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While the League of Women Voters is pleased to see the Freedom to Vote Act introduced again, the bill is not perfect, and we are disappointed that it is not introduced with bipartisan support. Voters deserve serious action on voting rights, and bipartisan consensus is necessary to effectively advance meaningful legislation that protects voters’ ability to participate in our democracy. The League hopes to see members of the 118th Congress work together to ensure that voting rights are championed as a bipartisan effort in this country.

Today the League of Women Voters of the United States CEO Virginia Kase Solomón issued the following statement after the 118th Congress elected Kevin McCarthy to be Speaker of the House:

The Expanding the Voluntary Opportunities for Translations in Elections (VOTE) Act (HR 8770) presents the US Congress with an opportunity to support voters in language minority communities by increasing access to translated voting materials. Voters with limited English proficiency face unique challenges registering to vote and accessing the ballot box. These barriers must be removed to extend the freedom to vote equally to all eligible voters regardless of the language with which they are most comfortable.

The U.S. House Of Representatives just passed HR 51, the Washington DC Admission Act. The District of Columbia is home to over 700,000 people and yet does not have voting members in the U.S House and Senate. The people of the District of Columbia are denied a voice in Congress, unable to advocate for or fight against federal policies, while simultaneously dealing with congressional and federal interference in its local priorities.

The people of Washington DC deserve the same rights as any American living in our 50 states. They deserve full representation in Congress and to be free of Congressional interference in their local governance. LWVUS supports the admission of the District of Columbia as our 51st state.

Today, the League of Women Voters of South Dakota and the League of Women Voters of the United States filed a federal lawsuit challenging Senate Bill 180, a law that places a 30-day residency requirement for ballot initiative signature collection.

We are pleased to see the House address the continuous threat of gun violence and protect our communities and our children in schools. This legislation is long overdue and what our country needs at a time when gun violence is claiming lives daily.

On April 22, the League of Women Voters of Florida joined Black Voters Matter Capacity Building Institute, Equal Ground Education Fund, Florida Rising Together and several individual Florida voters in filing a lawsuit challenging Florida’s new congressional map.

The League and the other plaintiffs argue the congressional map, insisted upon by Gov. DeSantis and approved by the state legislature, was not drawn in compliance with the governing laws surrounding redistricting in Florida presently.

League calls for New York courts to invalidate Legislature’s electoral maps, as the constitutionally mandated process for redistricting was violated by both the Independent Redistricting Commission and the Legislature. League says the Constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2014 now requires that the New York courts, not the Legislature, draw the electoral maps.

Many of the League of Women Voters’ legislative campaigns take years to pass Congress. One exception was the reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) in 2006. The Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006 moved quickly through Congress with strong bipartisan support. The speed of passage showed our country’s bipartisan support of voting rights, support which has dwindled in recent years.

On Valentine’s Day 1920, the League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) was formally organized as a nonpartisan, activist, grassroots organization with the belief that voters should play a critical role in democracy. During the ensuing 102 years, LWVUS has steadfastly promoted political responsibility by encouraging informed and active participation in government, contributing to a better understanding of public policy issues, and influencing public policy through education and advocacy.

Today the League of Women Voters of the United States CEO Virginia Kase Solomón and the League of Women Voters of Alabama President Kathy Jones issued the following statements on the Supreme Court decision failing to rein in racial gerrymandering by allowing the Alabama congressional maps to stay in place.

Read about the many issues the LWV is involved with and the action steps taken in 2021.

We believe in the power of women to create a more perfect democracy.
That's been our vision since 1920, when the League of Women Voters was founded by leaders of the
women’s suffrage movement. For 100 years, we have been a nonpartisan, activist, grassroots organization
that believes voters should play a critical role in democracy.

SWEEPING DEMOCRACY REFORM BILL WILL MAKE ELECTIONS FAIRER AND PUT POWER BACK IN THE HANDS OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

As a rule, steps to the LWV’s adopting a position on an issue include a nonpartisan, comprehensive study, debate and review, and the participation of all Leagues within the hierarchy of the LWV. And it was through that process that the League came to the conclusion that the Electoral College needs to be abolished.

Town Square: League of Women Voters Celebrate 100 Years of Women’s Suffrage - 2/10/20

Learn about the Energizing Young Voters modules in schools.
We hope the program spreads far and wide - to every high school!

Six candidates responded to questions that came from Montclair Local readers.
The candidates, divided into two groups of three, were asked a series of questions that came from Montclair Local readers, ranging from their stance on artificial turf to how they might address Montclair’s achievement gap. Candidates also had the opportunity to make an opening and closing statement.

Julianne Grosso, of the Essex County Clerk's of the Office, shares information about the upcoming election.

The 2024 winning video by Matt Hymowitz and Jett Higgins of Montclair High School, explaining why is is important to vote.

Video recording of a discussion hosted by Braver Angels - a non partisan organization dedicated to bridging discussions - Americans on opposite sides of the political spectrum don’t only disagree on issues — they increasingly dislike one another. This growing partisan animosity is the crisis of our time and threatens our nation.
This event is co-sponsored with the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Montclair.

Hear from the candidates for the 2024 Montclair Town Council.

Guest Speaker John Schuler is the Assistant Director of Research for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, where he works on the policy team to conduct analysis on a wide variety of budgetary and economic issues. John came to the Committee from Capitol Hill, where he served for more than four years as a Legislative Assistant to Rep. Tim Huelskamp of Kansas, and Rep. Mark Sanford of South Carolina. Prior to his time on the Hill, John worked for Heritage Action for America as a Government Relations and Executive Assistant. A native of Kansas City, John first came to Washington to attend the American University School of International Service, where he graduated with a B.A. in International Studies and a minor in Political Science in 2011.

video recording of: Myths Debunked: Common Misperceptions About the Electoral College

Video recording of the 2023 Montclair BOE Candidates' Forum

Video recording of the 2023 Clifton BOE Candidates Forum

The documentary, Suppressed and Sabotaged: The Fight to Vote, from director Robert Greenwald, president of Brave New Films.

Using the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election as a starting point, this film looks at how voter-roll purges, the elimination of polling places, restrictions on mail-in voting and the invalidation of votes through “exact match” laws are limiting who can vote, and which votes are counted-- includes perspectives from voters in Arizona, Florida, Texas, and Georgia that highlight how these new laws will affect their constitutional right to vote.

Sorting Fact From Fiction: Understanding Barriers & Opportunities for Youth Voting

Presentation by Democracy Policy Analyst, Phillip Hensley on the changes to Essex County legislative districts as a result of the 2023 census

Provides an overview of the Why Voting Matters program and an update on the roll out to get all high school seniors in Essex County to participate in the program and get registered to vote afterwards.

Oct 21, 2022 League of Women Voters hosted non partisan debate over Mayoral race up for grabs in North Caldwell's Nov 8th election. Videos are required to be played in their entirety. No editing has been made.

Oct 21, 2022 League of Women Voters hosted non partisan debate over Council seats up for grab in North Caldwell's Nov 8th election. Videos are required to be played in their entirety. No editing has been made.

Oct 21, 2022 League of Women Voters hosted non partisan debate for the Board of Education which has 2 seats up for grabs in North Caldwell's/ West Essex School Districts. Nov 8th election. Videos are required to be played in their entirety. No editing has been made.

Hear the 2022 candidates for the Montclair Board of Education answer questions submitted by the public.

Hear from the 2022 candidates for the Roseland town Council.

Q&A with the Montclair Board of Education on the upcoming $188M School Bond Referendum.

The LWV and the Morris County Chamber of Commerce hosted a candidate forum for the Republicans running for office in CD11.

Guest speakers Micah Rasmussen, Director of the Rebovich Institute for NJ Politics and David Wildstein, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the New Jersey political reporting site, the NJ Globe, will explain the ins and outs of dark money, the growing cost of local campaigns and the advent of super PACS at the municipal level to circumvent pay to play laws.

Hear from Phillip Hensley and Demetrius Fisher, the LWV resident experts on the fight against partisan and racial gerrymandering and the upcoming changes to local districts due to the 2020 census.

Hear from panelists from LULAC, Black Voters Matter, and SuperMajority as they discuss getting out the vote, the intersections of gender and race, and how we can build a more inclusive, empowering democracy.

A BOE candidate forum sponsored by the Montclair Clergy and the LWV.

Hear the candidates for the Montclair BOE answer questions submitted by attendees.

Fannie Lou Hamer was a raised on a plantation and fought vehemently for voter rights in Mississippi in the 60s and 70s.

A review of Montclair's form of government and an explanation of the municipal budget.

Watch the video of the West Caldwell Town Council Candidates' Forum

A conversation with Uyen Khuong, founder and Executive Director of Action Together New Jersey (ATNJ), a non-profit civic organization of women of color dedicated to voter education and advocacy of better voting infrastructure. She has appeared in the NY Times, New Jersey Globe, InsiderNJ, NJ.com, Philadelphia Inquirer, WNYC Radio, and PBS Newshour

Watch the video of the four candidates for Caldwell Borough Council discuss current issues and their positions.

A timely discussion on a topic that is the subject of much debate. Learn all about the Filibuster and have a chance to ask all your questions.

An invitation to think globally, and act locally!

President Joe Biden announced Vice President Kamala Harris will lead his administration's efforts on voting rights in a speech Tuesday on the Tulsa Race Massacre in Oklahoma.

The new role comes as the Biden administration condemns efforts by Republican-led state legislatures to pass restrictive laws the White House says make it harder for Americans to vote. Calling the state bills an "unprecedented assault on our democracy," Biden recognized that he was handing Harris a tough job.

https://www.njspotlight.com/video/judges-says-murphys-two-primary-challengers-must-be-removed-from-ballot/

Two experts on NJ government, Marc Pfeiffer and Richard Keevey, will explain where our sales, income and property taxes go in relation to NJ state, county and local municipal budgets and services.

Now more than ever, young people must be taught how to be engaged citizens. Engaged citizenship requires understanding American history, institutions, and cultures, and informed participation in the democratic processes that continue to shape our republic into a “more perfect union".

The music of the women’s suffrage movement reflects the culture of change that activists inspired, and that inspired activism. Songs sung by and about suffragists reveal their persuasive arguments for political equality, and helped link their cause to the other activist movements of their time. Notably, the lyrics of pre-Nineteenth Amendment songs foreshadow the feminist message of later suffragists, who sought to advance the cause of women’s equality in their own times.

Welcome to our new members! Join us for an overiview of the Leagues activities and learn how you can become involved.

Hear how the LWV has advocated for women and children at the United Nations.

Learn how Elaeanor Roosevelt acknowledged the work done by the LWV in their advocacy for the right to vote.

The Montclair History Center interviews members of the LWV of the Montclair Area and learns about their years of advocacy.

The League of Women Voters of the Montclair Area and the NAACP interviewed Dr. Jonathan Ponds, Superintendent of Montclair Schools. See the Video of the Zoom call here.