FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – The League of Women Voters of Fort Wayne (LWVFW) is celebrating its 15th Anniversary this August. LWVFW members will meet with Mayor Sharon Tucker on August 12 at her office to receive a proclamation honoring the non-partisan group’s work.
Representatives released the following:
The League of Women Voters (LWV) was an active organization in Fort Wayne until the 1970s. In 2008, a move to re-activate the organization was begun in Fort Wayne and the local LWV was recognized in 2009.
Since then, the LWVFW has sponsored candidate debates, hosted a radio show on WELT, participated in a wide variety of community events with voter registration options, partnered with other women’s groups to encourage women’s participation in the political process and registered high school students of voting age.
Nationally, the LWV was formed in 1920, six months before the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. It was termed a “mighty political experiment” as 20 million American women joined in as voters. The 19th Amendment was finally ratified by a vote in Tennessee and officially became law on August 26, 1920. That date is now Women’s Equality Day.
The LWV nationally supported the establishment and participation by the US of the United Nations at the request of President Franklin Roosevelt. President Harry Truman invited the LWV to serve as a consultant to the US delegation at the United Nations Charter Conference. The LWV was one of the first organizations officially recognized by the UN as a non-governmental organization and maintains official observer status today.
The LWV established an Education Fund in the mid-1950s to support voter registration and information, encouraging more participation in government and major public policy issues by citizens. In 1972, the LWV supported the Equal Rights Amendment and continues to push for ratification.
Stop by and celebrate with us🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸#yourvotematters #vote411 #followlwvfw
Posted by League of Women Voters of Fort Wayne on Friday, August 9, 2024
The LWV has sponsored presidential debates, and state-wide and locally sponsors debates and voter engagement activities during election years.
In 2006, the LWV launched a website entitled Vote411 which is billed as a “one stop shop” for election information. Local, state, and national branches of the LWV develop questions for candidates, who respond by inputting their information into the site. The LWV does no editing of the responses but does note when a candidate does not respond. Voters can compare the answers of candidates for the same office and can also access the state website to find polling, registration and other election information.
The LWV in June 2019 created People Powered Fair Maps which is a coordinated effort across the 50 states and the District of Columbia to create fair redistricting to eliminate partisan and racial gerrymandering.
The LWV is open to both women and men as well as students. Locally, the group has a Facebook page, website and Instagram page. The national and state levels of the LWV also utilize these forms of social media.
You can find those links and get more here
Comments