The League of Women Voters is still around, and its work is as relevant today as it was 100 years ago
Not too long ago I was speaking to someone who asked what I am doing since retiring from teaching. When I answered that I help to run the League of Women Voters in Lehigh County, his response was: “I didn’t know they were still around.”
When I think of all the work our league does, and the countless volunteer hours providing voter services and information, I knew it was time to inform our local citizens that indeed we are still around and we are extremely busy!
This month, we celebrate
104 years since the League was founded with the purpose of educating women about their new right to vote. Women had never been to the polls, used a voting device or had much interest in knowing who was on the ballot for local, state or national office. That was left to their fathers, brothers, boyfriends and spouses until the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920!
Carrie Chapman Catt, a brilliant political strategist, organizer, suffragist and president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, founded the League of Women Voters on Feb. 14, 1920, to help women learn about voting.
Since then, the league has evolved as one of the strongest, most well-respected grassroots organizations in the United
States. Since 1920, our mission has expanded to include the following: “Empowering voters and defending democracy.” Often, people have little knowledge of, nor do they understand, the importance of our work, but it is derived from these two missions.
Our mission of empowering voters includes all aspects of voter registration, education and information we provide to all voters. This includes our most well-received publication, in conjunction with The Morning Call: The Voters Guide. The league also gives both candidates and voters the opportunity to be prepared for elections through our candidate forums, our vote411.org information
site, and our popular Running for Local Office Workshop candidates’ seminar held in January of the odd years.
Through all of this work, we remain steadfastly nonpartisan, never endorsing or rejecting a candidate.
Our other mission, defending democracy, is exactly what it says. On this side of our mission, we are “political” but not partisan.
The league’s advocacy work is only issue-based. Our positions are arrived at by detailed studies that are conducted at local to national levels with input along the way. We never develop a stand on an issue from a politician or a candidate and we never endorse them — despite some of the unfair criticisms lodged against us in recent years. Issues may change over the years, but our first and foremost responsibility is to all voters. Issues
are not partisan but tested against our mission of “defending democracy.” Sometimes a politician may endorse our views — but we do not seek that endorsement nor do we give any responding endorsement.
When people do not understand this part of our mission, they unfairly criticize us as being partisan and that is wrong. We will choose issues, not parties or legislators, that we believe need more fairness. Our goal is that every eligible voter has equal access to register and vote, and that goal is not partisan. Achieving equal rights for all citizens is not partisan. Striving for equal rights, voting rights and civil rights are American ideals, not partisan issues.
Our members come from every political background. We are not a monolith, and are encouraged to explore our own political ideals,
but when representing the league in the community, we are nonpartisan and steadfastly fair to all sides.
Gerrymandering is an example of an issue-based stand we have worked on for years. The United States is the only democracy in the world that employs gerrymandering to draw districts that favor one party or another. After an extensive study of the 2012, 2014 and 2016 elections, we found overwhelming unfairness in the representation of Pennsylvania citizens in Congress. We advocated for change, even litigating successfully so that fairer maps were ultimately drawn.
That was not partisan; it was ensuring democracy for all voters. And since then, we may not have achieved all of our goals, but more eyes are on the process than ever before in Pennsylvania history. We
are proud of that work in defending democracy!
As we approach this new election season, we are here to help educate, register and supply information about and for candidates. We are presently working on the next edition of The Morning Call Voters Guide and will be working in our communities to empower all voters.
If you are interested in joining us, please check our website at: lwvlehighcounty.org where you can learn about our work, events and even join online. All are welcome. And yes, we are still around!