Founded in 1920, the League of Women Voters was formed by the National American Women’s Suffrage Association. Referred to as a “mighty political experiment,” it aimed to help newly enfranchised women exercise their right to vote.
As the League became more active in issue advocacy, the need arose for a separate organizational arm for education and voter services activities such as voter registration and educational forums. The LWV Education Fund was established in 1957 to inform and encourage active participation of citizens in our government operation. In 1960, the League started sponsoring presidential debates and in 1976 we received an Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Broadcast Journalism. You can learn more about League history here.
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, 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.
Today, the League has expanded our vision of a more inclusive democracy in Arizona, regardless of gender, sex, race, ability, or party can see themselves represented in our government. To build this vision, we bring an anti-racist, social justice lens to the issues of:
Voting Rights, Voter Access, Voter Suppression and Fair Elections
Money in Politics and Redistricting
Women’s Rights, ERA and Reproductive Freedom
Climate Change and Environment
Criminal Justice Reform
The LWV of Metropolitan Phoenix has been encouraging good government and informed voting since 1941. Early studies and positions centered on city and county government; however, the attack on Pearl Harbor interrupted activities when the new focus became foreign policy. Once the war ended, we studied single registration - meaning voters could register once for all elections.
Over the years, numerous studies and positions have been adopted, including a City Manager form of government, Valley transportation alternatives, violence against children, healthcare, expanding planning and zoning, and election reform. Voter guides were published as early as 1964, and Meet the Candidates Nights began that same year. LWVMP wrote and printed a book entitled, “Phoenix,” concerning the election of judges, a position still in existence. In the early 1980s, LWVMP was tasked with helping to rewrite the Phoenix City Charter. More recently the League has been focused on impartial courts and Clean Elections.