League of Women Voters of Illinois^®

History  The LWV of the United States began in Chicago at the Congress Hotel on February 14, 1920.  Carrie Chapman Catt urged the National American Woman Suffrage Association to change direction and help American women learn about the issues and "be worthy of the privilege of voting."

Purposes  The League encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government and works to influence public policy through education and advocacy.  Any citizen, 18 or older, male or female, may join.  The LWV is nonpartisan and neither supports nor opposes candidates for elected office but does act on issues after member study and consensus.

Local Leagues  There are 51 Leagues with over 4,000 members in Illinois.  Local Leagues hold public meetings on issues, host candidate forums, monitor local government activities, and act to ensure better communities.  Recently, Illinois Leagues have successfully campaigned to reduce the size of county boards and pass local referendums for schools and libraries.

Today's Leaguers in Illinois Politics  The League of Women Voters is a training ground for people in leadership positions and in politics.  The League's founders sought to educate the woman voter initially, but that insight also empowered her to seek office in which to make a real contribution to society.  Many of today's leaders are members of the League of Women Voters.

Your membership will be directed to a local League near you.  If there is no local League in your area, you may join as a Member-at-Large (MAL) of the state and national League of Women Voters.

• Voters who want to make government more responsive and accessible
• Women and men who want to influence policies that affect their community, state and nation
• Motivated individuals interested in developing their skills in leadership, conflict resolution, lobbying and public speaking
• Busy people who want to support a progressive public policy agenda
• Thinkers looking for a lively discussion of issues
• Newcomers and long-time residents who want to find out about the hot issues in their community
• Parents concerned about the world their children will inherit
• Committed citizens who want to work together to improve the quality of life in their world

• Nonpartisan but political
  The League does not support or oppose candidates or political parties.  The League does work to influence public policy through citizen education and advocacy.
  
• Grassroots
  League members themselves choose which public policy issues will be targeted for study and action.
  
• Multi-Issue
  The League takes action on a broad range of issues-from violence prevention to pollution control, campaign finance reform and local school referenda.
  
• Informative
  The League registers voters, sponsors candidate debates, publishes voters guides and public policy research, and holds conferences on key issues.
  
• Influential
  The League lobbies elected officials and works in coalition with others to press its agenda in Washington, Springfield, and local communities.
  
• Inter-Connected
  When you join, you become a member of a local League in your community, the Illinois League and the League of Women Voters of the U.S.