About the League

League of Women Voters^®
of Salinas Valley

What is our mission? How are we structured? What is our history?

Our Mission. Other Leagues. Our History. Non-Partisanship Policy.

Our Mission and Roles

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization encouraging the informed and active participation of citizens in government. It influences public policy through education and advocacy. We never support or oppose any political party or candidate.
The League of Women Voters has two separate and distinct roles.

Voters Service/Citizen Education: we present unbiased nonpartisan information about elections, the voting process, and issues.

Action/Advocacy: we are also nonpartisan, but, after study, we use our positions to advocate for or against particular policies in the public interest.

To conduct our voter service and citizen education activities, we use funds from the League of Women Voters of California Education Fund, which is a 501(c)(3) corporation, a nonprofit educational organization. The League of Women Voters, a membership organization, conducts action and advocacy and is a nonprofit 501(c)(4) corporation.
Our Vision, Beliefs, and Intentions guide our activities.

Other League Organizations

We often team up with the League of Women Voters of the Monterey Peninsula on speakers and projects such as Mock Election, or on county-wide issues.
Our members are also members of:

League of Women Voters of California, and
"League of Women Voters of the United States"<http://www.lwv.org/">.

See other Leagues in California and other state Leagues and local League websites.

History of the League of Women Voters

Read a short history of the League of Women Voters.

Our Non-Partisanship Policy

"The League may take action on governmental measures and policies in the public interest. It shall not support or oppose any political party or any candidate." (Article II, Section 2, LWVUS by-laws)
The reputation and credibility of the League are dependent upon the clear understanding by the community, the League members and the Board members of our non-partisan policy. The spirit of the non-partisanship policy is to encourage the greatest possible political activity, and to help members honestly and actively maintain the League's non-partisanship position.
The political activities of a spouse or relative of a Board member shall be considered separate and distinct from the activities of the Board member.
The League of Women Voters of Salinas shall not support or oppose any political party or candidate. The Board and each Board member have the responsibility to maintain the fact of non-partisanship of the organization. When questions are raised, decisions will be made on a basis of the specific situation.
The League of Women Voters of the Salinas Valley encourages participation in politics, in civic organizations, and on boards and commissions for all its members with the following exceptions for members of the board of directors:

1. The President and Voter Service Chair may not be active in a partisan political campaign or work publicly in support of a candidate for any elected office, partisan or non-partisan including, but not limited to endorsements, campaign contributions, buttons, bumper stickers or partisan letters to the editor.

2. A board member may not be active in a campaign for a ballot measure or an issue in opposition to a League position and shall not be assigned a League portfolio in which there is a conflict of interest.

3. Questions concerning board members' political activity shall be brought to the board for discussion and a final decision.
A member should not be assigned a League portfolio in which there is a conflict of interest, as determined by the Board.
A final discretionary power in maintaining the League's non-partisanship shall be the Board's responsibility.
This policy is subject to review at the request of a majority of the Board and shall be reviewed at the first meeting of each new Board.
Reviewed and accepted: December 1, 2002
Reviewed and accepted: July 17, 2003
Reviewed and Accepted: July 28, 2004

Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our webmaster. Last revised: January 3, 2010 19:48 PST.