Take action with League of Women Voters

Nonpartisan group informs and engages citizens for a healthy democracy

Katie Heit Gardner appreciates how the League of Women Voters works to strengthen and defend democracy through an informed non-partisan lens. Learn more about getting involved at www.lwvmpls.org. (Photo submitted)

Posted Monday, November 2, 2020 2:54 pm

100 YEARS

1920 - The League was officially founded in Chicago in 1920, just six months before the 19th amendment was ratified and women won the vote. Formed by the suffragists of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, the League began as a “mighty political experiment” designed to help 20 million women carry out their new responsibilities as voters.

1944-45 - After World War II, the League carried out a nationwide public support campaign, at the request of President Franklin Roosevelt, to establish the United Nations and to ensure U.S. participation. One of the first organizations officially recognized by the UN as a non-governmental organization (NGO), the League still maintains official observer status today.

1972 - Shortly after congressional passage of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), LWV voted officially to support “equal rights for all regardless of sex.” The League followed this vote with a nationwide pressure campaign that continued through the 1970s. That national campaign ended in 1982, but LWV continues to push for ERA ratification today.

1980s - The League sponsored televised general election Presidential debates in 1980 and 1984, as well as presidential primary forums in 1980, 1984, and 1988. The debates focused on nonpartisan issues with a main goal of informing voters. As candidates demanded increasingly partisan conditions, however, the League withdrew its sponsorship of general election debates in 1988.

2002 - When the 2000 election exposed the many problems facing the election system, the League began to work on election reform. Working closely with a civil rights coalition, LWV helped draft and pass the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), which established provisional balloting, requirements for updating voting systems, and the Election Assistance Commission.

2006 - The League provided a dedicated website for voter information as early as the 1990s. In 2006, the League launched the next generation of online voter education with VOTE411.org, a “one-stop-shop” for election-related information. Today, VOTE411 provides both general and state-specific nonpartisan resources to the voting public, including a nationwide polling place locator, a ballot look-up tool, candidate positions on issues, and more.

2019 - In June 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that partisan gerrymandering cannot be solved by the federal courts. In response, the League initiated People Powered Fair Maps, a coordinated effort across all 50 states and D.C. to create fair and transparent, people-powered redistricting processes to eliminate partisan and racial gerrymandering nationwide.

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN

The League of Women Voters St. Paul works to make voting less intimidating for people.
It is part of the larger national organization, the League of Women Voters, a civic organization in the United States that was formed in 1920 to help women take a larger role in public affairs after they won the right to vote.
The League of Women Voters has been a part of Katie Heit Gardner’s story for as long as she can remember. Her mother has been an active member of the Minneapolis Chapter for over 30 years. “I grew up understanding the importance of democracy and defending our right to vote, and would sometimes volunteer alongside my mother at election returns events,” said the seven-year Northrop resident.
She became more involved in the League in 2013 by volunteering her graphic design skills for various needs, such as designing an annual report, newsletter, business cards, flyers, and more. In 2019, she joined the LWV Minneapolis Board as the communications chair. This past fall she helped promote the League’s 100th Anniversary party and fundraiser by creating materials to get out the word, and celebrate all the league’s accomplishments.
For more on the League, read the Q & A below.

What is the value of LWV?
We seek to strengthen and defend democracy through an informed non-partisan lens. We help bring awareness of major policy issues and influence public policy through education and advocacy. We strive to make sure all voices are counted and heard.

Who is LWVMpls for?
Anyone that cares about a just democracy and the equitable rights of all people to vote. We want to help the public gain access to voting and help them become informed voters.

How does LWV further democracy?
Our current Minneapolis Chapter motto is “Educate, Advocate, Empower. Repeat.” I think this sums it up nicely. We educate the public through speaker/lecture series (CIVIC BUZZ) that address current issues affecting our community. We work to keep the public informed about elections and elections process. We host candidate forums so the public can hear first from elected officials about issues pertaining to them. We research and discuss issues and draw up positioning statements on these issues. We then advocate on policy issues at the local level. We volunteer in election returns to provide safe and non-partisan support. We register the public to vote, empowering them to use their voice by voting.

How can people be involved in politics during this pandemic?
Social media is helping people stay current on what is going on; check there for potential ways to take action or volunteer. Check out our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages (LWVMpls). You can subscribe to the LWV Minnesota Action Alert email https://www.lwvmn.org/to help in advocacy efforts. We have many committees that you could get involved in that are all meeting via Zoom. At the committee meetings you can learn about specific volunteer needs. This fall we organized a series of online voter registration trainings, and are driving the public to visit MNVotes.org (and our website!) for all information on voting (how to register, where your polling place is, how to vote absentee).
Civic Buzz is a monthly open-to-the-public speaker series that highlights a different issue each month (policing, housing rights, dignity in dying, immigration, domestic violence, Minneapolis 2040 plan, etc.) that is relevant to Minneapolis. Often a panel of experts in their field, the speakers discuss the topic and then we have a discussion on ways to take action. We host and produce We the People, an video program where we interview community leaders on local issues. This summer/fall produced a four-part series on policing so we can learn more about all sides of the issue. We also have a parks committee that serves as government observers and attend the park board’s meetings.
You can read more about who we are and what we do at lwvmpls.org.