League of Women Voters facts for kids
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| Founded | February 14, 1920 |
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| Founder | Carrie Chapman Catt |
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Focus | Political education and advocacy |
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Key people
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Deborah Ann Turner (President) |
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Revenue
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$9,183,106 (2020) |
The League of Women Voters (LWV) is an American group that helps people understand politics. It is a nonprofit organization, meaning it doesn't aim to make money. It is also nonpartisan, which means it doesn't support one political party over another.
The League started in 1920. Its main jobs are helping people register to vote, giving voters information, and working to protect voting rights. The LWV also supports many ideas that aim to improve society. These include making rules fairer for how money is used in elections, supporting women's rights, making sure everyone has access to health care, and protecting LGBT+ rights.
The League was created after the National American Woman Suffrage Association finished its work. This older group had fought for women to get the right to vote. The League's first goals were to teach women about politics and to help pass laws that were important to women. Because it is nonpartisan, a big part of its job is to help people register and learn about elections. It also works to influence laws on issues its members care about. The League is known for carefully studying an issue before deciding what to support.
Contents
History of the League
How the League Started
The League of Women Voters was formed by joining two groups: the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) and the National Council of Women Voters (NCWV). The NCWV was started in 1911 by Emma Smith DeVoe. She wanted to create a group to teach women about elections and push for laws that helped women.
Ten years later, in 1919, Carrie Chapman Catt worked to combine these groups. She wanted to create a new organization that would help citizens, not just politicians, guide the political process. She believed that if the new group joined a political party, it would lose its independence.
In 1919, a plan was made to merge the two groups into the National League of Women Voters. The merger was officially completed on January 6, 1920. For the first year, the League worked as a part of NAWSA. The League officially became its own organization at a meeting in Chicago in 1920.
Carrie Chapman Catt said that the League should be non-political and non-religious. She wanted it to focus on three main goals:
- Helping women in every state get the right to vote and supporting women's struggles around the world.
- Removing old laws that treated women unfairly.
- Making democracy strong and safe for everyone.
Carrie Chapman Catt became an honorary leader, not the president. She felt that younger women should lead the new group.
Over time, the League has grown to include more people. In its early years, the League and its older group, NAWSA, did not always welcome women of color. They worried it would make it harder to get support for women's voting rights. Today, the League works to "protect and expand voting rights and ensure everyone is represented in our democracy."
1920s: Early Years
In the 1920s, the League focused on a few key issues. These included supporting the Sheppard-Towner Act, which helped mothers and babies, and working for a Child Labor Amendment to the Constitution. They also focused on teaching people how to vote.
The Sheppard-Towner Act, passed in 1921, gave money to states for maternity and infant care education. The League worked to keep this act going. It was later brought back as part of the Social Security Act in 1935.
In 1923, the League chose twelve women as the "greatest living American women." These included famous people like Jane Addams and Carrie Chapman Catt.
At their 1926 meeting, League president Belle Sherwin said that learning about politics was key to a true democracy. She believed that teaching people how to be active citizens was very important.
In New York, the League set up information booths in stores in 1926. They taught women how to register and use voting machines. They also gave talks before elections. In 1929, the New York League voted to support old age pensions and give women the right to serve on juries.
The League also sent questions to people running for local office and shared their answers. This helped voters make informed choices. In the 1930s, the League supported programs like Social Security.
1940-1969: World Events and Civil Rights
In 1945, the League supported the creation of the United Nations, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. The UN recognized the League as a permanent observer, allowing it to attend many meetings.
In the 1950s, League member Dorothy Kenyon was unfairly accused of being a Communist. The League's president, Percy Maxim Lee, spoke out against these unfair accusations in Congress.
In 1960, the League started working on environmental issues by supporting a law about natural resources.
The League also supported the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. These laws helped end unfair treatment and protect voting rights for all. By 1968, the League was also against unfair housing practices. In 1969, the League was one of the first groups to call for better relations with China.
1970-1980: New Members and Leaders
In the 1970s, the League began to support the Equal Rights Amendment. This amendment aimed to make sure men and women had equal rights under the law.
In 1974, the League started allowing men to join as members.
In 1998, the League elected its first African-American president, Carolyn Jefferson-Jenkins. She served until 2002 and wrote a book about the history of women of color in the League.
1980-2000: Protecting Voting Rights
The League worked hard for changes to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in 1982. In the 1990s, they helped pass the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. This law, also called the Motor Voter Act, made it easier to register to vote. It required states to offer voter registration at places like driver's license offices and through the mail.
2000-Present: Modern Challenges
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In 2002, the League supported the Help America Vote Act. This law aimed to make voting easier and more fair. They also supported the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act, which changed how money is used in elections.
In 2020, the League supported Native Americans who wanted to make it easier to send in their ballots from reservations. They argued that many Native American voters do not have regular mail service at home and have to travel far to mail their votes.
In 2021, the League of Women Voters of Florida worked with other groups to inform voters about new voting laws. They also filed lawsuits against these laws, arguing they made voting harder.
What the League Does
The LWV has sponsored important United States presidential debates in the past. They hosted the debates in 1976, 1980, and 1984. In 1988, the League decided to stop sponsoring the debates. They felt that the rules set by the major political parties would make the debates unfair to voters. The League's president, Nancy Neuman, said they did not want to "trick the American public." Since 1988, other groups have sponsored the presidential debates.
Local and state Leagues still host debates for candidates running for office at all levels of government. This helps voters learn about the candidates' views.
In 2012, the LWV started National Voter Registration Day. On this day, volunteers help people register to vote.
The League also provides voter guides like Smart Voter and Voter's Edge. They run VOTE411.org, a website where voters can enter their address. The site then gives them information about candidates and elections in their area in both English and Spanish.
What the League Believes In
The League works to influence laws at the national, state, and local levels. Their beliefs on national issues are decided at their big national meetings. Local and state Leagues decide their own beliefs on local issues, as long as they fit with the national goals.
The League was founded by women who fought for the right to vote. So, they have always cared about voting and fair government. They also work on issues like international relations, protecting nature, and social policies.
Voting and Fair Government
In 1993, the League helped pass the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. This law made it easier for people to register to vote.
The League works with the VoteRiders group to share information about voter ID rules in different states. In 2002, the League supported the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act. This law changed rules about how money is used in federal elections. They also strongly supported the Help America Vote Act.
In 2010, the League disagreed with a Supreme Court decision called Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. This decision removed limits on how much money companies could give to support candidates. The League believes this decision makes elections less fair.
The League supports the DISCLOSE Act. This law would make it easier and faster for the public to see who is spending money on political campaigns. They also want to stop "dark money," which is money spent in elections without showing who it came from.
The League is against strict photo ID laws that can make it harder for some people to vote. They support campaign finance reform in the United States, which means changing rules about money in elections. They want public funding for elections and limits on how much candidates can spend. They also want to get rid of super-PACs, which can spend unlimited money to influence elections.
International Relations
The League worked to create the United Nations. It was one of the first groups to be recognized by the UN. The League has always worked to promote world peace and international cooperation.
In 1921, Carrie Chapman Catt spoke about ending war. She said that everyone wants peace but often does nothing. She urged people to act and work together to prevent future wars.
Protecting Natural Resources
The League has supported important environmental laws. These include the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Safe Drinking Water Act. They also supported the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement to fight climate change. The League is against the proposed Keystone Pipeline project. In 2013, the League in Hawaii asked President Obama to take action on climate change.
Social Policy
The League is against school vouchers. In 1999, the League challenged a Florida law that allowed students to use vouchers to go to different schools.
The League supports universal health care, which means everyone should have access to health care. They support expanding Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.
The League also supports ending the death penalty.
LGBT+ Rights
The League of Women Voters supports LGBT+ rights. They believe that protecting democracy and ending unfair treatment against the LGBTQ+ community go together.
How the League is Run
National Level
The League has a national board of directors. This board includes officers and elected directors. Most of them live near Washington, D.C. This national board is chosen at the national meeting and sets the League's main goals.
Local Leagues
Local and state Leagues are set up to help the League's goals and work on issues in their own areas. These local groups have their own leaders. The national board can remove recognition from a local or state League if it doesn't follow the rules.
The League of Women Voters has local and state groups in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., the Virgin Islands, and Hong Kong.
See also
General
- Women's suffrage
- Women's suffrage in the United States
- Women's suffrage in states of the United States
- National American Woman Suffrage Association
- National Women's Party
- Voting rights in the United States
- Voter suppression
- Elections in the United States
- United States presidential election debate sponsorship
- Woman's Journal
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