League of Women Voters has a long history of fighting for voting rights.
Since the nation’s founding, voting has been a right that’s evolved and broadened, said Candy Newland, president of the Lima area League of Women’s Voters.
Newland, speaking Monday to Lima Rotary Club, said there have been six amendments to the Constitution concerning voting, from establishing the Electoral College to providing women and blacks the right to vote.
The league formed in 1920, as two separate suffrage organizations merged, the same year as women won the right to vote. Since then, the organization’s focus is educating voters. Locally today, the group does that in multiple ways: voter guides printed before each election, an online version of the printed guide, Vote 411, an elected officials directory, and issues forums, Newland said.
The group also advocates for voters’ rights. For example, the league was involved with a recent successful attempt to revamp the process of creating voting districts, lessening gerrymandering by a party in power.
In other Rotary business Monday:
Russ Thomas exchanged his red badge for a blue one.
The Lima Rotary Foundation presented three checks, for $2,000 to Allen County DARE, $2,000 to Soldiers of Honor Boxing Gym, and $3,865 for three community programs put on by Lima Symphony Orchestra.
