Sylvia Levin
Encyclopedia
Sylvia Levin was an American
civic and voter registration activist
, who registered more than 47,000 California
voters over a span of 36 years from 1973 until 2009. Government experts and analysts believe that her 47,000 voter registration
total is a nationwide record in the United States
and in the state of California.
Levin, a deputy county registrar, worked without pay on a strictly volunteer basis.
, New York
, on September 14, 1917, and raised in both Brooklyn and New Jersey
. She relocated to southern California
during the 1940s, eventually settling in Santa Monica
. A single mother of two children, Levin held a variety of jobs. She worked in an aircraft
plant
, garment factory
, at the original Los Angeles Farmers Market
and as a beach attendant in Santa Monica
.
and voter participation. Chuck Levin, a Santa Monica writer
and political consultant, created the First Vote campaign. The campaign registered young people to vote once the voting age was lowered to 18 years old in 1971 with the adoption of the 26th Amendment
to the U.S. Constitution. Sylvia Levin took notice of her son's campaign.
Sylvia Levin began working as a deputy voter registrar
outisde Canter's Deli in the Fairfax District
of Los Angeles in 1973. She gradually expanded her voter registration efforts to several communities throughout Los Angeles County's Westside, including Westwood Village, Malibu, Venice
and Westwood.
Levin spent six days a week commuting
by bus
to reach her work locations. She became a fixture for 36 years outside several locations in the Westside. Levin could be found registering prospective voters at the same locations each week. On Sundays, she worked outisde the Westwood Village Farmers' Market. She set up her stand outside the post office
at the Federal Building
in Westwood on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Levin worked outside the post office or a bank in Malibu on Fridays, while on Saturdays she moved to a location outside the Sunya Currie jewelry store
on Abbot Kinney in Venice.
In it estimated that Levin registered 47,000 new California voters between 1973 and 2009, an individual record both in the state of California and the United States. Additionally, Levin is believed to have spoken to approximately 470,000 people during the 36 she spent in voter registration.
Levin registered 60 new voters on a single day in 1996, a presidential election year. The number dipped to an average of four new voters a day during the 2000s.
Levin received official recognition for her work. Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky
awarded Levin a plaque
for her "outstanding service" in 1996. The late state Senator
Herschel Rosenthal
honored Levin with a resolution in the California state senate
in 1999. She was also nominated by then California assemblyman
Paul Koretz
and formally inducted into the California Voter Participation Hall of Fame in 2001.
U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman
remarked in the Congressional Record
in 1997 that Levin "has done more to increase voter participation than virtually anyone we know."
On Sept. 14, 2007, which was Levin's 90th birthday, she was honored in a resolution
by the Los Angeles City Council
for her state voter registration record and 34 years of volunteer service to her communities. The resolution honoring Levin, which was introduced by Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl
, read, "the appreciation felt by so many thousands of people have been touched by [her] tireless enthusiasm for voting and who have applauded her commitment."
Levin continued registering new voters right up to the time she was hospitalized on May 18, 2009.
Sylvia Levin died of complications from a stroke
at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
in Los Angeles on June 25, 2009, at the age of 91. She was survived by her daughter, Susan Levin, son, Chuck Levin, and two sisters, Dottie Sadowsky and Daisy Neustadt.
On June 30, 2009, L.A. city councilman Bill Rosendahl adjourned the city council proceedings in Levin's memory.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
civic and voter registration activist
Civics
Civics is the study of rights and duties of citizenship. In other words, it is the study of government with attention to the role of citizens ― as opposed to external factors ― in the operation and oversight of government....
, who registered more than 47,000 California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
voters over a span of 36 years from 1973 until 2009. Government experts and analysts believe that her 47,000 voter registration
Voter registration
Voter registration is the requirement in some democracies for citizens and residents to check in with some central registry specifically for the purpose of being allowed to vote in elections. An effort to get people to register is known as a voter registration drive.-Centralized/compulsory vs...
total is a nationwide record in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and in the state of California.
Levin, a deputy county registrar, worked without pay on a strictly volunteer basis.
Biography
Levin was born in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, on September 14, 1917, and raised in both Brooklyn and New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. She relocated to southern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
during the 1940s, eventually settling in Santa Monica
Santa Mônica
Santa Mônica is a town and municipality in the state of Paraná in the Southern Region of Brazil.-References:...
. A single mother of two children, Levin held a variety of jobs. She worked in an aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
, garment factory
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
, at the original Los Angeles Farmers Market
Farmers Market (Los Angeles)
The Farmers Market is an area of food stalls, sit-down eateries, prepared food vendors, and produce markets in Los Angeles, USA. It also a historic Los Angeles landmark and tourist attraction, first opened in July 1934...
and as a beach attendant in Santa Monica
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
.
Voter registration efforts
Levin credited her son, Chuck Levin, with sparking her interest in civicsCivics
Civics is the study of rights and duties of citizenship. In other words, it is the study of government with attention to the role of citizens ― as opposed to external factors ― in the operation and oversight of government....
and voter participation. Chuck Levin, a Santa Monica writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and political consultant, created the First Vote campaign. The campaign registered young people to vote once the voting age was lowered to 18 years old in 1971 with the adoption of the 26th Amendment
Twenty-sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Twenty-sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution limited the minimum voting age to no more than 18. It was adopted in response to student activism against the Vietnam War and to partially overrule the Supreme Court's decision in Oregon v. Mitchell...
to the U.S. Constitution. Sylvia Levin took notice of her son's campaign.
Sylvia Levin began working as a deputy voter registrar
Voter registration
Voter registration is the requirement in some democracies for citizens and residents to check in with some central registry specifically for the purpose of being allowed to vote in elections. An effort to get people to register is known as a voter registration drive.-Centralized/compulsory vs...
outisde Canter's Deli in the Fairfax District
Fairfax District, Los Angeles, California
The Fairfax District is an area of neighborhoods in the Mid-City West area of Los Angeles, California.- Geography :It is roughly bordered by West Hollywood on the north, Highland Avenue on the east, West Hollywood and Beverly Hills on the west and Wilshire Boulevard on the south...
of Los Angeles in 1973. She gradually expanded her voter registration efforts to several communities throughout Los Angeles County's Westside, including Westwood Village, Malibu, Venice
Venice, Los Angeles, California
Venice is a beachfront district on the Westside of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is known for its canals, beaches and circus-like Ocean Front Walk, a two-and-a-half mile pedestrian-only promenade that features performers, fortune-tellers, artists, and vendors...
and Westwood.
Levin spent six days a week commuting
Commuting
Commuting is regular travel between one's place of residence and place of work or full time study. It sometimes refers to any regular or often repeated traveling between locations when not work related.- History :...
by bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
to reach her work locations. She became a fixture for 36 years outside several locations in the Westside. Levin could be found registering prospective voters at the same locations each week. On Sundays, she worked outisde the Westwood Village Farmers' Market. She set up her stand outside the post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
at the Federal Building
Federal Building
A federal building refers to government building built to host the regional offices of various government departments and agencies in countries with a federal system, especially when the central government is referred to as the "federal government".- Canada :...
in Westwood on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Levin worked outside the post office or a bank in Malibu on Fridays, while on Saturdays she moved to a location outside the Sunya Currie jewelry store
on Abbot Kinney in Venice.
In it estimated that Levin registered 47,000 new California voters between 1973 and 2009, an individual record both in the state of California and the United States. Additionally, Levin is believed to have spoken to approximately 470,000 people during the 36 she spent in voter registration.
Levin registered 60 new voters on a single day in 1996, a presidential election year. The number dipped to an average of four new voters a day during the 2000s.
Levin received official recognition for her work. Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky
Zev Yaroslavsky
Zev Yaroslavsky is a Los Angeles County politician. He served on the Los Angeles City Council from 1975 until 1994, when he was elected to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. He was preceded in both offices by Edmund D...
awarded Levin a plaque
Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...
for her "outstanding service" in 1996. The late state Senator
State Senator
A state senator is a member of a state's Senate, the upper house in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a legislator in Nebraska's one house State Legislature.There are typically fewer state senators than there are members of a state's lower house...
Herschel Rosenthal
Herschel Rosenthal
Herschel Rosenthal was an American politician who was a member of the California State Assembly from 1974 to 1982 and the California State Senate from 1982 to 1998. Rosenthal was a Democrat.-References:...
honored Levin with a resolution in the California state senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
in 1999. She was also nominated by then California assemblyman
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
Paul Koretz
Paul Koretz
Paul Koretz is an American politician. He is currently a member of the Los Angeles City Council, representing the Fifth Council District. He was previously a member of the California State Assembly and the West Hollywood City Council...
and formally inducted into the California Voter Participation Hall of Fame in 2001.
U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman
Henry Waxman
Henry Arnold Waxman is the U.S. Representative for , serving in Congress since 1975. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He is considered to be one of the most influential liberal members of Congress...
remarked in the Congressional Record
Congressional Record
The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published by the United States Government Printing Office, and is issued daily when the United States Congress is in session. Indexes are issued approximately every two weeks...
in 1997 that Levin "has done more to increase voter participation than virtually anyone we know."
On Sept. 14, 2007, which was Levin's 90th birthday, she was honored in a resolution
Resolution (law)
A resolution is a written motion adopted by a deliberative body. The substance of the resolution can be anything that can normally be proposed as a motion. For long or important motions, though, it is often better to have them written out so that discussion is easier or so that it can be...
by the Los Angeles City Council
Los Angeles City Council
The Los Angeles City Council is the governing body of the City of Los Angeles.The Council is composed of fifteen members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The president of the council and the president pro tempore are chosen by the Council at the first regular meeting after...
for her state voter registration record and 34 years of volunteer service to her communities. The resolution honoring Levin, which was introduced by Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl
Bill Rosendahl
William Joseph "Bill" Rosendahl is an American politician. He is serving on the Los Angeles City Council, representing Council District 11. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Biography:...
, read, "the appreciation felt by so many thousands of people have been touched by [her] tireless enthusiasm for voting and who have applauded her commitment."
Levin continued registering new voters right up to the time she was hospitalized on May 18, 2009.
Sylvia Levin died of complications from a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Originally established as Kaspare Cohn Hospital in 1902, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a non-profit, tertiary 958-bed hospital and multi-specialty academic health science centre located in Los Angeles, California, US. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over...
in Los Angeles on June 25, 2009, at the age of 91. She was survived by her daughter, Susan Levin, son, Chuck Levin, and two sisters, Dottie Sadowsky and Daisy Neustadt.
On June 30, 2009, L.A. city councilman Bill Rosendahl adjourned the city council proceedings in Levin's memory.