by Catherine Shwalter

Background

The League of Women Voters 2026 National Convention was convened from June 24-28, 2026 in Columbus, Ohio. There were 1,073 registered Delegates which included those in attendance and others who viewed the plenary sessions remotely. LWV Orange Coast was represented by four voting Delegates at the Convention: Maryanne Colvey, Ginny Elmore, Linda Moon and Catherine Showalter. Carol Fisher served remotely as a non-voting, virtual Delegate with limited access to the proceedings. This report summarizes experiences of all five OC Delegates.

Three Underlying Messages of the Convention

The first Plenary session, Rooted in Care, Rising in Power, set the theme for the Convention “UNITE & RISE.”  The speakers emphasized that although the League is non-partisan, it IS political and has been using its organizational tools vigorously to advocate and litigate regarding League Positions. State and Local leagues were encouraged to let their voices be heard and their power felt in advocating. The new logo (three raised fists) as well as the theme further emphasized the necessity of the League fighting what was candidly described as a constitutional crisis.

Building on the message Be Bold! an entire session was devoted to Conflict Resolution. Common triggers of conflict are miscommunication, value differences, generational divides, political tension, and power dynamics. It’s not about bad people, just differences. Steps to diffuse conflict were described: Slowing down the pace of the exchange; Naming what’s happening without judgment; Asking rather than assuming; Acknowledging impact before defending intent; Choosing the right time and setting. The framework: Pause, regulate (asking yourself what’s happening here?) and then respond. Conflict avoidance is incredibly harmful.

The third underlying message was linking Diversity, Equity and Inclusion with advocacy and conflict resolution. Statements such as: “Turning forward is about keeping the door open. Conflict is not a sign that something is broken. Every voice matters!” link to the DEI pillars addressing equity and inclusion that were described in theory and in personal experiences. We are all responsible for promoting DEI. We have to make sure that we are actively dismantling exclusionary practices and using “Equity centered decision making in all areas,” including budgets, services and language.

Breakout Sessions

There were 39 breakout sessions. The LWVOC Delegates attended the following sessions listed in order of the program agenda.

Religious Freedom Position – Colorado
Catherine Showalter
The LWV of Colorado stands for the separation of church and state and religious freedom founded upon individual conscience, free of social or political influence by any state or religious body; these fundamental civil rights are threatened by religious nationalism. Colorado is asking for: 1) Framework and definition of religious nationalism; 2) Structured legal response to federal litigation strategies; and 3) Education and federal advocacy on this issue.

From Message to Movement: Activating your League Through Branding and Media
Maryanne Colvey
A lot of the session was focused on the different colors, logos, type fonts that we are allowed to use for the different campaigns LWV engages in. They further went on to outline some of the ways to boost your media platform: 1) Build a story; 2) Create a curated media list; (3) Understand your audience and outlets.

LWVUS Climate Interest Group – Actions and Resources
Linda Moon (Facilitator)
Presentation was given on League Climate Resources and actions that can be taken at the National, State, Local and Individual levels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The various LWV Teams (Water, Oceans, Climate Action Plans) were also reviewed.

Training: Why Should We Abolish the Electoral College?
Ginny Elmore
This session provided a review of arguments for abolishing the Electoral College (EC) system that elects the president: 1) It creates “Swing states, which results in voter turnout being consistently lower in non-swing states, as candidates spend less time there: 2) The Popular vote system would not shift the benefits to the largest cities; 3) The EC divides us into so-called “red states” and blue states,” and it erases the vote totals and the significant diversity of opinion for each state once the winner of each state has been determined; and, 4) All other elected officials are elected by popular vote. LWV has supported abolishing the Electoral College since 1970.  

League Advocacy for Trust in Government: PWM Privatization Update

Ginny Elmore

The proposed concurrence advocates for the study of public-run services vs privatization and its effect on democracy. Health care was added to the list of public services which included prisons, hospitals, parks, Internet, hospices, emergency departments, trash collection, nursing homes, rehab units, electricity, water, dialysis units, radiologists, physician groups, roads and drug manufacturing.

Observer Corps: Accountability in Action
Catherine Showalter
The Observer Corps (OC) is a training ground for future leaders, gathering information ahead of time, not after an issue is public. Observers are not advocates. They are strictly observers, but the OC is important to support advocacy, especially for local issues. A key component of observing is situational awareness.  

Using Litigation to Defend the Rights of Voters
Linda Moon
Speakers were from LWV Litigation and the ACLU. The League is currently involved with approximately 170 cases in Federal and State Courts. The League is often a party in cases brought by the ACLU. League members often serve as the primary litigants. Litigation at the state and federal levels can be requested by local leagues. The League can also be asked to intervene or file an Amicus brief.

Building Partnerships to Advocate for Ranked Choice Voting in Local Elections
Maryanne Colvey, Ginny Elmore, Linda Moon
This session discussed how ranked choice voting works and is working in several states. The presentation was very pro RCV; we owe it to our members to educate them and let them choose for themselves. Given that only the day before, the Orange County Superior Court ordered the City of Huntington Beach to implement RCV no later than 2028, this was particularly timely. It was stated that in addition to using RCV in individual public office elections, its use in a proportional representation voting system, also called “Multi-winner RCV,” would remedy gerrymandering and deliver fair representation.

UN Observer Advocacy: How LWV Is Advancing Change in a Rapidly Evolving World
Catherine Showalter
The purpose of the UN Observer role is to make connections with the United Nations. The LWV holds official NGO Observer Status at the UN, and observers are appointed nationally through LWVUS. Representatives monitor meetings, participate in UN conferences, and advocate for international peace, human rights, and women’s equality.

Leadership Succession Planning
Catherine Showalter
There are three pillars of succession: Planned transitions, Emergency coverage, and Leadership development. Succession planning should be included in policies and procedures or the strategic plan, not bylaws. A Leadership Succession & Sustainability Toolkit was distributed. Those in attendance were asked to individually fill out the Action Plan Worksheet for group discussion to follow. I found limited benefit from this session.

Recognizing Harmful Norms in White-Dominant Spaces and How to Interrupt Them
Maryanne Colvey, Ginny Elmore
This session was an attempt at consciousness raising but not considered helpful by the LWVOC Delegates.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
Carol Fisher, and the four on-site OC Delegates
Five areas of DEI action were identified: 1) Allyship and ensuring members feel valued and heard; 2) For us not to be bystanders but upstanders; 3) Building psychological safety; 4) Intent to impact (Where and how do we want our impact to be realized); and, 5) Recognizing that we are implementing Intent and that we are moving to Impact always.

Plenary Sessions

Friday, June 26: Debate and voting took place on adopting the 2026 – 2028 Proposed National Program. Recommended Concurrences were adopted that included: Protecting the Rights of Immigrants; Defending A Democracy Under Siege; and the State of Washington Protecting the Rights of Immigrants. Adopted for Consideration on Saturday included the Colorado Religious Freedom position and the New York update to the National Privatization position. It was determined that The Racial Equity in Education for Concurrence Consideration had not gone through the appropriate process of the program planning committee prior to the Convention. It cannot be considered at this Convention. The Study of the Money System was not recommended by the Planning Committee prior to the Convention. It was not adopted for consideration.

Saturday, June 27: Resolutions were approved that included: 1) Equality of Opportunity, nonpartisan civil service; 2) Statehood for the people of the District of Columbia; 3) Defending the Constitution and Ending Executive Overreach; 4) Abolish Electoral College and replace with the national popular vote; 5) Surveillance technologies; and 6) Oppose Human Trafficking.

The Colorado concurrence on religious freedom was barely adopted after some great confusion regarding the quorum. Initially, the parliamentarian ruled that adoption required 2/3 of those registered but ultimately passage was achieved with 2/3 of those voting after the floor voted to do so. This episode displaying grass roots and passionate determination was described as democracy in action. The Washington concurrence on Privatization was rejected.

Sunday, June 28: Business continued with the approval of the Credentials Committee Report and adoption of the Bylaws. Recognition of the 2024-2026 Board of Directors took place and Sania Irwin, the LWV Incoming President, offered remarks to inspire action under her upcoming leadership.

Action Items

• Build the table. Bring your chair. Who isn’t with us who should be? How can we increase the economic, age, racial, and political party diversity in LWVOC?
• For branding and media, determine who are the influencers in OC.
• Determine whether there is a branding guide available.
• In collaboration with local groups, LWVOC should sponsor voter education programs on Ranked Choice Voting.
• Provide consciousness raising training to recognize harmful norms in white dominated spaces.
• Identify how LWVOC collaborates with the Girl Scouts. They have a Promote the Vote campaign and a democracy badge.
• Survey our membership on what they believe are issues the LWV should take positions on.

For LWVUS, research is needed to identify the causes for the significant number of non-voting Delegates (165-243 non-voting out of 1,073 registered Delegates, depending on the measure).

Upcoming Events
On July 22, at 3:00 pm (EST), LWV Observer Corp Training will take place. Agenda monitoring is an important aspect of observing.

There will be a Media Training on July 30, 2026.

June Launch: Bi-weekly DEI Support Workshops are now underway.
July Launch: The DEI Liaison Program is upcoming, with dates to be determined.