Surprisingly, the League of Women Voters is stirring up activism. Yet they remain true to their mission– civic education– while remaining politically neutral. Their motto: “Because Democracy Is Not A Spectator Sport.”
- They’re encouraging people to Get Out The Vote.
- They sponsor candidate debates—at all levels, not just for major elections
- They maintain comprehensive calendars for primary and election deadlines and dates.
- They let people know about important reports, such as Westchester County’s Housing Needs Assessment, and post the full report on their website, lwvw.org.
- The Westchester chapter holds Know Your Government and Media Literacy workshops. If you can’t make the event, you can find a presentation on the website. “Fact or Fake Media in Politics: Coping with Disinformation: Exploring the Role of Media in Politics and how technology is influencing political change. Learn strategies for assessing the reliability of media content” contains extremely valuable information about the problems and solutions, including eye-opening polls.
Individual LWV chapters have their own websites, full of event calendars, articles, and other useful information. You also can subscribe to LWV Action Alerts, read newsletters from local chapters, download Tool Kits for holding voter registration drives and candidate events, find regional training events, and more.
When the LWV does take a position on an issue, here’s their process: “The League of Women Voters takes action on an issue only when we have a position addressing that particular issue. Members must study and come to consensus on an issue, in order to form a position. This thorough grassroots process ensures that our advocacy is well considered by a broad range of people, understood by our members, and we have a sense of the political environment.” As an example, in 2018 the LWV of the Rivertowns took a position on New York State legislative procedures.
A significant LWV event to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment will take place on March 14, 1-4 p.m. at Manhattanville College in Purchase, “The Untold Story: The Alienation of Black Female Suffragettes and Women of Color.”