Local League Operation and Governance

Nonpartisan Policies & Talking Points

  • The League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania does not support or oppose any political party or candidate. However, the LWVPA Board values the many skills and types of experience that individual board members bring to the League, including those learned in public life through elective or appointive office. In fact, involvement in the public and political life of this country is something that the League of Women Voters recommends for all citizens and other members of the public.

    Nevertheless, the LWVPA Board believes that some basic limitations on board members’ political activity, while they are serving in this capacity, are necessary to protect the nonpartisanship of the League as an organization.  Other than in their official capacity, the President shall not engage in any political activity, partisan or nonpartisan, including attending political fundraising events.

    In order to balance these goals, the LWVPA Board adopts the following policy.  This policy shall be reviewed and amended or readopted by the LWVPA Board at the beginning of each new biennium.

    1. Elected Office: A Board member shall not run for, nor hold, any partisan elective office at any level of government. A Board member may run for or hold a local non-partisan elective office, after consultation with and approval by the LWVPA Board and the president of the affected local League.

    2. Political Party Office: A Board member shall not serve in any official position in a political party at any level of government.

    3. Political Campaigns:  A Board member shall not chair a political campaign or administer fundraising for a political campaign, chair a campaign event, be a spokesperson, or work in any other significant way in the campaign of a candidate for a partisan office at any level of government.

    4. Campaign Contributions: A Board member shall not make campaign contributions to campaigns or candidates for any federal or state office or to political parties or other entities contributing to such federal or state races.

    5. Social and Other Media: A Board member shall not indicate their political affiliations or candidate preferences at any level of government in the media, including on social networking sites or other public venues that also prominently identify them as a member of the LWVPA Board.

    6. Commissions, Boards, and Councils: State Board Members may serve on commissions, boards, councils, and committees if the intent of the body is not contrary to the nonpartisan political policy of the League of Women Voters.

    7. Additional Clarification: Board members shall present questions about specific situations to the LWVPA Board where the foregoing policies do not resolve the question.

  • The League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania 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. 

    LWVPA seeks to ensure League leaders and members have a firm understanding of the nonpartisanship policy of the League, and have the tools and knowledge to respond to criticisms or questioning of our policy. 

    Definition of nonpartisan: not partisan especially : free from party affiliation, bias, or designation  – Merriam Webster 

    Here are some talking points for use by your local League to explain our nonpartisan  policy: 

    1. The League’s nonpartisan stance is long standing. The Board of Directors of the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania made a choice in 1920 to neither support nor oppose any political party or candidate for public office to ensure that the League’s voice is heard above that of party politics. 

    2. The League is proud to be nonpartisan, neither supporting nor opposing candidates or political parties at any level of government, but always working on issues important to members and the public. 

    3. Issues are not partisan. The League’s advocacy work is issue-based, and we arrive at our positions based on careful study and input from our members in communities across Pennsylvania. We can be in agreement with a politician or candidate on an issue — but that does not mean we endorse the candidate. We also NEVER provide funding to political candidates or parties.  

    4. The League’s credibility is founded on being an effective nonpartisan political organization in the community. 

    5. The League’s nonpartisan stance does not mean that the League does not get involved in controversy. When the League takes a position on a matter, it only does so after extensive research and a consensus reached by the board and membership. The League’s public statement on an issue focuses on the facts underlying the issue and provides the rationale for the League’s position. The public statement does not focus on a particular politician, party or candidate who may support or oppose the issue. If you or your league is accused of being partisan because of its position on an issue, refocus the discussion on the issue itself, and not on political parties or partisan positions. 

    6. The League’s purpose and mission is to educate voters on issues regarding voting and democracy. As part of its mission to educate voters, the League: 

    a. Hosts candidate forums and invites all candidates from all parties running for the particular office. If there are only two candidates for an office and one does not accept the invitation to participate in the forum, the forum will not be held. 

    b. Supports the website VOTE411.org. VOTE411 is an internet platform in which voters can get information on all candidates who will appear on their  ballot, learn their polling locations, the requirements for mail in/absentee voting and other information that will assist a voter in a particular election.  Candidate information includes biographical information and responses to questions pertinent to the office that they seek. All candidates for a particular office are invited and encouraged to participate. 

    c. Creates presentations/has speakers on subjects such as election law and policy, voting process, redistricting, Civics 101, the primary system open and closed, and alternate voting systems, to name a few. 

    7. Local Leagues meet with all legislators representing their area to discuss the  legislator’s issues and the League’s issues. A relationship is developed based upon mutual respect and good faith. 

    8. The LWVPA Board is made up of registered Democrats, Republican and non-affiliated (independent) voters. 

    9. LWVPA Board members must sign a nonpartisan policy that contains explicit  restrictions on political activities of Board members, including but not limited to the  following prohibitions: 

    a. Running for or holding any partisan political office

    b. Chairing a political campaign or administering fundraising for a political campaign, chair a campaign event, be a spokesperson, or work in  any other significant way in the campaign of a candidate for a partisan  office at any level of government. 

    c. Serving in any official capacity in a political party organization 

    d. Making campaign contributions to campaigns or candidates for any  federal or state office or to political parties or other entities contributing to  federal or state races. 

    e. Indicating their political affiliations or candidate preferences at any  level of government in the media, including on social networking sites or  other public venues that also prominently identify them as a member of  the LWVPA/CEF Board. 

    See the full LWVPA nonpartisanship policy here.

  • The League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania 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.  

    Many issues today are framed in partisan terms, and it can feel impossible to communicate at all without being accused of taking a side. Being painted into ideological corners because of a stance our organization takes is not a new phenomenon, but it continues to undermine a vibrant democracy. Discussion, discourse, and listening to  other points of view are what makes democracy work. 

    More than 100 years ago, the League of Women Voters was founded to be a nonpartisan voice for American women who wanted free, fair, and open elections, above  all else. Our founders believed that voters must always have the facts, no matter how difficult those facts could be to accept, especially when they challenge one’s beliefs  about a candidate or political party. Our founders were attacked for taking positions rooted in fact back then, and today, not much has changed. League leaders continue to  face this challenge and often stand accused of being partisan for our efforts to advance democracy. 

    Issues are Not Partisan: The League’s advocacy work is issue-based, and we arrive at our positions based on careful study and input from our members in communities across Pennsylvania. We can agree with a politician or candidate on an issue — but that does not mean we endorse the candidate. We also NEVER provide funding to political candidates. 

    Issues may evolve over the years, but our allegiance will always be first and foremost to  the voters. If a party changes their position on an issue, that doesn’t mean the League  has to change our position to remain neutral. And one politician taking a similar position  to the League on any one issue does not make the issue or the League partisan. 

    Democracy is a Civil Rights Issue: Our mission to ‘empower voters and defend democracy’ has not changed in our 100  years. Unfortunately, in this hyper-partisan environment, people make inaccurate assumptions about this work. Supporting the democratic processes of registering voters  and protecting the ballot box is seen by some as opposing one political party, even though fair elections are the foundations of our democracy. Likewise, empowering  voters who previously have been left out of the process and supporting policies that set right systemic racism does not mean we align with one party. Rather, it means we are doing what we were founded to do: to stand up for what is right.  

    Wanting every eligible voter to have equal access to the ballot box is not partisan. Wanting a strong democracy in which everyone has an equal voice and equal representation is not partisan. Wanting to see more elected officials that reflect the diverse makeup of our country is not partisan – it is American. 

    Our Nonpartisan Activities: 

    • Voter registration 

    • Voter education, including nonpartisan candidate forums 

    • Vote411, our nonpartisan guide to voting and candidates 

    • Advocacy in line with our official positions, which are adopted by our grassroots membership every two years.

    Political Affiliations of our Members and Leadership: If you join the League, we assume that you are passionate about making democracy work, no matter your political affiliation. Pennsylvanians of all political affiliations are welcome to join our organization. We never request information on our members’ political affiliations.  

    The LWVPA Board of Directors, who are elected by our members to serve two-year terms, have strict limits on the political activities they may engage in. Board members may not run for, nor hold, any partisan elected office at any level of government. Board members may not serve in any official position in a political party at any level of  government, nor chair political campaigns. Our full nonpartisan policy can be viewed here. 

    All Are Welcome! Whether you identify politically as a Republican, Democrat, Independent, Libertarian,  conservative, liberal, moderate, progressive, or another political perspective, you have a  place in the League, as long as you are committed to our belief in an inclusive democracy.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, & Accessibility (DEIBA)

  • The League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania is an organization fully committed to  Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Accessibility (DEIBA) in principle and in practice. DEIBA is central to the organization’s current and future success in engaging all individuals, households, communities, and policy makers in creating a more perfect democracy.

    There shall be no barriers to full participation in this organization on the basis of gender, gender identity, ethnicity, race, native or indigenous origin, age, generation, sexual orientation, culture, religion, belief system, marital status, parental status, socioeconomic status, language, accent, ability status, mental health, educational level or background, geography, nationality, work style, work experience, job role function, thinking style, personality type, physical appearance, political perspective or affiliation and/or any other characteristic that can be identified as recognizing or illustrating diversity.

    Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policy, Statement of Implementation:
    Our work should be measured against the yardstick of a DEIBA Lens the goal being to ensure that all members, volunteers and the public are treated with respect and that League and League endorsed activities are welcoming to all individuals, groups, and communities. 

    In order to build and maintain equity within the organization, the Board of Directors has established the following guidelines: 

    1. All State and local Board members are expected to understand, demonstrate good faith and practice adherence to the DEIBA Policy, as written. Examples include but are not limited to partnerships, outreach events and membership training, 

    2. Local groups may design their own DEIBA statements, however, those statements may not lessen or diminish the intention and impact of the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania DEIBA policy. We encourage reading and displaying the DEIBA Policy. 

    3. DEIBA should be actively sought, not just in membership development, but in recruitment for leadership and full representation in policy-making and leadership positions. 

    4. Transparency is expected in all areas of League work, including recruitment, policy-making, and decision-making. 

    5. Meetings and activities should be welcoming for all and consider the time, place, cost, and comfort-level of everyone. Community outreach initiatives should be inclusive to everyone. 

    6. Each local League and MAL unit should provide appropriate and ongoing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training to its members. Local leadership should participate in LWV PA equity training and support and implement League endorsed equity practices. LWVPA and LWVUS resources and webinars are of no cost and available for all to assist in meeting these goals and for further one-on-one assistance. 

    7. Should a LWVPA Board Member, or any other member, be confronted with a situation involving a question of discrimination or other violation of rights: 

      • Report to and consult with the LWVPA

      • Seek reconciliation through consideration of all parties involved.

      • Implement agreed upon changes that will resolve and prevent future acts of discrimination or abuse. 

      • Enact new strategies and programs which ensure full inclusion and equity.

  • Welcome! The League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania’s Equity Initiative is working to implement the LWV DEBA Policy. We are committed to building  Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Accessibility (DEIBA)in LWVPA and our local Leagues – inside and out – and advancing the full realization of equity in democratic society. Learn more about the LWVPA Equity Initiative.

    Donate to the Equity Initiative: Support speakers, learning materials, accessibility, and translation for local and state programming. Note “Equity Initiative Outreach” in the donation notes. Thank you.

    Explore LWVPA Equity Initiative Shared Resources which offer further learning on equity, accessibility, anti-bias and anti-racism topics. Build your Leagues capacity, offer the new LWVPA DEIBA Learning Modules to your local League.

    A range of resources are available from LWVUS, League of Women Voters US.

  • Thank you for participating in the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania DEI Learning Series. The LWVPA Equity Initiative, representing local Leagues throughout Pennsylvania, has developed this series of five basic level learning modules designed to build understanding of  Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Accessibility (DEIBA).‍ ‍Modules may be presented as one unit or broken into smaller components. Sincere thanks to the Equity Team’s Education sub-committee for their work researching and developing learning objectives, activities, and content. Committee members included Anne Mosakowski, chair, and members Sandra Kerr, Sandra Schaal, Cathy Yungmann and Jennifer Hanf.

    These modules are intended to be given sequentially, live, online or in-person. The modules include slides, scripts, discussion questions, activities, videos, and references. Live presentation significantly encourages interactive discussion and collaborative problem solving. Use your own voice and natural  presentation style. Consider your own experience and that of the audience.

    Two ways to use the DEIBA Learning Modules. You may request a facilitator to present modules to your League. As a DEIBA Representative you may undertake facilitation yourself, in full or in part. Become familiar with the modules. Contact stephanie.sun@palwv.org to discuss preparation for presenting DEI Learning Module Programming and the best plan for a successful learning journey tailored for your League.

    The DEIBA Learning Modules:

    Facilitators: Read First

    Module 1: What is DEIBA? Why is the DEIBA Policy important to my League?

    Module 2: What is Diversity? 

    Module 3: What is Equity? 

    Module 4: What is Inclusion?  

    Module 5: Integration of DEIBA into your League Community.