LWV National History Timeline

We were founded by leaders of the women’s suffrage movement. For over 100 years we have been a nonpartisan, activist, grassroots organization that believes voters must play a critical role in democracy.

LWV 1920’s Platform included: Child Welfare, Education, Home & High Prices, Public Health and Morale and Full Citizenship for Married Women.

No More Excuses 2021

LWV Local History

Jackson County has long played an active role in the work of the League of Women Voters over most of the last 100 plus years. In 2015 our local League was reborn with the support of President of the state League of Women Voters along with the mentoring of the Lansing League’s co-Presidents.

Under their guidance the Jackson Unit began to take form. The generosity and guidance of the Lansing co-Presidents and the Lansing Board laid the foundation for Jackson to develop into a growing, strong, independent League.

In December of 2017 the League of Women Voters Jackson Area was officially accepted as an independent League by the national League of Women Voters.

Jackson Area League in Action

• Health Care: Resolution to declare Racism as a Public Health Crisis (2020)
• 2020 CENSUS – members targeted hard-to-reach residents who may otherwise have not filled out the census.
• Developed, studied and approved a local position on Property Tax Foreclosure Prevention.
• Passed a Resolution to declare racism a public health crisis.
• Offer “How to Vote” Seminar for High School Seniors on Voting History, Voter Registration, and How to Vote.
• Provide information on local candidates at VOTE411.org and distribute print voter guide for major elections.
• Women’s Expo – exhibited since 2015
• Hosting Candidate Forums – every year since 2015.
• Participated in monitoring the local Boards of Canvassers work after the elections in November 2020, November 2022 and spring of 2024.
• Voter Registration – work to provide voter services to area residents including presentation of nonpartisan information about elections, the voting process, important local issues. and awareness of new voting rights including No-Excuse Absentee Ballots. Any group or organization may ask for our assistance.
• JXN Community Forums, educating the community on areas of particular relevance, including Candidate Forums, co-sponsor with Carnegie Library.
• Juneteenth – since 2015
• Conduct study groups on issues of interest with since 2015. Topics included Road Funding and Redistricting
• Participate in consensus studies on state and local Government Finance and Budgets, Seasonal Workers, Money in Politics.
• Jackson County Proclamation of 100th Anniversary of LWV

LWV National History

Since 1920 we have been an activist, grassroots organization whose leaders believed that voters should play a critical role in democracy.

The League of Women Voters was founded by Carrie Chapman Catt in 1920 during the convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. The convention was held just six months before the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, giving women the right to vote after a 72-year struggle.

The League began as a “mighty political experiment” designed to help 20 million women carry out their new responsibilities as voters. It encouraged them to use their new power to participate in shaping public policy. From the beginning, the League has been an activist, grassroots organization whose leaders believed that citizens should play a critical role in advocacy. It was then, and is now, a nonpartisan organization. League founders believed that maintaining a nonpartisan stance would protect the fledgling organization from becoming mired in the party politics of the day. However, League members were encouraged to be political themselves, by educating citizens about, and lobbying for, government and social reform legislation.

This holds true today. The League is proud to be nonpartisan, neither supporting nor opposing candidates or political parties at any level of government, but always working on vital issues of concern to members and the public. The League has a long, rich history that continues with each passing year.