Nonpartisanship Explained
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.