LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF WASHINGTON [HOME]

The League of Women Voters grew out of the Women's Suffrage Movement. As soon as women won the right to vote, it became clear that such a right was meaningless if women choose not to vote, or were not aware of the issues. So the League of Women Voters was founded to "promote political responsibility through informed and active participation of citizens in government and to act on selected governmental issues." Over the years men have joined the League and have become valued members.

The League is a non-profit organization funded mostly by volunteers. Laws governing activities of non-profit groups have resulted in the League distinguishing between political activities which are not tax deductible and citizen education activities which are tax deductible. Those who donate to the League may request that their donation be to the League of Women Voters Education Fund, the tax-deductible branch of the League.

The League of Women Voters never supports or opposes candidates. The League does support or oppose various issues which have been studied by it members and on which League members have reached a consensus.

The political activities of the League include registering voters, speaking in support or against issues, lobbying legislators, and testifying at governmental hearings and act as a watch dog for the public.

The citizen education activities of the League aim at presenting a balanced look at various subjects. These subjects always have the purpose of clarifying issues that are or can be the subject of laws. They include holding meetings where candidates and issues can be debated in a fair and even-handed manner, giving talks on ballot issues, tax issues and other governmental issues, and researching and publishing books and pamphlets.

After winning the national vote, local Leagues turned their attention to local election laws. In 1929 their research was compiled into the League's first election law digest.

In 1993 the League won passage of the National Voter Registration Act, the "motor voter" law. This law will enfranchise millions of citizens by streamlining voter registration nationwide and making it more accessible. The League is currently working to ensure implementation of motor voter in the states.

The League also played an instrumental role in reforming the federal campaign system by lobbying successfully for the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974. This law reformed the presidential and congressional campaign finance systems and instituted public financing of presidential campaigns.

In 1921 the League lobbied successfully for passage of the Sheppard-Towner Act to provide federal aid for maternal and infant care.

Social and legal changes resulting from the campaign for the Equal Rights Amendment. The campaign for passage of the ERA was itself a triumph, even though the amendment fell three states short of ratification. During this period the League mobilized tens of thousands of women I support of the amendment and significantly raised public awareness about everyday discrimination against women. During the campaign, legislative victories included banning discrimination in the workplace against pregnant women and Title IX, which prohibits discrimination against women and girls in education.

In 1964 the League undertook a two-year study of the interrelationship of discrimination and poverty. In 1966 the League called for policies and programs to provide equal opportunity for all in education and employment.

In 1982 the League was a key leader in the hard-won fight to strengthen the Voting Rights Act and extend its major provisions for 25 years.

In 1933 the League strongly supported the Muscle Shoals act, which instituted government programs to protect natural resources, reclaim the land and manage water resources from major river systems in the southeast, a region that had been devastated by floods and the Depression.

In 1972 the League served as the leading member of a coalition that secured passage of the Federal Water Pollution Control act, now know as the Clean Water Act.

Current and future goals: Promoting an environment beneficial to life through the protection and wise management of natural resources in the public interest.

In 1923 the League supported US entry into the World Court. In the aftermath of World War I, the League was one of many organizations seeking a way to prevent another world war. The League strongly opposed American isolationism, arguing that the United States should share in the responsibility of maintaining peace by joining the proposed international court of justice.

In 1944 following the Dumbarton Oaks Conference that forged the agreement leading to the creation of the United Nations, the League trained more than 5,000 speakers and distributed more than a million brochures in just six months in order to educate the public on the United Nations and America's international role.

Current and future goals: Fostering the development of open and responsive government in Eastern Europe's emerging democracies.

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Posted 2/13/96, Revised 7/18/99, 8/27/01, 6/25/03