{"id":484,"date":"2022-11-07T20:42:43","date_gmt":"2022-11-07T20:42:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/scua\/?p=484"},"modified":"2022-11-07T20:42:46","modified_gmt":"2022-11-07T20:42:46","slug":"womens-votes-count-an-introduction-to-the-league-of-women-voters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/scua\/2022\/11\/07\/womens-votes-count-an-introduction-to-the-league-of-women-voters\/","title":{"rendered":"Women’s Votes Count! An introduction to the League of Women Voters"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

by Mel Frizzell, Special Collections Assistant<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\"spectator-sport\"<\/a>\n<\/div>
Bumper Sticker in the Records of the League of Women Voters of Hampton Roads<\/a> in the ODU Libraries’ Special Collections<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Women\u2019s votes count!  That is what the League of Women Voters is all about!  The League of Women Voters was founded in 1920 \u2013 the same year that women\u2019s suffrage, the legal right for women to vote, was incorporated into the U.S. Constitution with the passage of the 19th<\/sup> Amendment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The League of Women Voters was created from the merger of two then existing organizations \u2013 the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) and the National Council of Women Voters (NCWV).   NAWSA had long been a champion of Women\u2019s suffrage. The original organization was established in 1890 and was led by Susan B. Anthony until she retired in 1900.   NCWV was envisioned as an organization to follow NAWSA once women had received the right to vote.  At the 1919 National Convention of NAWSA, a motion was made to merge the two organizations into a new organization called \u201cThe League of Women Voters.\u201d   The merger officially took place on January 6, 1920.  The League of Women Voters filled the role originally seen for NCWV and in doing so distanced itself from more radical figures within NCWV.  This decision set the tone for the League of Women Voters to become a non-partisan organization embracing women from across the political spectrum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The League of Women Voters is a non-profit organization.\u00a0 Its original goal was \u201cto educate women on election processes and lobby for favorable legislation on women\u2019s issues.\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0The modern League works \u201cto promote political responsibility through informed and active participation in government\u201d as well as \u201cto protect and expand voting rights and ensure everyone is represented in our democracy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\"your-vote-counts\"<\/a>\n<\/div>
Leaflet from the Records of the League of Women Voters of Hampton Roads –<\/a> in the ODU Libraries’ Special Collections <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While the League of Women Voters is non-partisan, they often do take stands on political issues.   Before taking stands or offering positions on political issues, they first study these issues and develop a consensus of members.  They support many progressive positions.  They support health care reform and believe that \u201cEvery U.S. resident should have access to affordable, quality health care, including birth control and the privacy to make reproductive choices.\u201d  They believe that we should protect the environment.   They support counting all citizens in our national Census.  They believe in fair immigration policies that \u201cpromote the reunification of immediate families, meet economic, business, and employment needs, and [are} responsive to those facing political persecution or humanitarian crises.\u201d  They are against racial and partisan gerrymandering of voting districts and support a \u201cfair and transparent process that produces the most representative maps.\u201d  They are against big money, special interests, SuperPACS, and dark money in American politics and for greater transparency regarding campaign finances.  They are against voter suppression whether the suppression of women, People of Color, the disabled, or other marginalized groups.  They are for responsible gun control.   The League of Women Voters has also done studies and taken stands on the Equal Rights Amendment, domestic violence, sexual harassment, green space, affordable housing, civil rights restoration, and many other issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\"vote\"<\/a>\n<\/div>
Bumper Sticker in the Records of the League of Women Voters of Hampton Roads –<\/a> in the ODU Libraries’ Special Collections <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The League of Women Voter\u2019s helps women take action on many of these issues by creating Action Guides, pamphlets, and by offering tips on lobbying and writing one\u2019s legislators.  At the organization level, national, state, and local Leagues advocate for legislation on these issues and even take up litigation in support or opposition of certain issues and causes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to their studies and positions, the League of Women Voters actively works to register voters.  They provide voting information to voters; create non-partisan voting guides; survey the opinions and platforms of political candidates; moderate candidate debates; and even monitor elections. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The League of Women Voters includes the national organization, state-wide boards, and local groups.  Each of these levels has its own newsletters, conventions, meetings, and other events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There had been a chapter of the League active in Norfolk, Virginia in the 1930s.\u00a0 That chapter had disbanded at the beginning of World War II.\u00a0 In 1957, a new League chapter was founded in Norfolk. \u00a0In the early 1960s, the League gained additional membership from Virginia Beach when Princess Anne County merged with the city of Virginia Beach.\u00a0 In 1964, the Norfolk and Virginia Beach membership merged to become the League of Women Voters of Norfolk-Virginia Beach.\u00a0 In 1994, the local League was renamed League of Women Voters of South Hampton Roads.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To learn more, contact us about viewing the Records of the League of Women Voters of Hampton Roads<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Records of the League of Women Voters of Hampton Roads –<\/a> ODU Libraries Special Collections and University Archives<\/p>\n\n\n\n

League of Women Voters Official Website<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

League of Women Voters on Wikipedia<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Mel Frizzell, Special Collections Assistant Women\u2019s votes count!  That is what the League of Women Voters is all about!  The League of Women Voters was founded in 1920 \u2013 the same year that women\u2019s suffrage, the legal right for … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3954,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","wds_primary_category":0},"categories":[24,236,85,87,246,235,64],"tags":[243,237,238,244,245,241,242,239],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/scua\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/484"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/scua\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/scua\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/scua\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3954"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/scua\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=484"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/scua\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/484\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":487,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/scua\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/484\/revisions\/487"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/scua\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=484"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/scua\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=484"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/scua\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}