At the League of Women Voters of Chester County’s (LWVCC) rescheduled annual meeting, board members, Mary Lou Dondero, Voters Service Chair, and Meryle Rothman, outgoing Membership Chair, were recognized for their extraordinary service. Marking its 101st anniversary, the Chester County League dates back to the founding of the (national) League of Women Voters in 1920, and has been continuously active since that time. Shortly after the Dec. 4th 1919 annual convention of the Chester County Woman Suffrage Party, the members dissolved their organization, and reorganized as the Chester County League of Women Citizens, soon changing “Citizens” to “Voters.” Through the years the local LWV had some minor name changes, primarily based on geography, and divided into “units.” However, for several years now the organization has been known as the League of Women Voters of Chester County.
While its members are urged to be politically active personally, when representing or speaking on behalf of the LWV, they must be totally non-partisan in this strictly non-partisan organization, as are all national, state and local leagues and members. The LWVCC’s purpose is to serve the local community by promoting informed, active citizen participation in government, and by action on selected governmental positions. As President Susan Carty recently stated, “Education with action is what we, the League of Women Voters, are all about!”
The 200 plus LWVCC members, representing over 25 communities in the county, focus on 14 county positions which include county government, health department and the library system, constables and magisterial district justices, land use, solid waste, energy, housing, juvenile and criminal justice.
The 18 state positions include election laws, judiciary and legislative structure and practices, land use, natural gas extraction, child health and welfare, family issues and laws, education, and transportation.
Among the 51 national program positions are voting rights, the election process, individual liberties, congress and the presidency, international relations, U.S. relations with developing countries, military policy and defense spending, natural resources, air quality, energy, water resources, waste management and agricultural policies. In addition, LWV has positions on social and fiscal policies such as employment, public education, equal rights, tax and immigration policies, and human trafficking to name a few areas.
At their annual January meeting, the LWVCC and leagues nationwide will meet and each league will choose which of the many positons they will focus on during the coming year.
The LWVCC is well known for moderating candidate forums and debates, holding voter registration events, hosting public meetings on issues such as immigration and juvenile justice, distributing election information and providing the Vote411 system, and distributing its annual Legislative Directory of county representatives in Washington D.C., Harrisburg and West Chester.
