACTUALIZACIÓN🚨
¡Ya no podemos aceptar más solicitudes específicas de suministros!

Estaremos abiertos el miércoles de 10:00 a. m. a 4:00 p. m. y el jueves de 10:00 a. m. a 6:00 p. m. en 412 W 1st N.

Si alguien desea donar más suministros básicos, ¡serán muy bien recibidos!