Wayne County League of Women Voters

Posted by Tom Breen

Wayne County League of Women Voters

At our regular meeting on May 2, our guests were Sandy Keller and Ellie Drake from the Wayne County League of Women Voters. They came to talk to us about how the league came to be, and its mission in Wayne County and the state.

After passage of the 19^th Amendment in 1920, which gave women the right to vote, the League of Women Voters was formed. Its first goal was to equip women to exercise their new right to vote. Until the 1970’s the League was open only to women, but since that time, membership has been open to men and women, and men now make up a significant portion of the members. There is a League in every state, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

The LWV is nonpartisan, and works to encourage informed and active participation in government as well as to promote increased understanding of public policy issues. To these ends, the League organizes
     - voter registration drives
     - candidate forums and debates
     - voter’s guides, with information on election requirements and issues up for vote.

New York has had poor voter turnout in the past, and one innovative way the Wayne County LWV has tried to improve turnout is to encourage young people to get interested in voting. They recently offered a program for 4^th graders, called “Take Me to Vote Please!” Students were given a special “ballot” to take to the polling place along with a voting adult. The student mark their ballot, and indicate their classroom and school. These ballots were then counted and an award given to the classroom with the most participation.

The League of Women Voters continues to work toward an informed, active electorate, with equal access for all. More information about the League of Women Voters of NY State is available at their website, www.lwvny.org

Left to right, Ellie Drake and Sandy Keller from the Wayne County League of Women Voters, with Rotarian Vicky Daly.