Study and Adoption of Program

When League members at an annual meeting or convention decide on a study or re-study, local and state boards appoint a chair of a “resource” or study committee. Taking part in a study is an excellent way for new members to become familiar and involved with the League.

The resource committee is responsible for developing reliable and balanced information to be presented at a discussion meeting called a “unit”. Often “consensus” questions are used to focus discussion and encourage the attending members to come to agreement. The responses to these questions are compiled by either the local, state, or national League and, if there is substantial agreement, a new or modified position is added to the program at that level.

“Concurrence” is another method sometimes used to adopt a new position. In this process, members of a local League or delegates to a convention are asked to concur with a position statement. They are provided with the same kind of thorough and unbiased information as when using the consensus process. But instead of responding to consensus questions, the membership or delegates are asked to agree with a position statement that has already been formulated. Often these are positions arrived at through study and consensus by another League.

The LWVUS convention, for example, adopted the national positions on handgun control and reproductive rights by concurring with positions derived from two of LWVMA’s consensus positions.

Once positions are adopted and are part of the League program, they are re-endorsed regularly. Local positions are voted on at annual meeting; state and national positions are voted at the respective convention. National positions apply at all levels; state positions may be used at both state and local levels; and action on local positions is confined to local communities.