The League of Women Voters is a multi-issue organization whose mission is to encourage the active participation of citizens in government and to influence public policy through education and advocacy.
Today, more than 80 years after our founding in 1920, the League remains the premiere grassroots citizen organization, representing women and men in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands.
The League empowers American citizens to: have a voice in government; bring about constructive change; and build grassroots citizen action.
And to register thousands to vote...defend voting rights... open government to citizens...protect our environment...take action for privacy in reproductive choice...support violence prevention...and train tomorrow's civic leaders.
No. Never. The League is political, but strictly nonpartisan and never supports a particular candidate.
Yes. Our grassroots membership decides the issues and the positions the League will advocate.
To join the League of Women Voters of Elkhart County call: (574) 264-2860. Annual dues are $40.
The League of Women Voters Education Fund's mission is to encourage the informed and active participation of citizens in government and to increase understanding of major public policy issues.
Founders of the League of Women Voters believed that citizens who have access to the facts on public policy issues and who know how to participate effectively will make wise decisions for their communities and their countries. Almost 77 years later, the League of Women Voters Education Fund's work is guided by that same belief.
The LWVEF furnishes impartial, accurate information on which the American people depend to make informed decisions on a range of public policy issues-issues that range from international relations to conserving natural resources to health care policy. The Education Fund's multi-issue approach and its unrivaled reputation for credibility are always backed up by solid research and easy-to-understand presentation of the facts.
The LWVEF's nonpartisan stance and avoidance of single-issue politics give it a unique role in the public policy arena.
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Founded in 1920 by the suffragists who led the fight for voting rights for American women, the League of Women Voters has long been rooted in the basic principles of democracy.
Of course, a lot has changed in the past 75 years--the candidates, the issues, the political climate. What hasn't changed--what will never change--is the central role citizens like you continue to play in the League's ability to influence public policy and to make a difference.
So why become a member or supporter of the League of Women Voters?
Because you care about the future of America. Because you recognize that along with your rights as a citizen comes the responsibility to participate fully in the democratic process. As a member or supporter of the League of Women Voters, you can:
Since its founding in 1920, the League of Women Voters has sponsored candidate debates and worked to institutionalize them. Beginning with community forums and live radio broadcasts, local and state Leagues have called on candidates to debate the important issues of the day, in order to help voters make informed choices on election day. The League remains firmly committed to meaningful and informative debates for national, state and local offices. Perhaps the League's first president, Maud Wood Park, put it best when she said of debates, "the League wants to know what one side is rather than what the other side is not."
At the national level, the League first cosponsored a candidate forum featuring contenders for the Democratic and Republican party nominations for President in 1952. The forum, cosponsored by NBC and Life Magazine, was televised live from the League's national convention in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1960, Congress temporarily lifted the "equal time" rule, thus making it possible for the television networks to sponsor a series of broadcast debates between Richard Nixon and John Kennedy. The debates proved to be a decisive factor for many voters. In 1976, the League sponsored four "Presidential Forums" during the primary season and three general election debates for President. In that same year, the League started a new tradition: vice-presidential debates.
Making the Future Plan
Our Strategic Vision
Our Mission
The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
Our Core Values
We are a nonpartisan political membership organization.
We believe that grassroots initiates and consensus building are the strengths of our organization.
We believe that our organization models the principles of good governance.
We consider well before taking action and prepare well before beginning to act.
We believe that citizenship requires knowledge, as well as the ability and will to act.
We believe that the responsibility of good government rests on the shoulders of its citizens.
We believe that the rights of citizens at home and abroad are interdependent.
| President | Shirley Gold |
| First Vice President | Judi Svihla |
| Second Vice President | Sally LaRocca |
| Secretary | Sharon Schafer |
| Treasurer | Tanya Fair |
Jacqie Abbott
Shirley Chaddock
Marty Culp
Nominations for Elected Board Members 2008 - 2010
Jody Comer
Janet Quatman
Peggy Trimmer
Appointments to Board of Directors 2008 - 2009
Debby Burton
Nominating Committee Chairman 2008 - 2009
Sharon Schafer
ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES 2008 - 2009
| Voter/Yearbook | Shirley Chaddock, Chairman |
| Finance Drive | Jan Atwood, Chairman |
| Telephone Committee | Jane Burns, Chairman |
| Public Relations | Jody Comer, Chairman |
| Budget Committee | Janet Ermis, Chairman |
| Nominating Committee | Sharon Schafer, Chairman |
| Silent Auction | Jody Comer, Chairman |
| Legislative Luncheon | Judi Svihla, Chairman |
| Voters Service | Sharon Schafer, Chairman |