What is the League of Women Voters and what are its guiding principles?
The League of Women Voters (LWV) is a national organization divided into independent but affiliated national, state and local levels. Founded in 1920 at the culmination of a 72-year struggle to gain women’s suffrage, the LWV took as its first charge helping to educate women on how to exercise their new political rights and responsibilities. Today, there are over 700 League of Women Voters chapters.
The LWV believes in representative government and the individual liberties established in the Constitution of the United States.
The LWV believes that a good democratic government depends upon the informed and active participation of its citizens.
The LWV believes that the right to vote must be protected for every citizen, that every person should have access to free public education that provides equal opportunity for all and that no person or group should suffer legal, economic or administrative discrimination.
Who Runs the League of Women Voters of the Mt. Baldy area?
We are a volunteer-powered organization. There are no full-time staff members and there is no Executive Director. Instead, we rely on our Board Members and the energy and commitment of our community to advance our mission in Houston.
Is the League of Women Voters for Women only?
The League of Women Voters is not just for women. We are a diverse, vibrant organization that activates genders of all ages, backgrounds, political identification, racial background, cultural background and civic experience.
How is the League different from other civic organizations?
The League of Women Voters of Mt. Baldy Area is nonpartisan and does not support or oppose any candidate or party. We discuss actions and issues in a non-partisan manner and are open to all to encourage civic engagement. Our study and consensus process ensures that we are fully informed on issues before we take a stand.
What benefits do I get as a League Member?
Your participation in the LWV will expose you to a breadth of experiences and issues. The LWV will inform you and also create greater opportunities for civic engagement. You can spend as much or as little time involved as a member as you wish. The LWV will excite, use, and nurture your civic curiosity, ideals and desire for action.
By joining the LWV Mt. Baldy Area, you will be supporting and participating in activities that promote an open democratic society. Our volunteers work year-round on activities, including organizing and overseeing voter registration events, providing citizenship education in the community and schools, hosting candidate forums and debates, providing civic information at media phone banks, partnering with other like-minded groups, receiving materials and training from the state and national LWV organizations, compiling and creating the Voters Guide and making friends with a vibrant group of members.
The LWV Mt. Baldy Area keeps only a small portion of our members’ annual dues, while the majority goes to the National and State chapters. Every dollar you give directly to the LWV Mt. Baldy Area ensures we can focus on building our community together. the fees that go to our National Organization and our State Organization are able to support our work for empowering voters, supporting legislation on climate change, voting rights, Equal Rights, Redistricitng and many other important education and advocacy issues.
What can I do as a Volunteer?
Not only will you have the opportunity to volunteer at any of our events, but you will also have the opportunity to develop leadership skills and become more actively involved. Additionally, the LWV Mt. Baldy Area is always looking for new opportunities to expand our outreach and we welcome all members’ suggestions.