Women Voters: Understanding How A Bill Becomes Law

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization that has been empowering voters and defending democracy for over a century. Since its founding in 1920 by leaders of the women's suffrage movement, the League has advocated for voting rights and election reform, including the National Popular Vote bill, which guarantees the presidency to the winner of the popular vote. The League believes that the direct-popular-vote method is essential for a representative government and has supported efforts to abolish the Electoral College. In addition to their work on electoral reform, they also push for legislation addressing climate change, voting rights, and equality, such as the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Equal Rights Amendment.

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan, grassroots organisation

The League of Women Voters is committed to nonpartisanship and fostering an informed electorate. They work to protect and expand voting rights and ensure everyone is represented in democracy. This includes fighting for equal access to the ballot, particularly for those who have been historically disempowered, such as women and people of colour. The League also advocates for election reform, having helped to draft and pass the Help America Vote Act, which established provisional balloting and requirements for updating voting systems.

The League of Women Voters supports legislation that promotes their values, such as the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which protects the freedom to vote, and the National Popular Vote bill, which ensures the presidency is awarded to the candidate who receives the most popular votes. They also encourage bipartisan cooperation on voting rights, including the introduction of legislation to expand early voting, allow no-excuse absentee voting, and implement automatic and online voter registration.

The League's grassroots efforts also extend to education and litigation. They provide resources to inform voters, such as their dedicated website VOTE411, which offers nonpartisan information on elections, polling places, ballot details, and candidate positions. The League has also been involved in numerous legal cases to defend democracy, including fighting racial gerrymandering and protecting abortion access.

The League works to protect and expand voting rights

The League of Women Voters has been working to protect and expand voting rights since its founding in 1920 by leaders of the women’s suffrage movement. The League is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization that believes voters should play a critical role in democracy.

The League has been at the forefront of some of the nation’s most significant voting rights legal cases, working through advocacy, litigation, education, partnerships, and grassroots efforts. They have been involved in legal cases to secure and protect the right to early and mail-in voting, fight for fair representation in district maps, and push back against discriminatory laws and practices.

The League also supports grassroots efforts to empower voters, from expanding voter education to passing pro-voter laws. They work to increase voters’ access to the polls, including expanding early voting, automatic and online voter registration, and Same Day Registration. They have also been involved in election reform, helping to draft and pass the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), which established provisional balloting, requirements for updating voting systems, and the Election Assistance Commission.

The League has also created resources to support voters, such as VOTE411, a dedicated website that provides both general and state-specific nonpartisan resources to the voting public, including a nationwide polling place locator, a ballot look-up tool, and candidate positions on issues. In 2020, over 6 million people used VOTE411 to find information on over 22,000 different races.

The League continues to fight for election protection, democratic reforms, and equal access to the ballot, empowering voters and defending democracy.

The League encourages voter registration and information

The League of Women Voters has been encouraging voter registration and information since its inception in 1920. Founded by leaders of the women's suffrage movement, the League has always been dedicated to empowering voters and defending democracy.

One of the League's key initiatives is its grassroots campaign for national legislation to reform voter registration. This campaign resulted in the passage of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), also known as the "motor-voter" bill. The NVRA aimed to increase accessibility to the electoral process by allowing citizens to register at motor vehicle agencies, by mail, and at other public service agencies.

The League also launched VOTE411.org, a dedicated website for voter information. VOTE411 provides voters with a wide range of resources, including a polling place locator, a ballot lookup tool, and information on candidate positions. In 2020, over 6 million people used VOTE411, including 2.2 million Spanish speakers.

In addition to these efforts, the League has also been active in supporting legislation that expands voting rights. For example, the League supported the For the People Act, which aimed to make elections fairer and more accessible. The League was particularly focused on including Same Day Registration in the bill, as this increases voter participation.

The League of Women Voters also works to protect the voting rights of marginalized communities. They have partnered with organizations like the American Library Association and companies like Target and Nando's to raise awareness of voting rules and resources. The League has been at the forefront of consequential voting rights legal cases, protecting the right to early and mail-in voting, fighting for fair representation in district maps, and pushing back against discriminatory laws and practices.

Through these initiatives, the League of Women Voters has encouraged voter registration and information, working towards their goal of creating a more perfect democracy.

The League supports the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization that has been empowering voters and defending democracy since 1920. The League supports the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which is vital legislation that aims to restore and modernize the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Since the 2012 Shelby County v. Holder decision, at least 29 states have enacted 94 laws that make voting more difficult, with an especially detrimental impact on Black voters and other voters of color. The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act will strengthen legal protections against discriminatory voting policies and practices, ensuring equal access to the ballot.

The Act creates a new framework to determine which states and localities will be subject to preclearance, requiring jurisdictions with a history of voting discrimination to obtain approval from the Department of Justice or a federal court before changing their voting laws or practices. This ensures that changes are not discriminatory. The Act also makes some types of voting changes subject to preclearance nationwide, as these changes have often been discriminatory. For example, creating at-large districts or changing jurisdiction boundaries in places with large minority populations.

Furthermore, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act provides a faster process for states to be released from preclearance coverage if they have not engaged in discrimination for a specified period and have met certain criteria. The Act strengthens protections against discrimination in Section 2 cases, allowing voters to bring federal actions for vote dilution or vote denial when practices or restrictions make it harder for minority voters to elect their preferred candidates or cast a ballot. It also creates a new cause of action for voters to sue states or localities that implement more discriminatory voting rules.

The League of Women Voters supports this Act as it is committed to protecting the rights of voters and expanding access for those who have been left out of the democratic process. The League believes that voting is a powerful act of shaping the future and that a true democracy is one where every person has the desire, the right, the knowledge, and the confidence to participate.

The League urges Congress to address the climate crisis

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization that works to protect and expand voting rights and ensure everyone is represented in democracy. The League urges Congress to address the climate crisis and protect the futures of young people. Climate change poses a serious threat to the physical, psychological, and economic well-being of the nation, disproportionately affecting vulnerable communities, including youth, who have contributed the least to climate change-causing emissions.

The League has endorsed the Children's Fundamental Rights and Climate Recovery Resolution, which was reintroduced in Congress in July. This resolution recognizes the disproportionate impact of the climate crisis on children's health, economic opportunities, and fundamental rights. It also highlights the need for a national, just, comprehensive, and science-based climate recovery plan to meet emissions reduction targets and stabilize the climate system.

The League has outlined several principles for Congress to consider as they debate climate change legislation. These include halting all fossil fuel leasing and extraction, transitioning to 100% renewable energy, expanding public transportation and phasing out fossil fuel vehicles, harnessing the Clean Air Act, ensuring a just transition for impacted communities and workers, and upholding Indigenous rights.

The League believes that bold action is necessary to address the climate crisis and protect the planet for future generations. They encourage individuals to contact their representatives and urge Members of Congress to cosponsor the Children's Fundamental Rights and Recovery Resolution.

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