There are some years we’re certain will go down in the history books — 2025 was one of them. 

From the start of the second Trump Administration to the record-breaking protests it inspired. 

From unconstitutional National Guard deployments and illegal deportations to people-powered, community-centered resistance. 

It was a year of challenges to both our democracy and our spirit. It was also a year when everyday voters showed up by the millions to fight for a country by and for the people. 

Reflecting the spirit and energy of our nation, the League took bold action to empower voters and defend democracy during this nation-defining moment. 

Below are five of the (many) moments that defined 2025 for LWV and its supporters. 

1. Launching Unite & Rise 8.5 in the Face of a Constitutional Crisis 

In the wake of multiple actions from the Trump Administration defying Supreme Court orders, disregarding congressional authority, and ignoring democratic checks and balances, the League engaged that our country is “in a constitutional crisis.”  

In response, LWV launched its Unite & Rise 8.5 initiative to engage and mobilize 8.5 million voters to protect and preserve democracy. 

Commit to Unite and Rise! 

Unite & Rise supporters have taken action on many fronts, from the courts to the streets to the ballot box. Supporters showed up at rallies, raised their voices on critical issues like the occupation of Washington, DC, and the SAVE Act, and showed up at town halls and other civic events to speak directly to local politicians. You can join the movement and stay up to date on action opportunities by signing our Unite & Rise commitment form. 

With “unite” in its name, this initiative created an opportunity to join forces with other people-powered organizations and leaders. LWV launched the Unite & Rise web series to share conversations between CEO Celina Stewart, Esq., and diverse leaders in the democracy space, including political scientist Erica Chenoweth, Young Voters founder Jahnavi Rao, and nonprofit leaders Sheila Katz and Reverend Shavon Arline-Bradley. In November, LWV announced an advisory committee made up of cross-sector leaders and Grassroots Power Partners from women-led organizations to further the initiative. 

2. Empowering Voters and Election Heroes in the 2025 Election 

Despite occurring in an election “off year,” the 2025 races presented a critical opportunity to amplify voters’ voices. While bad actors proposed bills that would suppress voters nationwide, LWV and its election-information resource VOTE411.org worked to ensure that as many people as possible had the information and access necessary to cast their ballots. 

This involved many first-of-their-kind outreach tactics, including our first national tour with the feminist singer and activist Cyndi Lauper. Leagues nationwide registered voters and promoted VOTE411 as a resource in the “charity villages” Cyndi set up across her US tour stops. 

Leagues also engaged in their hallmark work, including registering voters, hosting candidate debates, and performing state and local election outreach, among other activities.  

Through VOTE411 alone, LWV provided 2.09 million voters with election information. This covered 34.7k general election candidates in 15.8k general election races. 

Voters weren’t the only people LWV supported. In 2025, the League became the managing partner of the civic holiday Election Hero Day, which recognizes the work of election staff and volunteers to keep our democracy running. As the US faces a poll worker shortage, LWV is proud to be a loud advocate for our election heroes. 

3. Suing the Trump Administration 

In March 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order claiming to protect the integrity of American elections by making several changes, including requiring documentary proof of citizenship (“DPOC”) to register vote using the federal voter registration form. This change would not only be unnecessary, as non-citizen voting is extremely rare – but it would also be more likely to suppress voters than protect elections. It would also be illegal, as the President lacks the authority to unilaterally alter election procedures (powers that rest with Congress and the states). 

LWV joined partners in writing a letter outlining the illegality of the Order and requesting that the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) not implement it. Then, in April, LWV and its partners filed a federal lawsuit, asserting that the Order violated federal law and seeking a preliminary injunction to block the Order from taking effect. The court granted the League’s motion and blocked the EO on April 25, 2025.  

Then, in October, the court granted LWV’s motion to permanently block the executive order, forbidding the EAC from requiring documentary proof of citizenship for the federal voter registration form. 

This decision was an enormous win for voters. As our CEO, Celina Stewart, Esq., said, “Today, the court sent a strong message to the Trump administration: our elections must be accessible to all citizens, not just the privileged few.” The League continues to fight unlawful DPOC laws in federal courts nationwide.  

LWVEF v. Trump is one of many legal cases the League worked on in 2025. Another significant victory included the first-of-its-kind win in our case that focused on the use of AI to intimidate voters.  LWV is also challenging the Trump Administration in other ways, such as suing the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, US Department of Homeland Security, and other offices over abruptly enacting a new rule barring nonpartisan civic engagement groups from providing voter registration and promoting civic engagement at administrative naturalization ceremonies. 

4. Standing Against the SAVE Act 

Throughout 2025, LWV has remained steadfast in its opposition to the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require documentation of citizenship to register to vote. This is unnecessary, since voters in every state are already required to affirm or verify their citizenship before voting. 

Policies like the SAVE Act are less about protecting elections than about silencing certain groups of voters, including new citizens, Black Americans, and women. Their proponents often capitalize on xenophobic, anti-immigrant mis- and disinformation, inspiring people with fear rather than facts. 

Tell Your Senators to Oppose the SAVE Act! 

LWV created a simple action alert empowering users to contact their representatives and ask them to oppose the SAVE Act. As of July 2025, more than 52k users had contacted their representatives through LWV tools on the SAVE Act. 

The SAVE Act is currently awaiting a vote in the Senate. Tell your Senators to stand against it today! 

You can find additional action alerts around congressional interference in DC, the Equal Rights Amendment, expanding voting rights, and more on our Take Action page! Thank you to the hundreds of thousands of people who participate in these action alerts and petitions annually. 

5. Rallying Around a Light for Our Democracy 

Rallying in partnership with fellow activists is a grand tradition that LWV has participated in since its formative days during the women’s suffrage movement. Unsurprisingly, in a year as divisive as 2025, LWV engaged in rallies to bring the people together and inspire hope and collaboration. 

In March, during the President’s address to Congress, Leagues nationwide hosted Light for Our Democracy gatherings to unite people in reflection, action, and solidarity. In the spirit of togetherness, LWV partnered with a diverse array of partners across the democracy rights movement, many of whom spoke at our livestreamed gathering in Washington, DC. 

Light for Our Democracy set the precedent for a year of partnership in protest. From the Fight for Fair Maps rally to No King’s Day and beyond, LWV stood alongside movement allies and everyday people to speak out for a fair and representative nation. 

Stay up to date on opportunities to rally in your community through our digital organizing app, League in Action! 

The five moments above represent just a fraction of our work in 2025. From gathering with League leaders at our biannual Council to letting people wear their support for democracy with our brand-new online store to launching a system that makes joining the League easier than ever, LWV sharpened our systems from all angles to best equip supporters as they empowered voters. 

What moments stuck with you from 2025? Let us know on Bluesky or Threads, and join your local League to get involved in our work for 2026. We can’t wait to see what we accomplish together.