League of Women Voters of Louisville/Jefferson County Records

Founded in 1920, the League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization with two main purposes: to encourage the informed and active participation of citizens in government and to influence public policy through education and advocacy. The organization's name, like its mission, derives from the proud legacy of the women's suffrage movement. With more than a hundred thousand members and supporters nationwide, the League of Women Voters works at the local, state, and national levels, paralleling the levels of American government. It is organized in more than one thousand communities, in all fifty states as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The league's hallmark is its unique grassroots approach to study and action, with all positions taken based on nationwide study, and consensus among members. Members may join through any level of the league, and with membership comes the opportunity to work on local, state, regional, and national public policy issues. Local leagues set their local programs, priorities and dues; state leagues set the statewide agenda.