For the 72 years following the 1848 Seneca Falls women’s rights convention, women in the U.S. lobbied, campaigned, wrote letters, marched in parades, held sit-ins and were even imprisoned in their fight for voting rights equal to men. When the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was finally ratified on Aug. 26, 1920, the political power of women voters was unleashed.
The 19th Amendment gave 20 million women a larger role in public affairs, but to be effective, they also had to be informed about issues. To support the new voters, the Council of Women Voters and the National American Woman Suffrage Association merged, launching the League of Women Voters of the United States. The founders called it the "mighty political experiment."
The League’s mission then, as now, is to encourage informed and active participation in government. It works to increase public understanding of public policy issues through education and to influence local, state and federal governments through advocacy rooted in research and deliberation. The League is nonpartisan and does not endorse individual candidates or political parties.
The Eugene League of Women Voters was founded in 1939 and the Springfield League in 1956. The groups merged and became the League of Women Voters of Lane County in 1969.
During the past 80 years, the leagues worked with others to influence hundreds of policies that helped shape the community. Here are a few examples:
In 1944, the League advocated for, and Eugene voters approved, a city manager model of government. In 1951, the League began its study of prevention and control of air pollution. Eugene, Springfield and Lane County adopted clean air ordinances and the Lane Regional Air Protection Agency was created in 1968.
In 1970, the League placed an initiative on the ballot delaying construction of a nuclear power plant on the Oregon Coast. The measure passed and the project shelved. In 1998, the League urged the Eugene City Council to build a new library and to place a four-year local option levy on the ballot to fund its operation. The League worked to inform voters about the levy and advocated for it. The measure passed, as did renewal of the levy in 2002 and again in 2006.
To inform voters about election issues, the League began offering a speaker’s bureau in 1946 that drew some 5,500 people in small groups to hear balanced information on ballot measures. The League continues to offer speakers during election cycles to help citizens understand public policies. In 1952, the League held its first candidates fair, giving citizens the opportunity to meet candidates for elective offices ranging from Eugene Water and Electric Board to U.S. Senate. Today, the League regularly co-sponsors candidate forums to give voters direct access to candidates.
The League of Women Voters has changed over the past century—for instance, since 1970, membership has been open to men and persons at least 16 years of age may now join, regardless of gender. But the League continues to focus on the fundamentals of “making democracy work” by promoting civic education and participation, ensuring free, fair and accessible elections and encouraging women and men across the nation to be informed and have a say in their government.
Kathy Madison is a member of the LWVLC board of directors and chairs LWVLC’s Centennial Committee.