FAQ

(Courtesy of the League of Women Voters and LWVNJ)

What Is the League of Women Voters?
  • The League is a multi-issue organization whose mission is to encourage the active participation of citizens in government and to influence public policy through education and advocacy.
  • There are state and local Leagues in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Hong Kong,in addition to the hundreds of local Leagues nationwide. The League of Women Voters of the United States and the League of Women Voters Education Fund operate at the national level with grassroots support from state and local Leagues.
What Does the League Do?
  • Empowers American citizens to have a voice in government; brings about constructive change; and builds grassroots citizen action
  • Registers thousands to vote...defends voting rights...opens government to citizens...protects our environment...takes action for privacy in reproductive choice...supports violence prevention...and trains tomorrow's civic leaders
What Is Its History?
  • The League of Women Voters was founded by Carrie Chapman Catt in 1920 during the convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. The convention was held just six months before the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, giving women the right to vote after a 72 year struggle.
  • The League began as a "mighty political experiment" designed to help 20 million women carry out their new responsibilities as voters. It encouraged them to use their new power to participate in shaping public policy. From the beginning, the League was an activist, grassroots organization whose leaders believed that citizens should play a critical role in advocacy.
Does the League Support Political Parties or Candidates?
  • No, never. The League is political, but strictly nonpartisan. It neither supports nor opposes candidates for office at any level of government. At the same time, the League is wholeheartedly political - working to influence public policy through education and advocacy. It is the original grassroots citizen network, directed by the consensus of its members across the country.
Does the League Take Positions on Issues?
  • Yes. Our grassroots membership decides the issues and the positions the League will advocate. Over time, the League's legislative priorities change to reflect the needs of society and critical issues of concern. The organization remains true to its basic purpose: to make democracy work for all citizens.
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