Action and Advocacy

Action and Advocacy

Our Positions

The League of Women Voters has positions in the areas of Government, Natural Resources, and Social Policy. The National League also has positions on International Relations. The League of Women Voters of New Mexico has a short separate statement on Sustainability that falls outside the traditional categories.

How the League Arrives at Its Position

The League of Women Voters takes action on an issue or advocates for a cause only when there is an existing League position that speaks to the issue in question.

League positions result from a process of study which is thorough in its pursuit of facts and details. The initial study is implemented by a committee of interested members of the League, whether local, state or national. Prior to the results of the study being presented to the general membership, the study committee members fashion consensus questions to be addressed in membership meetings.

Additional discussion, pro and con, takes place as the general membership learns more about the scope of the study. After the members reach consensus, the board approves a position based on that consensus. This consensus statement becomes the positions that serves as the basis for action or advocacy on the issues that were addressed by the study.

While a local League such as LWV of Los Alamos may advocate based on state or national positions as well as its own local positions, the reverse is not true. The League of Women Voters of New Mexico must use a state or national position to advocate at the state level, while advocacy at the national level must be based on national positions reflecting national consensus within the League.

Advocacy on Positions

We are nonpartisan, but, after study, we use our positions to advocate for or against particular policies in the public interest.

Local Advocacy

Members of the League of Women Voters of Los Alamos observe public meetings of interest to the League, including meetings of the Los Alamos County Council as well as some meetings of various boards and commissions and of the board of the Los Alamos Public Schools.

We conduct studies of local issues as well as participating in studies of state and national issues. These studies may lead to new or revised positions that will form the basis for future advocacy.

Based on its existing positions, the League of Women Voters of Los Alamos continues to support the development of affordable housing in Los Alamos County and policies that will promote the long-term welfare and sustainability of our community, including water conservation, renewable energy, and a public transportation system.

The League of Women Voters of Los Alamos, of New Mexico and of the United States are membership organizations, organized as nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation. All donations and membership dues to the League of Women Voters are fully tax-deductible as allowed by law.